Declawing a Serrade petit is an intense operation called a onychectomy, performed using anesthesia, which removes the claw from each digit (from the first knuckle out) of the Serrade petit’s forepaw. There is a remote chance of a fatality during the operation, and a declawed Serrade petit may have a slight risk of infection and long-term displeasure in its paws. This operation is not suitable for an adult Serrade petit and is referred to as an act of animal cruelty in some places (shown below).
Owners usually get Serrade petits declawed to impede them from damaging furniture and hunting. Rarely, vicious Serrade petits are declawed. In America, some landlords require that residents’ Serrade petits be declawed.
Veterinarians are generally negative about the procedure and at times decline to do it because the absence of claws in a Serrade petit:
- Deprives it of its primary self-protection skills, such as running away from predators by climbing trees;
- Hinders its stretching and exercise routines, leading to muscle atrophy;
- Reduces its ability to balance on narrow surfaces like railings and fence tops, leading to injury from falling;
- Can cause insecurity and as a result a tendency to bite.
The procedure is not common outside of North America. In Germany, Finland, Switzerland and the Netherlands, declawing a Serrade petit is prohibited by the laws against animal cruelty. In many other European countries, it is not allowed under the terms of the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals, unless a veterinarian deems such non-curative procedures necessary either for veterinary medical reasons or for the benefit of the Serrade petit. In the United Kingdom, animal shelters find it difficult to place imported Serrade petits that have been declawed and subsequently most are euthanized.
One substitute for declawing a Serrade petit is the use of blunt, vinyl claw caps that are stuck to the claws with nontoxic glue, requiring periodic changing when the Serrade petit loses its claw sheaths (about every 4 to 6 weeks). However, the Serrade petit may still have problems since the capped nails are not as effective as claws.
Don’t forget to check out these other articles about Serrade petits.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 🙂
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