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Effect of a provincial feline onychectomy ban on cat intake and euthanasia in a British Columbia animal shelter system
Abstract
Objectives
The aim of this study was to determine whether there was an increase in cat relinquishment for destructive scratching behavior, a change in overall feline surrender intake and euthanasia, or a change in average length of stay in a British Columbia shelter system after provincial legislation banning elective onychectomy.
Methods
Records of cats admitted to the British Columbia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in the 36 months prior to (1 May 2015–30 April 2018, n = 41,157) and after (1 May 2018–30 April 2021, n = 33,430) the provincial ban on elective onychectomy were reviewed. Total intake numbers, euthanasia and length of stay were descriptively compared between periods. Proportions of cats and kittens surrendered for destructive scratching, as well as the proportion of cats and kittens surrendered with an owner request for euthanasia, were compared using two-sample z-tests of proportions.
Results
Destructive behavior was found to be an uncommon reason for surrender (0.18% of surrendered cats) during the study period. There was no statistically significant difference in the number of cats surrendered for destructive scratching behavior ( z = −1.89, P >0.05) after the provincial ban on elective onychectomy. On the contrary, the proportion of owner-requested euthanasias decreased after the ban ( z = 3.90, P <0.001). The total number of cats surrendered, the shelter live release rate and average length of stay all remained stable or improved following the ban, though causation could not be determined.
Conclusions and relevance
The findings in this study suggest that legislation banning elective onychectomy does not increase the risk of feline shelter relinquishment – for destructive behavior or overall – and is unlikely to have a significant effect on shelter euthanasia or length of stay.
... But it perhaps also highlights the need for guardians to consider the issue of cats and claws carefully before they commit to guardianship, and asks of vets that they think about and offer alternatives to both declawing and euthanizing cats to such guardians. Research discussed earlier in this paper that a provincial ban on elective onychectomy did not increase the risk of euthanasia(Ellis et al. 2021) should alleviate some of these concerns. Thanks to an anonymous reviewer for raising this point. ...
Onychectomy involves the surgical amputation of a cat's claws. Tendonectomy entails surgically cutting tendons to prevent the extension and full use of a cat's claws. Both surgeries practically declaw cats and are not only painful but also associated with high complication rates. While feline declawing surgeries have been banned in various places around the world, they are still elective in many countries and U.S. states. This article provides an ethical analysis of declawing cats. It discusses the harms posed by feline declawing surgeries, like pain and complications, which are not offset by any benefits to cats. Drawing on Martha Nussbaum's capabilities approach, it also offers an additional and broader ethical argument against declawing, namely that removing cats' claws is unjust because it thwarts important capabilities for feline flourishing (e.g., play, bodily integrity, control over one's environment). It concludes that declawing cats for non-medical purposes is unethical and must be opposed.
... Since this behavior cannot be eliminated, treatment focuses on redirecting scratching to surfaces designed for it, such as scratching posts. However, nontherapeutic onychectomy is often used to avoid euthanasia or abandonment [71]. ...
Simple Summary
In several countries, there are practices, ideologies, rooted traditions, or legal gaps that represent challenges to animal welfare. These particularly relate to the consideration of the welfare domains of nutrition, environment, health, behavior, and corresponding mental state. In this article, we discuss some of the challenges with respect to animal welfare that arise in Latin America. Controversial topics concerning aesthetic and management practices in small animals and with the keeping of wildlife in Latin American regions are discussed. The focus is on the legal and ethical aspects, as well as the current efforts, that these countries are making to address and incorporate global welfare standards into domestic and wild animal practice and regulation.
Abstract
Animal welfare is a societally relevant issue that is globally attracting increased attention. This is in addition to the importance placed on welfare for the animals themselves. However, the content and application of laws protecting animals’ welfare vary across countries. In Latin America, there are a range of common practices or activities involving certain animal species, many of which are legal, that can impair an animal’s quality of life. These include the performance of aesthetic surgical procedures; bull-, cock-, and dog fighting; and the existence of circuses that exhibit animals. The extent and impact of these practices being dependent on the socioeconomic, cultural, territorial, and regulatory landscape of each country. Particularly, Ibero-American regions face welfare challenges that might be influenced by traditions and relevant legal gaps. The objective of this article is to review controversial practices carried out in companion and entertainment animals in Latin America, with a focus on legal aspects, as well as the current efforts being made to address and incorporate global welfare standards into domestic and wild animal practice and regulation.
