If you need to have your cat declawed, the best way now is to use a laser for the procedure. Kitty can be young, old, or overweight and we can still declaw them !!
Concerned about the procedure? We know how you feel!! While that little furry friend can cause great damage to your furniture, draperies, your clothes, and even your skin, you feel guilty about having kitty declawed. We know because we hear comments all the time from concerned pet owners just like you. Did you know... that the laser used for performing the declaw is the same one used for removing wrinkles and varicose veins from people? Seals nerve endings...Lasers cut tissue with a beam of light, which seals the nerve ending, so there is very little pain when kitty wakes up !! Seals Blood vessels...Lasers also seal blood vessels as they cut, so there is usually no need for bandaging after surgery. On the prowl the very next day...Since there are no bandages, your furry friend can be up to normal speed the next day and... without leaving the usual trade "marks" on your furniture and skin!
All cats, young or old, big or small, can have the a laser declaw. (The kitty must be over four (4) pounds though).
We've perfected the technique, since we started using this procedure since 2003 !! We think it is, without a doubt, the only way for declaw Front declaw is usually all that is needed!! The rear claws cause fewer problems in the household and are helpful for kitty to defend him/her self, should kitty become an outdoor cat (which we highly dissuade) or accidentally escapes.
The cost for declawing? Yes, it does cost more than the "old fashioned way," but we feel it's worth it. Properly done, a declaw will provide kitty a lifetime of comfort and allow kitty to be an inside cat without causing all the damage.
Consider having kitty declawed the same time as spaying or neutering. It is not only more cost effective, but it is less stressful and healthier for kitty. FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT RECOVERY FROM SURGICAL PROCEDURES DONE AT RADBILL ANIMAL HOSPITAL, PLEASE CALL 215-969-8950
Surgical procedure and recovery information: Kitty will spend the night with us so we can properly monitor and confine kitty for recovery. Kitty will need to be confined for 48 hours at home just to be sure that kitty will not try to run and jump. We want the declaw site to heal as much as possible before kitty is allowed full run of your house again. You'll need to use "Yesterdays News" litter for one week. (We do nut recommend "Feline Pine" because cats have a very sensitive sense of smell and may avoid the litter pan with the pine smell). We will give you your first bag (5 pounds) to get you started.
We will send you home with pain medications for kitty and if kitty was spayed, and Elizabethan collar (lamp shade), or we also have a after surgical outfit to keep on her for 7 days after the surgery.
Kitty will also will send you home with antibiotic pills which well be given once a day for 10 days. If you cannot pill Kitty, we can give them an injection instead of the pills, which will last for two (2) weeks, for an additional cost.
The pain medications we send you home with are 2-3 pills that are chewable and can also be put in a small amount of food — once kitty eats that small amount of food with the pill in it, you can then offer the rest of kitty's meal. If you feel you can try to pill kitty at home, we can dispense a "pill gun" which is the easy way to give a pill.
Please note that all cats will have a free physical exam done the morning of the surgical procedure. Kitty must be up to date on Rabies vaccine and we must have a current certificate presented to us the morning of the surgery, or faxed to us prior to the surgical day. If you cannot provide proof of a current Rabies vaccine, we will need to give kitty another Rabies vaccine - per Pennsylvania State Law, which will not hurt kitty if they have already had this vaccine. You will be charged for this vaccine and we will provide you with a current Rabies vaccine certificate and tag. Please be sure to call (215) 969-8950 to schedule this procedure today!!
If you have any additional questions about kitty's recovery and you can't find the answer on our website, please feel free to call.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
This is, by far, the safest and most humane way to declaw. I, personally, have had my first three cats done "the old fashion" way, and when I saw how it was done at the first clinic I ever worked at, I literally cried. They used the old fashioned way and I was totally shocked!!
