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For years people have declawed their cats to prevent damage to their home furnishings and to
themselves. Most people who have had this procedure performed on their pet
will agree that the discomfort with this procedure is minimal and the
recovery time is rapid. Most cat owners who have had a cat declawed, won't
hesitate to have the procedure done on other cats that come to live with
them.
Still, I am aware that
many people view this procedure as a painful experience for the cat and
hesitate to get their cat declawed. If you are a person who would like to
have your cat declawed , but are concerned about post operative
discomfort, then the new CO2 Laser Surgery Technique may be what
you have been waiting for.
Laser Surgery has been
used successfully in human medicine for years. It involves using a machine
that generates a laser beam that is then used instead of a scalpel blade
to make incisions. It has been documented in human medicine that the laser
beam seals the ends of the nerves as it cuts through the tissues. This
greatly reduces post operative discomfort. The laser also seals all but
the largest of blood vessels normally encountered when doing a declaw.
Because of this, there is no need to use tourniquet during surgery or to
bandage the feet following surgery. Because of the fact that the feet are
not bandaged after surgery, we don't need post-op sedation so we can use
gas anesthetic exclusively for this procedure. Gas anesthesia is the
safest type of anesthesia and results in a much faster recovery time.
Because of all of these factors, the cats are back on their feet faster
than with the traditional method of declawing. It is common to see kittens
that have had all four feet declawed to be fully awake, walking normally
and playing with their front feet within an hour after surgery.
The cost of the laser
procedure is a little more than twice the cost of the traditional declaw.
If you are thinking about declawing your cat, you now have a choice
between the two procedures.
Canton Center Animal
Hospital is proud to be one of the first veterinary hospitals in
southeast Michigan to offer laser surgery to its clients. If you have any
questions about this new machine or laser surgery in general, please feel
free to call our office and speak with a doctor.
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