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Peer-reviewed veterinary case report

Cat claw removal with laser causes less limping than scalpel

By Holmberg, David L & Brisson, Brigitte A·Published in The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne·2006·Department of Clinical Studies, Canada·View original on PubMed

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Original publication title: A prospective comparison of postoperative morbidity associated with the use of scalpel blades and lasers for onychectomy in cats.

Species:
cat

Plain-English summary

A group of cats underwent surgery to remove their claws, either using a laser or a scalpel blade. After the surgery, both methods caused discomfort for about ten days, but the cats that had the laser treatment showed less limping during the first week compared to those that had the scalpel. This suggests that using a laser for claw removal may be a gentler option for cats.

People also search for: cat claw removal recovery · laser vs scalpel for cat surgery · why is my cat limping after surgery

Abstract

This study compared patient discomfort for 10 d following feline onychectomies performed using a CO2 surgical laser versus a scalpel blade. Both techniques appeared to result in discomfort of a similar duration, although the laser caused significantly less lameness than blade excision during the first 7 d.

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Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16579044/