Since 10/04/98.Thanks for stopping by.
Since 10/04/98.
--HOW AND WHY IT'S DONE
--RISKS AND COMPLICATIONS
--WHY HUMANE GROUPS OPPOSE IT
--WHO SUPPORTS IT
--WHAT ARE THE ALTERNATIVES
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By Howard Davis
Ferrets, like cats, use their claws to scratch, dig, climb, grasp
objects, and move them around. And their claws - like cats'
talons - sometimes leave scars on doors or moldings, put holes in
pillows or mattresses, and empty flower pots of their potting
soil.
Declawing is a controversial surgical procedure developed to stop
such undesirable property-destructive behavior. In a few cases
it has also been employed to reduce the risk scratches may pose
to pet owners whose immune systems are compromised by HIV or
chemotherapy. Championed by some veterinarians, it is strongly
opposed by other practitioners and numerous humane organizations.
It's also legally banned in several European countries.
For a pet owner, the controversy boils down to a few simple
questions: Will it harm my pet? Will it work? And what are the
alternatives?
To get a handle on these questions, we must first look at the
surgery itself. Though often lumped with other so-called
"cosmetic" procedures that help show-class animals win
championship competitions, such as tail or tongue myotomy in
horses, and ear-cropping in dogs, declawing is not just a
manicure, and it's far from pretty. Its technical name is
"onychectomy," and it entails amputation of the toes at the last
joint, removing not just the claw but also the bone from which it
originates. The equivalent on a human hand would be amputation
cutting *through* the knuckle just above the nail.
---- The Procedure ----
Cats and ferrets are different enough in several important
respects that their reactions - and the risks - are not the same.
But the procedure itself is quite similar for the two species.
The animal is prepared by cleaning and disinfecting the area
around the forepaws (rear paws are rarely declawed). Sometimes
hair is also clipped. Then the animal is a general anesthetic,
and a tourniquet is applied to the forearm to reduce blood loss.
The amputations - 10 separate ones for a ferret, one for each
nail on each front foot - are effected either by a "guillotine
nail cutter" or a surgical scalpel. The incision site may be
sutured, and in most cases it is "glued" shut to reduce chances
that foreign matter will be introduced. A follow-on regimen of
antibiotics is usually recommended.
Usually a ferret is kept at the clinic at least overnight; cats
are sometimes hospitalized for two or three days. After release,
the owner is instructed to use some sort of litter box filler,
such as "Yesterday's News," that won't stick to the incisions.
---- Risks and Complications ----
Physically, some risks and complications are common to both cats
and ferrets, and to any major surgery. Anytime a general
anesthetic is applied, there is a risk of anaphylactic reaction,
which can be fatal. Anytime you cut into tissue, there is a risk
of infection. The point here is that, even though these risks may
be low for otherwise healthy ferrets, there is some possibility
the ferret could die as a result of an *optional* procedure.
There are also particular risks associated with this kind of
surgery, most of them being what veterinarians euphemistically
call "technique-related" - meaning the surgeon, through
inexperience, incompetence, or an unsteady hand, makes a mistake.
One specific risk is that the radial nerve that runs along the
forearm may be damaged, if the tourniquet is too tight or in
place for too long. Others include:
- bone chips which prevent healing;
- inadvertent removal of part of a digital pad;
- partial regrowth of the nail *inside* the paw, causing pain but
remaining invisible to the eye (if this problem is suspected,
periodic follow-on x-rays may be required for monitoring);
- and incomplete removal of the nailbed and partial or deformed
regrowth of the nail.
Sometimes the latter can have tragic consequences.
---- Accidents Will Happen ----
Two years ago, Jeanne Stadtmiller and Mary McCarthy of Ferret
Friends of Upstate New York report, they traveled to Utica, NY to
pick up two ferrets to take back to the shelter.
"When we arrived we met two adorable little creatures!" Ms.
Stadtmiller recalls. "The male was a year-old sable and the
female was a 2-year-old silver mitt. As Mary works at an animal
hospital, her first inclination as we were cuddling and
introducing ourselves to the new kids was to do a quick
examination."
