WTF is wrong with people?

[skinnydipper]

"4% of dog owners who got their pet from abroad told us they did so because they wanted a dog with cropped ears, meaning that an estimated total of 26,000 dogs have been imported because their owners wanted them to have a cosmetic mutilation surgery that is illegal in this country.

In addition, 3% of owners said they had imported because they wanted a dog with a docked tail (estimated 17,000 dogs)."

and cats

"An emerging issue appears to be that of cat declawing. Alarmingly, 5% of cat owners who got their cat from abroad, equating to 31,000 cats, told us that they chose to get their pet from abroad because they wanted them to be declawed. Scratching is a natural behaviour for cats, and surgically amputating their claws deprives them of this ability, as well as potentially leaving them with long-term pain issues."

https://www.pdsa.org.uk/media/12965/pdsa-paw-report-2022.pdf

 

[Arzada]

Apart from the awfulness of this I'm amazed at the number of imported cats and dogs. Decades ago (1970s) I was horrified to learn of cats being declawed so that they couldn't wreck the furnishings/hurt the children and dogs being debarked so they didn't upset the neighbours by some flat dwellers (not the UK but maybe it happened here too).

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Good grief!

 

[TPO]

Ugg, humans ??

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

debarked?! surely not... that's horrific!

 

[EllenJay]

I don’t think I believe those figures and would want to see a lot more evidence of this.

 

[skinnydipper]

From page 2

"Over the last 12 years, the annual PDSA Animal Wellbeing (PAW) Report has surveyed a nationally representative sample of the UK’s dog, cat and rabbit owners to find out how they are providing for their pet’s welfare needs and reliably estimate pet populations. Robust methodology, consistently applied, enables accurate comparison of data and identification of trends."


If anyone is able to access more accurate info then please feel free to share it here.

 

[GSD Woman]

"An emerging issue appears to be that of cat declawing. Alarmingly, 5% of cat owners who got their cat from abroad, equating to 31,000 cats, told us that they chose to get their pet from abroad because they wanted them to be declawed. Scratching is a natural behaviour for cats, and surgically amputating their claws deprives them of this ability, as well as potentially leaving them with long-term pain issues."

The first time I saw a cat declawed I almost vomited and fainted. I can't even assist with them it bothers me that much. The only time I've heard a declaw being done for a real reason and not convenience was when an owner wound up in a wheelchair from diabetes and couldn't risk the possible infection from a scratch.

Cats scratch and if you don't want your furniture scratch trim your cats' nail regularly, get some scratching posts or keep them out of the rooms with nice furniture. It isn't rocket science.

 

[misst]

My terrier boy catches his dew claw approx once every 12 months without fail. Vet visit (he is a drama queen) sedation/GA (he is demon for the vet), cone of shame for a week and the whole trauma of it (for him not me). On the 4th time in 4 years I suggested removal of his dew claws to the vet. He has very deformed legs due to malnutrition as a pup so I think he catches them easily. He is distressed when his claws are clipped.

I was shocked at my ignorance. Vet explained she did not feel it was sufficiently serious to warrant this op and would probably not be ethical. She also explained about the ligament/bony attachment that would be affected and the long recovery time and pain involved. I had had no idea - for some reason I thought it was a simple procedure with minimal after effects. She would not consider it unless it was happening 3 or 4 times a year and even then would take advice on the matter first.

The idea of removing all of the claws is horrific on a cat or a dog.
Needless to say we will be making regular visits for injuries to dew claws for the foreseeable future .

 

[skinnydipper]

I was shocked at my ignorance. Vet explained she did not feel it was sufficiently serious to warrant this op and would probably not be ethical. She also explained about the ligament/bony attachment that would be affected and the long recovery time and pain involved. I had had no idea - for some reason I thought it was a simple procedure with minimal after effects. She would not consider it unless it was happening 3 or 4 times a year and even then would take advice on the matter first.

https://sugarfactoryvetclinicmt.com...on is to prevent,lower leg and prevent torque

 

[Books'n'dogs]

debarked?! surely not... that's horrific!

Infuriatingly it isn't uncommon amongst those who show their dogs here in the USA, it is especially common with those who have more vocal breeds; it makes my blood boil every time I hear a dog who has had it done or read about someone who has been ordered by a judge to have it done to their dogs.

 

[skinnydipper]

He is distressed when his claws are clipped.

My dog doesn't like having her nails clipped but using desensitisation I have been able to get her to accept having them trimmed with a Dremel. It was a slow process but worth it.

 

[Clodagh]

My terrier boy catches his dew claw approx once every 12 months without fail. Vet visit (he is a drama queen) sedation/GA (he is demon for the vet), cone of shame for a week and the whole trauma of it (for him not me). On the 4th time in 4 years I suggested removal of his dew claws to the vet. He has very deformed legs due to malnutrition as a pup so I think he catches them easily. He is distressed when his claws are clipped.