This chapter addresses ethical concerns in companion animal practice including shelter medicine, outdoor cats, overpopulation, neutering/gonadectomy, conformational disorders/brachycephaly, convenience surgeries/declawing/onychectomy, behavioral medicine, referrals, futile intervention, obesity, and access to veterinary care. Modern animal shelters provide an array of services with population control and animal welfare at the forefront. Sterilization programs have been an integral part of shelter missions to control overpopulation and stop the influx of unwanted animals into shelters. Some shelters have stopped taking in unsocialized cats and euthanizing them. Instead, these cats are now being sterilized, vaccinated, and returned to field. The dog and cat overpopulation crisis in the 1970s coincided with surgical sterilizations becoming routine in private clinics. Neutering involves the surgical removal of gonads. It is performed primarily to prevent companion animal overpopulation. Conformational disorders occur when an animal's shape and structure negatively impact its health and welfare.
Simple Summary
Many dogs and cats are relinquished to shelters by their owners. To reduce their number, it will be vital to know whether people relinquish their pets primarily as a result of real or perceived problems created by the animals, or because of problems in their own lives, i.e., whether the reasons are animal or owner related. We therefore investigated reported reasons for giving up cats and dogs to a large shelter in the second-largest city in Denmark, a wealthy Scandinavian country, in the period 1996 to 2017. We observed that owner-related issues were the most common reasons for both cats (74%) and dogs (75%). Problems with the health of the owner were the most common reason, but challenges with housing also contributed significantly, both with cats and dogs. Time pressures were reported by dog owners, but not cat owners. We conclude that the most important way to reduce relinquishments in Denmark, like in other countries studied, will involve focusing on owners—e.g., by finding ways to help them to look after their animals during their own episodes of ill health. Among the animal factors, behavioural problems were by far the most commonly reported reason for relinquishment for both species.
Abstract
Every year, dogs and cats are relinquished to animal shelters by their owners in large numbers. Reasons for relinquishment of dogs and cats to a large Danish shelter from 1996 to 2017 were obtained and characterised. The reasons were available for 86% of the owner-relinquished animals, including 3204 dog relinquishments (90%) and 2755 cat relinquishments (82%). They were allocated to 59 categories, which were further merged into four owner-related and three animal-related reasons. The most commonly reported of these seven reasons for relinquishment of dogs were owner health (29%), animal behavioural problems (23%), housing issues (21%) and lack of time (14%). For cats, the figures were: owner health (32%), housing issues (26%), and animal behavioural problems (25%). No systematic changes in these patterns were found over time. The number of relinquished cats was roughly stable, whereas the number of relinquished dogs decreased on average by 3% per annum. Owner issues were the primary reason for relinquishment in both species, but nearly one-quarter of the animals were relinquished as a result of behavioural problems. As the latter are often connected with the owner in some way, the results emphasise the importance of a focus on owners when addressing pet relinquishment challenges.
Simple Summary
Low income has been reported to be a risk factor for dog relinquishment to shelters in the U.S. The majority of people with lower incomes, however, do not relinquish. Risk factors for relinquishment in a low socioeconomic region of Los Angeles were examined. Cost was associated with relinquishment, and most people were not aware of available assistance. Those who relinquished reported emotional attachment to the dog and higher perceived stress than a comparison group. The majority of reasons for relinquishment were likely solvable with assistance, highlighting an opportunity to provide community-specific alternatives to relinquishment.
Abstract
Dog relinquishment is a large component of shelter intake in the United States. Research has shown traits of the dog are associated with relinquishment as well as general characteristics of those relinquishing. Low income is often cited as a risk factor for relinquishment. The majority of people with lower incomes, however, do not relinquish. A group of people accessing a shelter in a low socioeconomic region of Los Angeles to relinquish their dogs was surveyed. This study examined risk factors for relinquishment, controlling for household income, compared to a group utilizing low cost spay/neuter services. A total of 76.9% of those relinquishing noted cost as a reason for relinquishment. Of participants in the relinquishment group, 80.7% reported not being aware of any services available to them. Most notable in the findings was that the odds of relinquishment were generally higher as the amount of perceived stress in the home in the past three months increased. The majority of people in both groups reported being emotionally attached to the dog. In this sample from a South Los Angeles community, the majority of reasons for relinquishment were likely solvable with assistance. These findings highlight an opportunity to assess community needs and provide community specific alternatives to relinquishment.
To examine aspects of the cat, environment and scratching post that might influence scratching behavior, in an effort to determine how inappropriate scratching behavior might be refocused on acceptable targets.
