declawing

Declawing is the surgical removal of a cat’s claws.  In order to prevent the claw from growing back, the ungual crest which contains the cells that produce the claws must be removed.  This involves amputating the last bone or 3rd phalanx of the cat’s toes.  Using a laser for the surgery reduces bleeding and minimizes pain and swelling by sealing blood vessels, nerve endings, and lymph vessels. All declaws at South Forsyth Animal Hospital are performed with a laser.   In addition,  all declaw patients  receive Buprenorphine for systemic pain control pre and post operatively, as well as local nerve blocks to keep the area numb.  And as with any surgical patient they are monitored  closely by our registered veterinary technicians who utilize EKG, Doppler blood pressure, and PO2 monitoring.  We are proud to offer laser declaw surgery as a progressive alternative to conventional declaw methods.