"We were horrified to discover that this beautiful little girl,
Maggie, had ten horribly disfigured toes! They were long and
short, twisted and bent. Of course, when Mary asked what happened
to her toes, the owner said, 'We had her declawed.
"I have never seen anything so pathetic as the toes on this poor
little ferret," says Ms. Stadtmiller. "Thank God this is the only
declaw I have ever seen, and I hope I never see another one."
---- Physical Trauma ----
Ferrets are much smaller than cats. This can be both good and bad
when it comes to declawing. After surgery the cat, being
heavier, has more weight to put down on his traumatized foot than
the ferret and is thus likely to move with a limp for a longer
period after surgery. But during surgery, the risk of a mishap -
an inaccurate cut - is probably larger with the ferret precisely
because all the parts are smaller and packed closer together.
There is also the extremely important fact that cat claws are
retractable, while ferret claws are not. This means the ferret
is more dependent on its claws for balance. For a ferret, as for
a dog, losing its 10 claws IS IN FACT to lose its front 10 toes.
(Of course, no one thinks of declawing dogs!) As people who have
lost digits on their feet well know, learning to walk again
without toes can be a frustrating and painful experience in its
own right - all the more if ferrets, like human beings who lose
arms or legs from war injuries or car accidents - are subject to
"phantom limb" pain for the rest of their lives.
---- Psychological Trauma ----
Psychologically, cats have a rougher adjustment than ferrets to
make. This is because ferrets, while they use their claws for
all sorts of things, do not rely on them as a primary means of
defense. Cats do. And without those claws, a fairly high
percentage feel very insecure. Ironically, owners who declaw
their cat because they are afraid it will scratch their human
baby may find the infant at greater risk than before. This is
because many cats - to compensate for the insecurity they feel at
the loss of their claws - become biters! Other felines
reportedly become morose, reclusive and withdrawn, or in some
instances irritable, aggressive, or unpredictable.
All the same, if your ferret is declawed, some of the joy of
being a ferret is sacrificed, so there could be mood and
behavioral after-effects.
According to Deborah Jeans, author of the classic "Practical
Guide to Ferret Care," declawing causes suffering to the animal
and lowers its overall quality of life by:
- damaging the ferret's ability to grasp objects - toys, for
example - and move them around;
- depriving the ferret of the traction it needs to keep solid
footing on smooth surfaces;
- leaving the ferret unable to tone its muscles by digging and
scratching, and;
- reducing the ferret's ability to remove particles of food
caught in the roof of its mouth.
---- What Humane Groups Say ----
Most humane groups in the United States have taken firm positions against declawing.
Both the American Humane Association and the Humane Society of
the United States (HSUS) have spoken out on declawing. HSUS
policy opposes "tail myotomy, tail neurectomy and tongue myotomy
in equines, ear-cropping of dogs, and declawing of cats when done
solely for the convenience of the owner and without benefit to
the animal." The society also opposes "any other unnecessary
surgical procedure that is painful, distressful, or restrictive
of the function of the body part involved when done for cosmetic
purposes or to disguise natural imperfections of any animal."
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
(ASPCA) is "opposed to elective, cosmetic or other unnecessary
surgical procedures on animals such as ear cropping, tail docking
and declawing," says Valerie K. Angeli, ASPCA public information
coordinator.
In some countries such as Great Britain and Germany, declawing
except for medical reasons is illegal on grounds of cruelty.
---- What Vets and Pet Fancier Groups Say ----
The ultra-conservative American Veterinary Medical Association
(AVMA) policy is quite tolerant of declawing: "Declawing of the
domestic cat is justifiable when the cat can not be trained to
refrain from using its claws destructively. (1994)"
On the other side of the aisle, the Association of Veterinarians
for Animal Rights opposes such procedures "because the suffering
and disfigurement they cause the animal are not offset by any
benefits to the animal... Procedures done to correct or prevent
so-called vices are unacceptable because they are usually done in
lieu of correcting deficiencies in the animals' environment
caused by human influences."
The British Veterinary Association calls declawing an
"unnecessary mutilation."