An internet survey, posted on several public websites, gathered details about scratching behavior, as described by owners in their home environments, from 4331 respondents over a 4 month period. Responses from 39 different countries were analyzed, mostly from the USA, Canada and the UK.
Owners offered traditionally recommended scratching substrates including rope, cardboard, carpet and wood. Rope was most frequently used when offered, although carpet was offered most frequently. Most owners provided at least one scratching post; cats scratched the preferred substrate more often when the post was a simple upright type or a cat tree with two or more levels and at least 3 ft high. Narrower posts (base width ⩽3 ft) were used more often than wider posts (base width ⩾5 ft). Intact or neutered cats (males and females) were as likely to scratch inappropriately, and inappropriate scratching decreased with age. Geriatric cats between the ages of 10 and 14 years preferred carpet substrate most frequently; all other ages preferred rope first. Inappropriate scratching decreased as the different types/styles of posts increased in the home. Inappropriate scratching did not increase if the number of cats or dogs increased in the household. Declawed cats were preventatively declawed most often to prevent household item destruction.
Although cats can have individual preferences, our data provide a starting point for veterinarians recommending scratching posts to clients.
© The Author(s) 2015.
The Regional Shelter Relinquishment Study sponsored by the National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy (NCPPSP) is a US research project designed to explore the characteristics of relinquished dogs and cats, their owners, and the reasons for relinquishment. The NCPPSP Regional Shelter Study, which was conducted between February 1995 and April 1996, found that behavioural problems, including aggression toward people or non-human animals, were the most frequently given reasons for canine relinquishment and the second most frequently given reasons for feline relinquishment. No association was found between category of relinquishment (behavioural, mixed, non-behavioural) and gender, number of times mated (males), number of litters (females), purebred status, declaw status, and number of visits to the veterinarian within the past year, for either dogs or cats. Associations were found between category of relinquishment and number of pets in the household, number of pets added to the household, neuter status of female dogs and cats , neuter status of male dogs, training level, age of pet relinquished, length of ownership, and pets acquired from shelters. Associations also were found between the state in which the pet was relinquished and income level of owner.
To compare the incidence of behavior problems following tendonectomy or onychectomy in cats, as well as attitudes of owners following these procedures.
Nonrandomized clinical trial.
18 cats that underwent tendonectomy and 39 cats that underwent onychectomy.
Owners of cats that underwent tendonectomy or onychectomy between February 1993 and May 1998 were contacted by telephone and asked several questions regarding reasons for surgery as well as complications and behavioral changes in cats following surgery.
The most common reason for considering tendonectomy or onychectomy was to avoid damage caused by the cat scratching household materials. Avoidance of injury to humans or animals was chosen more often by owners whose cats underwent onychectomy than those that underwent tendonectomy. Tendonectomy was more likely to have been recommended by veterinarians than onychectomy. Significantly more cats that underwent tendonectomy (67%) than onychectomy (44%) returned to normal activity within 3 days after surgery. Significant differences were not detected regarding behavior problems after surgery.
Although tendonectomy and onychectomy involved some medical complications and behavior changes following surgery, owners had positive attitudes regarding both surgeries after the immediate postoperative period. Tendonectomy may be a humane alternative to onychectomy, although owners need to be advised that nail trimming is still necessary in cats after surgery.
This study compared patient discomfort for 10 d following feline onychectomies performed using a CO2 surgical laser versus a scalpel blade. Both techniques appeared to result in discomfort of a similar duration, although the laser caused significantly less lameness than blade excision during the first 7 d.
Objectives
The aim of this study was to assess the impact of onychectomy (declawing) upon subsequent development of back pain and unwanted behavior in cohorts of treated and control cats housed in two different locations.
Methods
This was a retrospective cohort study. In total, there was 137 declawed and 137 non-declawed cats, of which 176 were owned cats (88 declawed, 88 non-declawed) and 98 were shelter cats (49 declawed and 49 non-declawed). All cats were physically examined for signs of pain and barbering. The previous 2 years of medical history were reviewed for documented unwanted behavior such as inappropriate elimination and biting with minimal provocation and aggression. All declawed cats were radiographed for distal limb abnormalities, including P3 (third phalanx) bone fragments. The associations of declaw surgery with the outcomes of interest were examined using χ ² analysis, two sample t-tests and manual, backwards, stepwise logistic regression.
