#Middlebury #Cat #Declawed #Trauma
DEAR PAW’S CORNER: Three months ago, I adopted a beautiful orange striped cat. Felicia is a darling but has a traumatic past. Her previous owner declawed her front paws and later abandoned her to the street. She was rescued, fostered and then adopted by me. But she still suffers from that trauma, and she walks gingerly on her front paws. Can I do anything to relieve her suffering? – Janine C., Alexandria, Virginia
DEAR JANINE: She sounds like a real beauty! I’m so glad you two were brought together through pet adoption, and I know you’ll do your best for her.
Talk with Felicia’s veterinarian about the way she’s walking. Declawed cats not only are traumatized by the removal of their claws – it’s similar to amputating a limb – they often suffer pain throughout their life and can develop complications like arthritis. Declawed cats often exhibit signs of chronic pain, walking gingerly or limping, squirming out of your lap when you touch their front paws, or even showing increased aggression.
The vet should look for any possible injury to the paw that she’s limping on, because it’s clear that she has more pain in one paw than the other. From there, a treatment can be developed that addresses the limp and the possible chronic pain that she may be suffering from. Often, pain medication alone does not solve the problem. A combination of therapies to help “reset” pain receptors can be very effective for declawed cats.
Follow the vet’s recommended therapies and keep giving Felicia lots of love and good food so that she can continue to recover from the trauma she experienced.
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