I was shocked at my ignorance. Vet explained she did not feel it was sufficiently serious to warrant this op and would probably not be ethical. She also explained about the ligament/bony attachment that would be affected and the long recovery time and pain involved. I had had no idea - for some reason I thought it was a simple procedure with minimal after effects. She would not consider it unless it was happening 3 or 4 times a year and even then would take advice on the matter first.

The idea of removing all of the claws is horrific on a cat or a dog.
Needless to say we will be making regular visits for injuries to dew claws for the foreseeable future .

I would certainly have his removed. My lurcher had her fronts taken off after repeated injuries. I don’t think it should be done as standard and yes they are there for a reason but imo sometimes they are better removed.

 

[DressageCob]

This is why it's not enough to ban cropping in the UK. We need to ban the import of cropped dogs. It's utterly barbaric.

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

I'm pretty sure I remember a conversation with my brother who moved to Australia about after 3 complaints, you're forced to get your dog de-barked. Horrific. Isn't it against the law to not vote, also?

 

[GSD Woman]

At one time Freddie's barking was so bad when she got excited/stimulated that I spoke to a friend who's a vet. She used to do debarking, since we discussed it she has stopped. She said that there is a chance of scarring around the larynx and trachea. H3ll no. Now Freddie has to be sitting and silent before she goes at the front door.
It took a while but when she realized that barking slows down the door opening so she shuts up rapidly. Even to go to agility

 

[SilverLinings]

It is hideous that people in this country are actively searching out dogs that have had cosmetic procedures that are illegal here. Either they don't understand why the procedures are illegal (which makes me worry that they also don't have the intelligence to care for a dog and understand it's basic needs) or they don't care (in which case they shouldn't be allowed to own a dog).

I agree with posters who've said that owning a cropped dog should be illegal in the UK (no matter where you bought it or where the cropping was done); the only exceptions should be UK rescues that have some sort of certification that makes them exempt as the cropping was done illegally in the home that the dog was seized from. Cropped rescues from abroad shouldn't be allowed in as that would just become the new way to feed the current UK market for dogs with cropped ears.

 

[Birker2020]

My terrier boy catches his dew claw approx once every 12 months without fail. Vet visit (he is a drama queen) sedation/GA (he is demon for the vet), cone of shame for a week and the whole trauma of it (for him not me). On the 4th time in 4 years I suggested removal of his dew claws to the vet. He has very deformed legs due to malnutrition as a pup so I think he catches them easily. He is distressed when his claws are clipped.

I was shocked at my ignorance. Vet explained she did not feel it was sufficiently serious to warrant this op and would probably not be ethical. She also explained about the ligament/bony attachment that would be affected and the long recovery time and pain involved. I had had no idea - for some reason I thought it was a simple procedure with minimal after effects. She would not consider it unless it was happening 3 or 4 times a year and even then would take advice on the matter first.

The idea of removing all of the claws is horrific on a cat or a dog.
Needless to say we will be making regular visits for injuries to dew claws for the foreseeable future .

Blimey our vet suggested we had our dogs dew claw removed as she got it caught in her ID tag on her collar when scratching and tore it. This is a massive vet referral centre that recommended removal. She only did it the once too.

We didn't partly due to the cost and partly because its an easy remedy, get a different ID tag!

 

[CorvusCorax]

I know two dogs with recurring front dew claw injuries, one had theirs removed and the recovery time was huge. Sounds like a right PITA, but I'd try and avoid removal, certainly on a sports dog, to me they are very important for gripping and traction etc.
Both, interestingly, are dogs that don't get 'walked' often, certainly no road work, mostly free running and training.

I think I have said this before but I know people who breed competition dobes in the USA and they say they will leave pups 'natural' for EU buyers, that is how difficult it is to show or work a cropped dog in Europe, 'officially', anyway.

 

[Errin Paddywack]

Cropped rescues from abroad shouldn't be allowed in as that would just become the new way to feed the current UK market for dogs with cropped ears.

My sister and I are both agreed that anyone wanting an ear cropped dog should have to have their ears cropped too.

 

[GSD Woman]

I asked a friend with boxers that are uncropped but the bitch was docked by the breeder. her dog is the #1 agility boxer in the USA, BTW, if a natural Boxer could be shown and win in conformation. She said it's possible but not going to happen. People who to have a dog with cropped ears should look in those cropped ears and then look in the ears of a naturally pricked ear dogs. Our dogs have a good amount of hair in their ears to to protect them from getting crud in their ears. Their dogs don't have that protection.