Results
Significant increases in the odds of back pain (odds ratio [OR] 2.9), periuria/perichezia (OR 7.2), biting (OR 4.5) and barbering (OR 3.06) occurred in declawed compared with control cats. Of the 137 declawed cats, 86 (63%) showed radiographic evidence of residual P3 fragments. The odds of back pain (OR 2.66), periuria/perichezia (OR 2.52) and aggression (OR 8.9) were significantly increased in declawed cats with retained P3 fragments compared with those declawed cats without. Optimal surgical technique, with removal of P3 in its entirety, was associated with fewer adverse outcomes and lower odds of these outcomes, but operated animals remained at increased odds of biting (OR 3.0) and undesirable habits of elimination (OR 4.0) compared with non-surgical controls.
Conclusions and relevance
Declawing cats increases the risk of unwanted behaviors and may increase risk for developing back pain. Evidence of inadequate surgical technique was common in the study population. Among declawed cats, retained P3 fragments further increased the risk of developing back pain and adverse behaviors. The use of optimal surgical technique does not eliminate the risk of adverse behavior subsequent to onychectomy.
The objective of the study was to determine the proportion of practitioners from Ontario, Canada who perform onychectomy, identify the techniques utilized, and obtain practitioners views on the procedure. An anonymous survey was distributed to Ontario Veterinary Medical Association members. Mann-Whitney U-tests were used to compare responses of opinion questions related to declawing between respondents who indicated they perform declawing procedures and those who do not. Of 500 respondents, 75.8% reported performing onychectomy, with 60.1% of those reporting performing the procedure less than monthly and 73.3% only performing the procedure after recommending alternatives. Statistically significant differences were found between those who do and those who do not perform onychectomy for perception of procedural pain, concept of mutilation, perception of procedural necessity for behavior modification or prevention of euthanasia, and support of province-wide procedural bans. Abstract available from the publisher.
OBJECTIVE To estimate the proportion of veterinarians working with feline patients in private practices who do or do not perform onychectomy and assess attitudes regarding and practices related to onychectomy in a large population of veterinary practitioners.
DESIGN Anonymous online survey.
SAMPLE 3,441 veterinarians.
PROCEDURES An online survey was provided to members of the Veterinary Information Network from June 18, 2014, through July 9, 2014. Descriptive statistics and frequency distributions for applicable response types were calculated, and Mann-Whitney U tests were conducted to compare responses to onychectomy-related opinion questions between respondents who indicated they did or did not perform the procedure. Not all respondents answered every question.
RESULTS 2,503 of 3,441 (72.7%) survey respondents reported performing onychectomy, and 827 (24.0%) indicated they did not; 1,534 of 2,498 (61.4%) performing the procedure reported a frequency of < 1 onychectomy/month. Most (2,256/3,023 [74.6%]) respondents who performed onychectomy indicated that they recommended nonsurgical alternatives. Surgical techniques and approaches to analgesia varied, with use of a scalpel only (1,046/1,722 [60.7%]) and perioperative administration of injectable opioids (1,933/2,482 [77.9%]) most commonly reported. Responses to opinion questions in regard to the degree of pain associated with onychectomy and recovery; whether declawing is a form of mutilation, is necessary in some cats for behavioral reasons, or is a necessary alternative to euthanasia in some cats; and whether state organizations should support a legislative ban on onychectomy differed significantly between respondents who did and did not perform the procedure.
CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Onychectomy is a controversial topic, and this was reflected in survey results. In this sample, most veterinarians performing the procedure reported that they did so infrequently, and most offered nonsurgical alternatives to the procedure.
Objectives:
To systematically review published studies evaluating pain associated with onychectomy in cats, and to assess the efficacy of the analgesic therapies applied.
Databases used:
Four sources were used to identify manuscripts for review. Databases searched were those of the National Library of Medicine, EMBASE and CAB International. In addition, pertinent references in the bibliographies of included articles were retrieved.
Results:
Twenty manuscripts published in refereed journals were reviewed. These included papers reporting 18 clinical trials and two studies conducted in conditioned research cats. Twelve analgesics were evaluated, including seven opioids, four non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and one local anesthetic. Nine studies involved a direct comparison of analgesic agents. Limb use was abnormal when measured at 2 and 12 days following onychectomy, and neither fentanyl patch nor butorphanol administration resulted in normal use of the surgical limb. In another study, cats evaluated at 6 months after this surgery were not lame. Differing surgical techniques were compared in six studies; the results indicated that pain scores were lower after laser surgery than after scalpel surgery. The difficulties associated with assessing pain in cats and the lack of sensitivity of the evaluation systems utilized were highlighted in many of the studies. Huge variations in dose and dosing strategies had significant impacts on drug efficacy. Statistically significant differences among treatments were found in most studies; however, no clearly superior analgesic treatment was identified. A combination of meloxicam or robenacoxib with an opioid may provide more effective analgesia and should be evaluated.
