Cat health claws- Do trimming, say No to Declawing.
???I??™d like to maintain my cat health but want to trim my cat??™s claw as she??™s ruining my couch, but I??™m worry to clip too much. How much of the claw can I clip without hurting her????- My friend asked me last week. I think question like this sound all too familiar.
Anatomy of Claws
The claws of cat are unique in such a way that they are able to retract their claws into pouch of skin while running to avoid injury. The claws are growing unlike dogs and human beings. For better understanding, the cat??™s claw is similar to that of an onion. The claw grows within, whilst the outer, worn layers fall. The shape of the claw is sickle shape to hunt the prey.
Cat Health-Claws Maintenance
In order to maintain your cat health, claws should be looked upon at least weekly once. And also schedule a visit to your vet??™s clinic at least once in a year will also help you to maintain overall health care of your cat.
Do perform hand glove home examination daily on your pet. This will enable you to identify any cat health- claw or coat problem. As an important part of grooming, your cat??™s claws need to be trimmed. This will not only help you prevent couch damage but also its own paw pads.
The Procedure of Trimming
If you haven??™t trimmed a cat??™s claw ever before, learn from your vet how he performs. If your cat??™s claw not kept at the proper length, it will grow extensively and pierce the paw pads, leading to paw infection.
About an eighth of an inch- your cat??™s each claw need to be snip off. Be careful not to clip the pink section of the nail, as it contains nerve endings and blood vessel reside.
Modern therapies like laser surgery and tenectomy will help to declaw your cat??™s claw. By laser therapy heals the wound very quickly and there??™s less bleeding.
Cost of Declawing
If you opt for declawing, it may costs more than $100. If you can spend little extra, you can choose a vet who does the laser surgery on the cat claws. And yes, the cats should be confined to indoors after this procedure. That??™s why I always suggest trimming the claws.
You may ask whether surgical maneuver is the only option for maintaining your cat health especially claws. No!!! You can build or purchase a scratching post, which is an essential tread in cat training to avoid vicious scratching. Even you can go for soft claws by putting cap for each claw. So you can maintain your cat??™s health at the cost of its claw. Your sweet angel deserves better.
Glossary
Tenectomy - Removing or severing the tendons
Declawing - removing the claws in the toes.