Declawing a Nebelung is a major operation known as onychectomy, performed under anesthesia, which eliminates the claw from each toe (from the first knuckle out) of the Nebelung’s paws. There is always a small possibility of a fatality in the surgery, and a declawed Nebelung may have an increased risk of infection and permanent displeasure in its paws. This surgery is not appropriate for a full-grown Nebelung and is referred to as an act of animal cruelty in some regions (see below).
People usually get Nebelungs declawed to hinder them from hunting and from damaging furniture. Seldom, vicious Nebelungs are declawed. In the US, some landlords demand that tenants’ Nebelungs be declawed.
Veterinarians are typically negative about the procedure and at times refuse to do it because the absence of claws in a Nebelung:
- Deprives it of its primary self defense skills, like running away from predators by climbing trees;
- Deprives it of its stretching and exercise habits, which can lead to muscle atrophy;
- Deprives it of its ability to balance on narrow surfaces like fence tops and railings, which can lead to injury from falls;
- Can lead to insecurity and a subsequent tendency to bite.
The procedure is not common outside of North America. In Finland, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland, declawing a Nebelung is prohibited per the laws forbidding cruelty to animals. 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 necessary either for veterinary medical reasons or for the benefit of the Nebelung. In England, animal shelters are finding it difficult to place imported Nebelungs that have been declawed and as a result most are killed.
One substitute for declawing a Nebelung is the application of wide, vinyl nail caps that are attached to the claws with safe glue, sometimes requiring changing when the Nebelung sheds its claw sheaths (about every 4 to 6 weeks). Although, the Nebelung may still have problems because the capped nails are not as effective as claws.
Don’t forget to check out these other articles about Nebelungs.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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