My Pet World: Declawing with a laser is still inhumane and unnecessary

Q: I was told that it's possible to humanely declaw cats with a laser. My two kittens are dangerous with their claws. Would this be a good choice? -- C.S., via cyberspace

A: No offense, but I'm unsure how kittens might be perceived as "dangerous." It's true that a kitten's nails can be sharp, especially when they get too long. A veterinary technician or a veterinarian can show you how to clip your pets' nails about once a week. When cats learn at a young age that nail-clipping is associated with food and/or play, the experience isn't a bad one. The process takes less than five minutes.

Any declaw surgery (onychectomy) is the amputation of a cat's toes -- cutting them off at the equivalent of the first knuckle on a human finger, even when a laser is used.

"Unfortunately, declawing with a laser poses its own problems," explains feline veterinarian Dr. Margie Scherk, editor of Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery. "Not only can the laser burn the end of the bone, leading to inflammation and pain, but even with laser, bone fragments can be left behind. This may cause chronic pain in the feet, but also in the back and other joints if the cat tries to walk in a way to reduce pressure on the hurting bits."

Scherk advocates clipping those nails more often. Begin by training your kitties to have their paws handled. Just play with their feet and gently press down on them to extrude the nails during cuddle time. Scherk suggests not doing this when the kittens are playful. Begin by offering treats during the paw-patting sessions, but in time you can cut back on those.

"If your cats are really wiggly, you can wrap them in a towel to help keep them and their feet from going in different directions," Scherk adds. "I like to sit on the floor or a chair with my cat on my lap."

Scherk, of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, says "If you still want more protection, ask your vet or groomer to show you how to apply SoftPaws, vinyl nail caps that you change every four to six weeks." (SoftPaws are available at most places pet products are sold.)

Scherk comes out against de-clawing, and I agree with her.

"There really is no way we can justify amputating someone else's fingers and toes for our safety or property. Who gives us the right?" she said.

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Q: Should I wipe my dogs' paws for safety reasons during the winter, so they don't lick off the salt and snow? -- B.D., St. Paul, MN

A: "A lot of people say street salt is poisonous, (but) most of the time it's actually sodium chloride, which is table salt, or other types of chloride products," says veterinary toxicologist Dr. Justine Lee, of St. Paul, MN. "As long as they don't get into a package of it, or ingest a large amount, it's generally pretty safe. Still, to be on the safe side, I suggest booties, or wiping off the salt before entering the house."

A great product for wiping off that salt is called Luv and Emma's Dry Pets Super, a towel made with a special absorbent fibers, available at http://luvandemma.com/ ($12.95). Of course, you can also use an ordinary towel. While wiping your dogs' paws removes salt they might otherwise ingest, as much as anything else it's also about saving your carpet and floors from the damaging effects of salt.

As for your pets licking snow off their feet, unless there's something dangerous in the snow, such as antifreeze, this is not hazardous.

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Q: I have five cats and love them all. About two months ago, I noticed that Costa had a problem urinating. Two weeks later, OB started coughing. The veterinarian was able to help, but the fee came to $1,600, which I'm paying off a bit at a time. Why are veterinarians so expensive? I now call only when I see something is truly wrong. I can't afford anything else. -- A.D., Coral Springs, FL

A: "I don't know what your pets required, but I do understand your concerns," says Dr. Richard Goldstein, chief medical officer of the Animal Medical Center in New York City. "Of course, veterinary care isn't subsidized by the government. I'm not sure people realize the equipment, medical training and medications are often equivalent in veterinary care to human health care, but human health care is at least 10 times the cost. So relative to human health care, veterinary care is affordable."

Of course, even bargains matter little if you can't pay for them, and Goldstein understands that.

"Veterinarians don't become veterinarians to become rich, but they have families, too, and that equipment, rent or mortgage and the staff need to be paid," he notes.

The price of care is an issue veterinary medicine is grappling with as costs escalate. This is happening, in part, because of cutting-edge medicine, which allows more to be done for our pets than, say, a decade ago. And also because everything costs more. There are no easy answers. There are low-cost veterinary clinics in many communities, at the very least for spay/neuter. Pet insurance is a terrific safety net, but you would have to pay the premiums, and with five cats this might be costly.

Many veterinarians (particularly if there's a longstanding relationship with the pet owner) allow payment over time, sometimes interest free.

"The truth is that preventive care is one way to save money," adds Goldstein. "When illness is caught early, pets may suffer less, the treatment may not be as costly, and the outcome may more likely be successful."

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