Challenge

 Thu, September 30, 2010 5:53:32 PM Re: Inquiry re: declawing cats From:Hope Allen <hopec.allen@att.net>Add to ContactsTo:Christine Ann Bellezza <cab37@cornell.edu> Hi, Thank you so much for responding back to me, I really appreciate it. Your information will be a big help with my project. Thanks again, Hope Allen

 From: Christine Ann Bellezza
Sent: Thursday, September 30, 2010 11:12 AM
To: Hope Allen
Subject: FW: Inquiry re: declawing cats Hi Hope,  It's nice to hear from an interested student!  As you probably have already determined, declawing is a complicated issue, with many opponents.  A google search on the procedure will provide all sorts of information, with a lot of quite passionate discussions.  The AVMA provides a policy statement  on declawing you might be interested in:  www.avma.org... . If declawing is performed, it is imperative that cats be treated with painrelieving medication afterwards. Here's one website that provides a brief overview of the different surgical procedures used, and covers a lot of the controversies.  www.marvistavet.com  I am not  aware of any studies that demonstrate which procedure is most efficient or humane. The FHC has been involved with the production of a video on destructive scratching behaviors.  The video explains why cats scratch and  offers ways to address scratching behavior, concentrating on behavioral remedies as a means of training cats to scratch more appropriately and hopefully avoid the need for declawing at all.  The video can be found here: www.partnersah.vet.cornell.edu... Best of luck with your project!   Christine Bellezza, DVM Co-Director, Feline Health Center College of Veterinary Medicine Cornell University Ithaca, NY 14853 http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/  

 From: Hope Allen [mailto:hopec.allen@att.net]
Sent: Tuesday, September 28, 2010 7:57 PM
To: JA Baker Institute for Animal Health
Subject: Mentor-ship   Hello, I am a Mentor student at Glenelg High School, and I intern at an animal hospital. I shadow Veterinarians so I observe surgeries, talking with the patients, x-rays, and other typical situations at a vet hospital. For my project I am researching the most humane and time efficient way to de-claw a cat. I was wondering if you have any comments on this topic or have any research you could share with me.  Thanks for your time, Hope Allen