Declawing the Brazilian Shorthair is a major surgery known as onychectomy, performed with anesthesia, that eliminates the claw of each toe (from the first knuckle out) of the Brazilian Shorthair’s paws. There is always a remote possibility of a fatality during the procedure, and a declawed Brazilian Shorthair may experience an increased risk of infection and long-term discomfort in its paws. This procedure isn’t suitable for a full-grown Brazilian Shorthair and is deemed an act of animal cruelty in some places (as shown below).
Owners typically have Brazilian Shorthairs declawed to prevent them from damaging furniture and hunting. Rarely, vicious Brazilian Shorthairs are declawed. In America, some landlords demand that residents’ Brazilian Shorthairs be declawed.
Doctors are generally critical of the procedure and sometimes decline to perform it because the lack of claws in a Brazilian Shorthair:
- Reduces its primary self defense abilities, like running away from predators by climbing trees;
- Inhibits its stretching and exercise habits, leading to muscle atrophy;
- Deprives it of its ability to balance on thin surfaces like fence tops and railings, which can lead to injury from falls;
- Can cause insecurity and as a result a tendency to bite.
The operation is rarely performed outside of North America. In Finland, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland, declawing a Brazilian Shorthair is prohibited by the statutes forbidding animal cruelty. In many other European countries, it is illegal under the terms of the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals, unless a veterinarian deems such non-curative procedures beneficial either for veterinary medical reasons or for the health of the animal. In Britain, animal shelters are finding it tough to place imported Brazilian Shorthairs that have been declawed and as a result most are killed.
One alternative to declawing a Brazilian Shorthair is the use of blunt, vinyl nail caps that are applied to the claws with nontoxic glue, sometimes requiring replacement when the Brazilian Shorthair sheds its claw sheaths (about every four to six weeks). Although, the Brazilian Shorthair may still experience difficulties since the capped nails are not as effective as claws.
Don’t forget to check out these other articles about Brazilian Shorthairs.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