Call of the Day: Shady Surgeons R Us

by Dr. V | Wednesday | October 7, 2009 | 16 comments

Receptionist: Hello, thank you for calling. How can I help you?

Person: I have a 4 year old cat and I need all 4 paws declawed. How much is that?

Receptionist: Well, we only do the front two paws here. And that runs about $250.

Person: Are you @$$!!%%$# kidding me??????!!!

Receptionist: …I’m sorry?

Person: That is just @#$!!# ridiculous.

Receptionist: I’m sorry.

Person: Isn’t there some back alley declaw vet you know of? Someone who does it for like, 50 bucks?

Receptionist: I can’t say that there is.

Meet me behind the dumpster at 7. You bring the helpless victim and $40, I’ve got the ether and the rusty pliers.

Seriously, though- I can’t imagine going into a place of business, deciding I dislike their prices, and demanding they tell me where I can get the same product elsewhere for less. Don’t get me wrong- I’ll help people find low cost spay and neuter clinics when they need assistance, and I do what I can to try and help people afford the care their pet needs day in and day out. But something about this conversation….*shudder*

Filed: Daily Life

Mary

I had no idea. You guys keep your sanity very well.
Nicole

That person shouldn’t be getting their cat declawed anyway, no matter how much it is. If they’re not going to illegalize the procedure I wish they’d make it cost $100,000 so people wouldn’t be able to have it done.

http://www.pawcurious.com Dr. V

I hear ya on that. I understand why some people do it- sometimes it comes down to that or giving up the cat, I suppose- but I hate the procedure. Fortunately for me my bosses perform it and don’t mind that I don’t want to, so I don’t do them.

Nicole

I’m glad to hear that. I was making =/ faces. I have often thought that it must suck for vets working in declaw-friendly offices who are against the procedure, so I’m glad they don’t make you personally do it. I used to have a friend who worked briefly as a vet tech, and one of the reasons he couldn’t do it any more was the fact that they were the only declaw-friendly clinic in the area and so were doing a TON of procedures and it made him feel dirty to work there.

I once convinced a relative to rehome a cat rather than declaw it when Soft Paws didn’t work (god, I love Soft Paws). I think they realized that if they cared about the cat’s welfare it’d be kinder. Pretty sure that if you get a cat you should be prepared to get its claws as well.

I… I can get pretty militant about this D:

Are you familiar with that charity (crap, name slips my mind) that collects money to rehabilitate captive big cats who’ve been declawed and suffer lameness as a result? Pretty cool stuff! They have before and after videos of some of their patients leaping around their enclosures literally for the first time in their life.

http://www.pawcurious.com Dr. V

I’m not familiar with that, but it sounds super cool. If you remember the name definitely pass it on here!

I also made my boss come in yesterday to dock tails on a litter of Yorkie puppies. She is very tolerant of my proclivities. I’m very fortunate.
Nicole

I found it =3

http://www.pawproject.com/html/

The Kona story was particularly upsetting to me. Hurrah! The internet!

Nicole

… Also (yay double post) who goes so far as to get the back paws done? Way to add insult to animal cruelty, caller guy D:

http://www.pawcurious.com Dr. V

I don’t know of anyone who does that, personally. I would venture to assume the caller hadn’t done much research on the procedure.
Sara

Not that I think this is the case at all with this particular caller but… some people who have compromised immune systems have four paws declawed to decrease the likelihood of getting scratched and getting sick. That’s the only reason I ever would do a four paw declaw.
~Sara

http://www.pawcurious.com Dr. V

Have you had that happen often? In seven years I’ve never actually met a client with that need (not that they don’t exist, but I think it’s awfully uncommon.)

http://www.hiddenexposures.com hidden exposures

i was going to mention soft paws but it looks like someone’s beaten me to it! i find i’m always educating people on soft paws…my cat has bright orange ones and when people see him (or see a picture of him) they think i painted his nails. i then use the opportunity to explain why declawing is bad and how easy soft paws are to use. wondering if you guys carry them (lots of vets don’t, which surprises me) – while it wouldn’t help someone like the charmer in your scenario, it might reduce the amount of poor kitties that get declawed!

(http://www.softpaws.com for those who are interested)

http://www.pawcurious.com Dr. V

Oh trust me, I know all the tricks. I spend a lot of time detailing alternatives to clients and trying to convince them to try those first. Many are open to it, and some just aren’t.

Sara

After you use a laser to declaw a cat you will never ever go back – at least none of the vets in my practice would. I know this is probably a horrible thing to say but they recover so well from the laser declaw that I almost don’t mind doing it. All of my own cats still have their toes, but if they were naughty kitties, honestly, the laser declaw with appropriate pain meds would be the way to go. No tourniquet, no bleeding, up and walking within a few hours. It’s amazing!
Too bad declawing will be outlawed soon and then our laser will be mostly useless

~Sara

Sara

Ooo and I just got the Halloween black and orange soft claws – can’t wait til some of their clear ones start to fall off!! My black cat looks so hot with orange toes
~Sara

http://www.hiddenexposures.com hidden exposures

as much as i like the clear ones, it is hard for me to find them if they’ve fallen off. the orange ones, on the other hand – easy!

http://www.pawcurious.com Dr. V

I’ve heard that about lasers. I wish I had that capability! We have the old guillotine and a tourniquet.

Pawcurious Vet Blog: With Pet Blogger and Veterinarian Dr. V