 

[misst]

My dog doesn't like having her nails clipped but using desensitisation I have been able to get her to accept having them trimmed with a Dremel. It was a slow process but worth it.

I am tempted to try this but he really is super sensitive. He was a stray and is a wonderful boy and so good in so many ways but gets so anxious about some things it is distressing to see. His claws are not that bad really they wear down quite well but I think he catches the dew claws more easily than some dogs as he has such oddly bent legs. He has arthritis in a hind already and I have been told by Fitzpatricks that he will get it in all 4 early (he is on Librella for the hind problem)but that it would be unethical to do surgery on all 4 limbs to correct deformities caused by poor nutrition and likely poor breeding. He had surgery on the worst one and it was successful but he was so stressed and so anxious post op that I will not put him through that again if I don't have to. I think the mechanics of his gait when he accelerates mean he catches the dew claws but looking at that article I am even more sure they should not be removed. He has enough problems already

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

One of Bear’s fore dew claws (he has a rear one, fairly rare, I think?) kept snapping/needed chopping and we took him to the vet. Then it grew straight out and got damaged so we chopped it and it’s never been a problem since, but he’s definitely suffered quite a lot of pain with it each time it got damage. I’m quite glad the pups had their removed, although there is some scabbing and occasional fussing over them even now.

 

[skinnydipper]

I am tempted to try this but he really is super sensitive. He was a stray and is a wonderful boy and so good in so many ways but gets so anxious about some things it is distressing to see. His claws are not that bad really they wear down quite well but I think he catches the dew claws more easily than some dogs as he has such oddly bent legs. He has arthritis in a hind already and I have been told by Fitzpatricks that he will get it in all 4 early (he is on Librella for the hind problem)but that it would be unethical to do surgery on all 4 limbs to correct deformities caused by poor nutrition and likely poor breeding. He had surgery on the worst one and it was successful but he was so stressed and so anxious post op that I will not put him through that again if I don't have to. I think the mechanics of his gait when he accelerates mean he catches the dew claws but looking at that article I am even more sure they should not be removed. He has enough problems already

I had used a Dremel in past with other dogs but she is noise sensitive and I didn't think she would ever let me use one with her so I bought a Pecute pet nail grinder which is quiet but it wasn't powerful enough to cope with her big thick nails so it was back to the Dremel.

The Pecute might be okay for your small dog and would give you a chance to see if you could condition him to accept it. It is still boxed with all the gear, I'm charging it now for you. If you want to pm me your address I'll send it to you, it's only gathering dust here.

 

[misst]

Oh my good Skinnydipper that is so kind of you but please let me pay you whatever it cost - even I don't get him to accept it my daughter has a fussy small dog and was going to buy a dremel so it won't go to waste. x Will PM you.
This forum is amazing sometimes

 

[skinnydipper]

Oh my good Skinnydipper that is so kind of you but please let me pay you whatever it cost - even I don't get him to accept it my daughter has a fussy small dog and was going to buy a dremel so it won't go to waste. x Will PM you.
This forum is amazing sometimes

Nah, its free, from one dog lover to another

 

[misst]

What can I say?? Thank you is not enough but it's heartfelt x
Will keep you updated on Mr Anxiety and his claws!

 

[Clodagh]

One of Bear’s fore dew claws (he has a rear one, fairly rare, I think?) kept snapping/needed chopping and we took him to the vet. Then it grew straight out and got damaged so we chopped it and it’s never been a problem since, but he’s definitely suffered quite a lot of pain with it each time it got damage. I’m quite glad the pups had their removed, although there is some scabbing and occasional fussing over them even now.

I must admit I’m totally against this blanket dock and remove dew claws thing that’s so common with spangles. It is like us having our thumbs removed. I think there’s a place for it if it’s an issue Sash’s removal was a week of bandaged forelegs, entirely normal walking (on lead) and job done.

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

I must admit I’m totally against this blanket dock and remove dew claws thing that’s so common with spangles. It is like us having our thumbs removed. I think there’s a place for it if it’s an issue Sash’s removal was a week of bandaged forelegs, entirely normal walking (on lead) and job done.

Never had dogs without dew claws until these 2, but given the trauma with Bear, I'm quite happy. He is a stoic dog, but his dew claws have meant he has been in pain and had 2 operations for the one dew claw. I'd prefer my dogs not to be in the vets if at all possible!

 

[GSD Woman]

A friend with German Shorthair Pointers had her new puppy that she bred docked and dewclaws removed. This was done very early, I think 3 days. I asked her about it. She wants to show in conformation and an undocked dog won't win. She said that she gave a lot of thought to leaving the dewclaws. I will say with the early dewclaw removal it never looked like she was in pain from it. I do believe the vet used light anesthesia.