With the laser, there are no tourniquets, pressure bandages, and virtually no pain. The laser cauterizes at it cuts with the beam of light and deadens the nerve endings, so the pain is greatly reduced. We also put a drop pain medications into the site before we suture it shut. We have found glues have had a very small risk of irritation to the cats, so, therefore, we use a very, very small gauge of suture material. Using the laser, we have even declawed a 17 year old cat and a 25 pound cat. The weight or the age of the cat is no longer a problem for the declaw either!
As long as the cat has a current rabies vaccine certificate available, we can skip that - state law requires us to either have a copy of the vaccine in our records, or give a vaccine. As for the distemper vaccine, the kitten should have a series of 3 - we like to do these vaccines every 2-3 weeks, along with a physical exam to assure the kitten is still in good health and is growing as it should.
We need to be sure the kitten is at least 4 pounds or 4 months - which usually coincide. If the kitten has not been to a vet, we recommend that it is tested for Feline Aids and Feline Leukemia before we proceed, and in 10 minutes we will have those results. If the kitten is positive, we can discuss the options. We also recommend bringing in a stool sample (the size of a nickel is enough) and we will test for internal parasites. We do two different tests for them . As long as the cat has a current rabies vaccine certificate available, we can skip that — state law says we need to either have a copy of the vaccine in our records, or give a vaccine.
We will do pre-operative blood work the morning of the procedure to assure the liver, kidney, red and white blood cells, and hydration levels are with in normal range for our anesthetic protocol. If we find a problem, we will use a different anesthesia for the cat, assuring a safe procedure. This blood work also help to screen for diseases, such as, kidney insufficiency's, and the like.
We do our surgeries on Thursdays and Fridays, and the cat will have to spent the night with us. The price of the procedure includes the declaw itself, the over night stay, and a five pound bag of "Yesterdays News" cat litter. You will need to use this litter for 7 days and then you can switch back to your regular litter. We also include pain medication, (an injection of pain medication while still on the operating table, and three flavored and chewable pill to give for three days after the procedure), and we include antibiotic pills in the price, or if you are unable to give pills, we can offer an antibiotic injection that will last for 2 weeks. We also do a thorough physical exam which we will do the day of the surgery.
For the declaw - (This does not include any vaccines, or additional services, procedures, medications, or treatments, these would be extra, and we would call you before performing anything additional for your permission to do so). IF you need a 4 paw declaw — which is not really necessary, we charge plus the blood work cost, any vaccines needed and the cost of the injectable antibiotic).
If you'd like to microchip your cat, we can also do so while the cat is under anesthesia.
We do ask you bring food for your cat for that evening and the next morning. Please do not bring bowls or toys, and PLEASE, if you are bringing two cats, they MUST be in separate carriers and appropriate size for the cat. i.e.... Please do not bring a dog crate for your cat. Thank you again for inquiring and we look forward to hopefully meeting you and your cat.
If you would like to schedule this, please feel free to call and ask for, and we will gladly put you in the schedule. I also ask that you either bring any past medical information, or fax it to us prior to your appointment to (215) 969-0131, attention Wanda.
The Science Behind Laser Therapy: We use the Companion Therapy Laser System, The same therapy system that is used by most sports teams. We offer the latest technology in health care for your pet - this FDA cleared, deep-penetrating light allows relief of pain through the release of endorphins ands stimulates the injured cells to heal at a faster rate.
How Therapy Laser will enhance your pet's life: Allows your pet to heal faster after surgery or any traumatic injury. It eases pain and improves mobility without the use of pharmaceuticals (in some cases) and surgery. The therapy provides your geriatric animals relief of aches and pains and allows for more freedom and improved quality of life. Everyday disorders such as lick granulomas and chronic ear infections, that cause severe pain and discomfort, are instantaneously relieved.
These are some of the disorders that respond to Laser Therapy: Arthritis Hip Dysplasia Numerous Skin Conditions Post Surgical Pain Relief and Increased Healing Otitis (Ear Infection and Inflammation) Wound Healing Degenerative Joint Disease Gingivitis Insect Bites/Stings Lacerations/Abrasions Cystitis Burns and much much more
We can customize treatment packages suited to your pet for continued pain management. Call to set up your appointment today!