In the cat fancier community, many owners are strongly opposed to
declawing. In 1996 the board of directors of the Cat Fanciers'
Association approved a guidance statement noting that both
declawing tendonectomy, the severing of digital tendons, are
"elective surgical procedures which are without benefit to the
cat. Because of post operative discomfort or pain, and potential
future behavioral or physical effects, CFA disapproves of
declawing or tendonectomy surgery."
---- Opinion in the Ferret Community ----
Within the ferret community, the League of Independent Ferret
Enthusiasts (LIFE) considers declawing, along with descenting and
teeth filing, to be a mutilation and inhumane except when
indicated on purely medical grounds.
"LIFE is strongly opposed to declawing," says Ann Davis, the
organization's National Coordinator. "Trying to achieve behavior
modification with surgery is inhumane, and usually leads to even
worse behavior. Ferrets use their front paws like little hands to
grasp, groom, and dislodge food particles. How could anyone cut
their little fingers off?"
Jeanne Carley, speaking for the recently created Ferret Education
Foundation, a 501(c)(3) national nonprofit organization
benefitting ferrets, said FEF believes "it is inhumane to declaw,
descent, or file teeth, unless a compelling medical reason exists
which necessitates these procedures for the health of the
ferret."
Alicia Drakiotes, director of the Ferret Wise shelter in
Marlborough NH, says declawing "has the potential to cripple the
ferret for life or cause severe hardship on the little creature.
I have heard horrifying accounts of 'bad' ferret declaw
procedures. In an improper ferret declaw, the nails will grow
astray and protrude out in any number of directions, hindering
the way the ferret walks."
"You can expect posture and walking to be compromised as well.
Perhaps it won't be very noticeable at first, but in the senior
days when arthritis sets in, then what? Ferrets with their
elongated torsos and bad hips already face problems with
arthritis. Why give them more mobility problems?"
Ms. Drakiotes, who is director of the only all-ferret facility
officially recognized as a Humane Society, and also LIFE's
shelter coordinator, notes that declawed cats turned into animal
shelters are less likely to find new homes. "Felines are often
dropped off at local shelters even AFTER they are declawed," she
says. "In my area, humane shelters report that the declawed ones
have poor litterbox habits and tend to be distraught or biters. A
VERY HIGH percentage of declawed cats deposited at humane
societies never get another home! Declawed ferrets, especially if
they develop behavioral problems, may face the same fate."
STAR* Ferrets (Shelters That Adopt and Rescue) "does not believe
in declawing ferrets," says the organization's director, Pamela
E. Troutman. "There is nothing more natural to ferrets than
digging and using their nails to climb. Because of the way
ferrets' nails do not retract (unlike cats), ferrets lose more
than just a nail when declawed. Dogs are not declawed, and when
trained properly, do not damage household carpeting or
furnishings. The same can be accomplished with ferrets. Carpet
and furniture protection can be done simply and unobtrusively,
and at a much lower cost that declawing."
"A person who feels a ferret needs to be declawed in order to be
kept as a pet should not be a ferret owner," she continues.
"This type of person would eventually find another excuse as to
their ferret's behavior being inconvenient, and finding there is
no 'quick fix', will do away with the ferret. People looking to
modify their pet's natural behavior by surgical tactics that are
not for health reasons, instead of using behavior modification,
are not spending enough time with their pets, and therefore
should not be pet owners."
A number of other shelter directors have similar views. "I am
positively, absolutely against declawing," says Chere McCoy of
Ferret Friends of Indian River County (Florida). "Our vet would
probably have a heart attack if someone ask her to declaw their
ferret. My personal opinion is that it is a barbaric practice."
Troy Lynn Eckart, director of Ferret Family Services in
Manhattan, Kansas, says that in her personal experience "ferrets
that are declawed cannot climb well. The two I share my home
with cannot get up on the couch or on top of the cat condo,
cottage or adobe to look out of the window. They sleep in beds on
the floor level."
"Just because they cannot tell us they're in pain, doesn't mean
they aren't," Ms. Eckart cautions. "We can tell that a ferret
isn't feeling well when it sleeps more or is restless, doesn't
eat, or doesn't play in its usual manner."
