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TankVet t1_iwxwq1o wrote

Reply to comment by VilleIn97 in Allentown becomes 2nd city in Pa. to make declawing cats illegal by fireside_blather

As a veterinarian, I don’t think it’s necessary to legislate against it. I don’t know any veterinarians who do it any more. Hell, I haven’t even had five people ask about it in the last five years? And none of them pushed back after being educated about the procedure.

Public resources could be better spent elsewhere. Do something about puppy mills, for example.

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Sennva t1_iwy0xuj wrote

Maybe you live in a more enlightened area. The demand is definitely still out there.

I know a family who've had it done to every cat they've ever owned. They seem to consider it a necessary evil and not a big deal since their cats got over it and "seem fine".

Clearly there are still vets in the state who perform the surgery. There will always be someone unscrupulous out there which is why laws like this are necessary.

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asrialdine t1_iwz8u9y wrote

When we stop debating how little we’re legally allowed to pay people, then I’ll give a little more credence to arguments like this one.

I’m sure you’re a great vet and the vets that you know are also great…it’s the ones who I don’t know and can’t vouch for that I want this law for.

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TankVet t1_iwzblaq wrote

You make a good point.

As a person in the industry, I see declawing of cats to be a bad thing that happens infrequently while I see the results of puppy mills as a bad thing that happens all the time.

Just my perspective.

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ilexberry t1_iwzjqdf wrote

Last year I took my kitten to an animal hospital that was highly reviewed and recommended for her healthy kitten check and to get her scheduled for the spay. During the review for the spay, they asked me if I wanted her declawed. I was stunned—I had never had a vet offer to declaw a cat before (and this vet was on the younger side, too!) I declined, and ended up taking my kitten elsewhere for her spay because I realized I couldn't trust that vet with her. :/

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heili t1_ix3zmaz wrote

There are a lot of vets who will cut parts off of animals purely for the owner's cosmetic taste or desire for convenience.

I wish they were all like you, but sadly no.

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