Declawing the Sokoke is an intense operation known as onychectomy, performed with anesthesia, that removes the claw of each toe (from the first knuckle out) of the Sokoke’s forepaws. There’s a tiny chance of death in the surgery, and a declawed Sokoke may experience an increased risk of infection and permanent discomfort in her paws. This surgery is not suitable for an adult Sokoke and is referred to as an act of animal cruelty in some regions (see below).
People typically have Sokokes declawed to prevent them from hunting and from damaging furniture. Rarely, vicious Sokokes are declawed. In the US, some landlords demand that residents’ Sokokes be declawed.
Doctors are usually critical of the operation and at times decline to perform it since the lack of claws in a Sokoke:
- Inhibits its primary self defense abilities, including escaping from predators by climbing trees;
- Reduces its stretching and exercise routines, leading to muscle loss;
- Deprives it of its ability to walk on thin surfaces such as fence tops and railings, which can lead to injury from falls;
- Can cause insecurity and as a result a tendency to bite.
This procedure is rare outside of North America. In Germany, Finland, Switzerland and the Netherlands, declawing a Sokoke is illegal by the statutes against cruelty to animals. In many other countries in Europe, it is prohibited under the terms of the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals, unless a vet considers such non-curative procedures beneficial either for veterinary medical reasons or for the health of the animal. In England, animal shelters find it difficult to place imported Sokokes that have been declawed and subsequently most are euthanized.
An alternative to declawing a Sokoke is the use of blunt, vinyl claw caps that are stuck to the claws with harmless glue, requiring periodic changing when the Sokoke loses its claw sheaths (about every 4 to 6 weeks). Although, the Sokoke will still experience problems because the capped nails are not as effective as claws.
Don’t forget to check out these other articles about Sokokes.Was this post helpful? If so, please take a minute to Tweet and Share below on Facebook. I would also love to know your thoughts so leave me a comment 🙂
Follow