Declawing a Donskoy is a major operation called a onychectomy, performed under anesthesia, which removes the claw from each finger (from the first knuckle out) of the Donskoy’s paws. There is a miniscule possibility of death in the surgery, and a declawed Donskoy might have an increased risk of infection and long-term discomfort in his paws. This surgery isn’t advised for an adult Donskoy and is referred to as an act of animal cruelty in some countries (see below).
Owners usually have Donskoys declawed to prevent them from damaging furniture and hunting. Seldom, vicious Donskoys are declawed. In America, some landlords demand that residents’ Donskoys are declawed.
Veterinarians are usually negative about the surgery and at times decline to perform it because the lack of claws in a Donskoy:
- Hinders its primary self defense skills, like escaping from predators by climbing trees;
- Reduces its stretching and exercise routines, leading to muscle loss;
- Impairs its ability to balance on narrow surfaces like fence tops and railings, leading to injury from falling;
- Can lead to insecurity and a subsequent biting habit.
The operation is not common outside of North America. In Germany, Finland, Switzerland and the Netherlands, declawing a Donskoy is not allowed by the laws against animal cruelty. In many other countries in Europe, it is forbidden under the terms of the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals, unless a vet deems such non-curative procedures beneficial either for veterinary medical reasons or for the benefit of the Donskoy. In the UK, animal shelters find it tough to place imported Donskoys that have been declawed and subsequently many are euthanized.
One substitute for declawing a Donskoy is the use of blunt, vinyl claw caps that are applied to the claws with safe glue, requiring periodic replacement when the Donskoy loses its claw sheaths (about every 4 to 6 weeks). Although, the Donskoy will still have problems since the capped nails are not as effective as claws.
Don’t forget to check out these other articles about Donskoys.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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