Our good friend Jo Singer interviewed Dr. Kristen Doub, a veterinarian practicing in Utah and the director of The Paw Project’s Utah branch. Dr. Doub has been researching declawed cats by taking x-rays of their paws. Among her findings:
- 66% of declawed cats had bone fragments left behind by a sloppy surgeon. These fragments are synonymous with pebbles in your shoe. They can also cause nails to regrow under the skin, which can then form abscesses.
- Osteomyelitis, a painful bone infection, was present in 30% of declawed cats and can result from chronic pressure sores, something to which every declawed cat is prone.
- 15% of declawed cats displayed litterbox avoidance due to their painful paws.
- 36% of declawed cats were outwardly aggressive with a tendency to bite with little provocation or warning.
- Bladder inflammation and lower urinary tract disease tend to be very common in declawed cats and present in 80% of PPU’s surgery candidates, most likely due to the overall stress that declawing causes.