Can I declaw my dog to stop scratching furniture and people?

Declawing the cat will not stop the attacking behavior, it will only remove his ability to defend himself if needed. Declawing also has risks of creating chronic pain in the toes. Declawing is not a simple procedure, it involves amputating the end of each of the digits, cutting nerves that cannot be guaranteed to heal properly without lingering pain, which sets Four Paws up for more behavior issues in the future. Some cats just don't like dogs (or even other cats). The best thing to do would be to keep the pets separated by a door or other barrier. You can try to diffuse calming feline pheromones, and make sure that Four Paws gets plenty of stimulation and exercise. https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=40372&cmpid=sc

Unfortunately it is very difficult to get them to stop once they start. All you can really do is install a few scratching posts and hope these entice the cat. I would not advocate declawing a cat, it is routinely performed in the US but illegal in the UK. It can make it dificult for them to climb and balance.

He can live with out and most people have them removed as puppies as they tend to cause problems for some. the nails never touch the ground so the nail can get ingrown and long and scratch easy or get caught in blankets and rugs when laying down. They serve no purpose to a domestic animal

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Mitzi is not too old for declawing but declawing at this age can lead to more pain and potentially chronic pain. The recovery in older animals is typically longer as well. For the clawing at furniture, if you have not tried Soft Paws yet, I would consider doing so. These fit over the nails and prevent the claws from damaging furniture. They have to be re-applied every 2-3 weeks typically. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Typically, dew claws are removed around 3-4 days of age. If the claws are not removed at this age, most experts suggest waiting until the dog is spayed/neutered to have them removed. Dew claws can be removed in older dogs but it is a more costly and painful procedure. Many vets will only remove dew claws in adult dogs for medical, rather than cosmetic, reasons. If you have an older dog, contact your veterinarian to discuss the reasons for or against removal of the dew claws and the cost of the procedure which must be done under anesthesia.

I recommend trying Soft Paws. They are nail caps that you glue onto your cat's claws, and it prevent damage to the furniture when they try to scratch. You can order them online, and you may be able to find them in a pet store. I hope this helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. You do not necessarily need to remove his declaws unless they are bothering him. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!