"A ferret is a ferret," she concludes. "They love to climb and
dig. It is natural to them. Declawing is not."
The "Ferret FAQ," maintained at the Ferret Central World Wide Web
site on the Internet as the semi-official voice of political
correctness on the Ferret Mailing List (FML), has lately adopted
a rather neutral position on the subject. Last year's FAQ
(Frequently Asked Questions) on the issue was titled "Declawing:
Definitely Not." This year, it is "Probably Not."
The text of the Ferret Central guidance reads as follows:
"Ferrets have nails like dogs, not retractable claws like cats,
and declawing them is more difficult than it is for a cat. I have
only ever heard of a handful of declawed ferrets; most of them
are doing well, but a few had long-term problems from the
surgery. Many people feel very strongly that ferrets should never
be declawed, and nearly everyone agrees that declawing should be
done only as a last resort, when non-surgical solutions to the
problem have failed. Still, a few people support declawing, and
in the end, it's a decision you and your vet will have to make
for yourselves."
We were unable to find a published American Ferret Association
position on declawing. But one of the veterinarians scheduled to
speak at an AFA-sponsored veterinary symposium this summer is one
of the nation's most aggressive practitioners and defenders of
the procedure: Dr. Deborah W. Kemmerer, described in symposium
promotion material as a "frequent lecturer on ferrets,
experienced practitioner in ferret medicine."
Dr. Kemmerer, of the West End Animal Hospital in Florida, says
she never presents declawing as an option until other
alternatives have been described, but boasts: "I've declawed many
ferrets and have had only one complication in ten years, and
many, many happier owners and ferrets with a lot more freedom of
movement."
"Turning a ferret in to a shelter because it destroys an
expensive couch is a much worse alternative than declawing," she
has written. "What is the alternative? Never let the ferret out
of its cage? Allow it to dig holes in your sofa or your carpet?"
But are those really the *only* alternatives?
---- Better Solutions ----
In fact, a far better solution than any of the above is simply to
take the time to structure your ferret's environment and gently
but firmly reshape its behavior.
The easiest, most low-tech way to deal with troublesome ferret
claws is regular nail trimming. Your vet can show you how to do
it safely, without damaging the vein or the quick. The nail
"hook" is what tears up upholstery, so when it is removed, damage
is greatly reduced.
According to Ms. Drakiotes, it is absurd to declaw a ferret
simply because "an owner can't be bothered every seven to ten
days to clip and or file the nails of the pet... Ferrets do grow
nails, but they can and usually are maintained by clipping and
filing by responsible ferret caretakers."
Another technique is to ensure that "approved" scratching spots -
the equivalent of "scratching posts" for cats - are available in
areas of the house accessible to the ferret. This can be combined
with use of Bitter Apple or other harmless "disincentives" such
as a squirt bottle or verbal admonishment, to discourage
destructive clawing.
Other options include:
- protecting plants from digging by putting large rocks or metal
mesh over the tops of their pots;
- protecting carpet by putting down a piece of plastic carpet
protector from an office-supply store;
- preventing ferrets from ripping the cloth on the bottom of a
box spring and climbing into it, by putting a fitted sheet on the
bottom of the bed, anchored in place with nails or brads, or
attaching wire mesh or a thin piece of wood to the underside of
the box spring (you may need to drill air holes in the wood so
the box spring can still compress);
- using magnetic locks to keep ferrets out of cabinets, rubber
bands around cabinet door-handles, or a strip of Velcro-type tape
on door and frame.
Pam Greene has posted a number of other ingenious strategies on
the Ferret Central's FAQ (site
http://www.ferretcentral.org/faq/).
The best advice is just to be vigilant, inventive, and
persistent. Owners who think that's too much trouble should turn
their ferret over to a good shelter.
Deborah Jeans, in "Practical Guide to Ferret Care," concludes her
discussion of the issue with this plea:
"The ferret's claws are a gift of nature. Please do not make the
animal suffer by taking them away."
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THE INDEPENDENT FERRET NEWS SERVICE
Publisher: Ann Davis
Executive Editor: Howard Davis
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Thanks,
Millie & The Moore Than Enough Crew.