• At the Malibu Veterinary Clinic, Dr. John Lupo said he does not declaw cats “for a variety of reasons.” He educates patients on how to train cats not to claw the furniture and use scratch pads. “Most people think declawing is just a minor, routine procedure, and I explain that it’s not—it can cause a lot of problems,” he said.
• Dick Martin, Malibu resident and Medical Director of VCA Brentwood Animal Hospital, said in an interview that they don’t declaw cats, “because it’s illegal in Los Angeles.” Even before it was outlawed by the city in 2009, he said, “We did not encourage it. We advocated behavior modification, soft paws (nail caps) and scratching posts.”
• Malibu Coast Animal Hospital (MCAH), the largest veterinary practice in town, will declaw a cat if circumstances warrant. In a written statement to The Malibu Times the clinic said, “MCAH does not advocate declawing cats. If a client requests a declaw procedure, it’s our policy to set up an appointment to discuss the procedure as well as alternatives such as nail trims, “Soft Paws” application and scratching posts. If the client makes an informed decision to declaw their cat, and the only alternative is re-homing or turning it over to a shelter, we will perform the procedure.
“There have been situations in which we declawed a feline patient because the client was immune-compromised and couldn’t risk being scratched. Our doctors are trained in the procedure of declawing using the CO2 laser, which eliminates the need for tourniquets and minimizes the risk of improper technique associated with other methods of declawing. Patients undergoing the procedure are treated with opiate pain management patches and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories.
“Fortunately, it’s not often that we perform a declawing procedure, but we prefer to do it in a manner that minimizes the discomfort of the patient as opposed to having them go elsewhere where we cannot guarantee that the procedure will be performed with the same amount of caution and concern for the cat’s well-being.”