Declawing Services

While your pet's tendency to scratch is an instinctive behavior, it can also cause harm for you or your family members, and lead to unnecessary destruction and costly repairs to damaged household items. If you've exhausted alternative methods of training for your pet without success, and are considering declawing services for your pet, we can help.

At Hope Springs, we provide safe and effective cat declaw surgery, or onychechtomy as an option for your pet. Throughout your pet's surgery and during their recovery, our goal is to keep your pet as comfortable as possible, while ensuring a secure and positive outcome. Our veterinary doctors perform cat declaw surgery by surgically removing all of the nail and nail bed. Prior to your cat's surgery, we provide multiple means of pain control, including a nerve block, in order to keep your pet as comfortable as possible. Your pet will be under anesthesia during their procedure, and once completed, will remain hospitalized overnight so that we may carefully monitor and support his or her recovery and pain management. Most pets are released from our hospital the day following their surgery, excluding pets who are over one year of age, and may require additional observational support.

Once your pet has returned home safely from their procedure, home care will be extremely important to continuing their comfort and recovery. Your pet should be prevented from climbing, jumping or using regular or sand type cat litter. Once your cat has been declawed, they will need to be confined indoors for the remainder of their life, as their claws are their primary form of self defense against other animals. During the first 10-14 days at home, you will need to carefully monitor your pet for any unusual swelling or bleeding, and use shredded paper or compressed paper based cat litter to prevent infection. 

While your pet's paws may be tender or sore for a few days, most cats recovery quickly and effectively from cat declaw surgery. We generally recommend scheduling this procedure at the same time as your pet is spayed or neutered, so that your pet will avoid having to undergo anesthesia more than once. 

If you'd like to know more about our declawing services at Hope Springs, contact us so that we can help support you in making the right choice for your pet and your family. Ask us about our laser surgical options available at our Great Bridge location only.