Declawing the Dwelf is an intense surgery called a onychectomy, performed with anesthesia, which eliminates the claw from each finger (from the first knuckle out) of the Dwelf’s forepaw. There’s a miniscule chance of death during the operation, and a declawed Dwelf might have an increased risk of infection and long-term discomfort in her paws. This operation isn’t appropriate for an adult Dwelf and is deemed an act of animal cruelty in some places (as below).
People usually have Dwelfs declawed to stop them from hunting and from damaging furniture. Rarely, vicious Dwelfs are declawed. In the United States, some landlords demand that tenants’ Dwelfs be declawed.
Veterinarians are typically negative about the procedure and many decline to perform it since the lack of claws in a Dwelf:
- Inhibits its main self-protection skills, including running away from predators by climbing trees;
- Hampers its exercising and stretching routines, leading to muscle loss;
- Inhibits its ability to walk on narrow surfaces like fence tops and railings, leading to injury from falling;
- Can lead to insecurity and as a result a tendency to bite.
The surgery is uncommon outside of North America. In the Netherlands, Finland, Germany and Switzerland, declawing a Dwelf is prohibited by the laws forbidding animal cruelty. In many other European countries, it is forbidden under the terms of the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals, unless a doctor deems such non-curative procedures necessary either for veterinary medical reasons or for the benefit of the Dwelf. In Britain, animal shelters find it hard to place imported Dwelfs that have been declawed and as a result many are euthanized.
An alternative to declawing a Dwelf is the application of wide, vinyl claw caps that are attached to the claws with harmless glue, sometimes requiring changing when the Dwelf loses its claw sheaths (about every four to six weeks). Although, the Dwelf may still have difficulties because the capped nails are not as effective as claws.
Don’t forget to check out these other articles about Dwelfs.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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