Globally, large populations of companion animals are relinquished each year. The purpose of this scoping review was to identify all published research investigating companion-animal relinquishment to map out and evaluate research gaps, needs, and opportunities. A comprehensive search strategy was implemented in 4 online databases, identified citations were screened, and relevant articles were procured and characterized. From 6,848 unique citations identified, 192 were confirmed relevant, including 115 primary-research articles and 77 reviews and commentaries. The majority of these articles originated from the United States (131; 68.2%); 74 (38.5%) of them have been published since 2006. Among the primary-research articles, 84 (73.0%) investigated reasons for companion-animal relinquishment. The most commonly studied reasons were aggressive companion-animal behaviors (49; 58.3%); moving, rental, or housing issues (45; 53.6%); and caretaker personal issues (42; 50.0%). Only 17 primary-research articles investigated interventions to prevent companion-animal relinquishment. The quantity of research into reasons for relinquishment highlights an opportunity for future knowledge-synthesis activities in this area, including systematic review and meta-analysis. In comparison, the limited research into interventions identifies a priority for new research.
The frequency of claw regrowth, bony remnants, and complications in cats that underwent forelimb onychectomy using laser, scalpel, or guillotine techniques were evaluated. Eighty-seven client-owned cats were recruited from 27 veterinary clinics in the Canadian Atlantic provinces. At least 1 year after onychectomy the cats underwent a physical examination, gait analysis, and radiographic evaluation by 1 of 2 authors. There was no significant difference in the frequency of claw regrowth among the 3 methods (P = 0.283). Significantly more cats had bony remnants following guillotine onychectomy (P < 0.001). Bony remnants were significantly associated with claw regrowth (P = 0.001). Cats that underwent laser onychectomy had significantly less post-operative complications (P = 0.023). The long-term outcome was not significantly different among the 3 methods. We conclude that leaving remnants of the third phalanx in situ is associated with an increased frequency of claw regrowth. Laser onychectomy may be preferred to reduce the risk of post-operative complications, bony remnants, and claw regrowth.
One hundred sixty-three cats underwent onychectomy from January 1985 to November 1992. Onychectomy was performed with guillotine-type nail shears (62%), surgical blade (24.5%), or both (8.6%), and wound closure consisted of bandages alone (61.3%), bandages after suture closure (26.4%), or tissue adhesive application (9.2%). The duration of surgery was significantly longer when onychectomy was performed with a blade or when suture closure was used instead of bandages alone (P < .05). Fifty percent of the cats had one or more complications immediately after surgery. Early postoperative complications included pain (38.1%), hemorrhage (31.9%), lameness (26.9%), swelling (6.3%), or non-weight-bearing (5.6%), and were observed more frequently after blade onychectomy (P < .001). Follow-up was available in 121 cats; 19.8% developed complications after release. Late postoperative complications included infection (11.6%), regrowth (7.4%), P2 protrusion (1.7%), palmagrade stance (1.7%), and prolonged, intermittent lameness (0.8%). Late postoperative complications were observed more frequently after shears onychectomy (P = .018). Use of tissue adhesive was associated with more postoperative lameness (P < .02) and, when used after shears onychectomy, with more infections (P = .049).
A random sample of 652 Canadian veterinarians was surveyed to determine perioperative use of analgesics in dogs and cats following common surgeries. The response rate was 57.8%. With the exception of taildocking in puppies, at least 85% of animals received preincisional analgesics, and 30% to 98.1% received postincisional analgesics. A similar survey was conducted in 1994; since then, analgesic usage has increased markedly, as have ratings of the pain caused by different surgeries. In 2001 most veterinarians (62%) used at least 2 classes of analgesic perioperatively. However, strong opioids, local anesthetics, and alpha-2 agonists were underused, and there was an overreliance on weak opioids (butorphanol, meperidine). Up to 12% of veterinarians did not use any analgesics. Nationally, this may have affected many animals monthly; for example, approximately 6000 dogs or cats undergoing ovariohysterectomy. Continuing education (provincial level) and review articles were considered effective ways to inform veterinarians about optimal analgesic practices.
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