Dog & Cat Clinic of Niagara
2E Tremont Square
St. Catharines, Ontario
L2T 3B2
905.687.1805
Post-Surgical Instructions for Declaw
Please follow these instructions to avoid serious and costly post-surgical complications which are
critical to the healing of your pet.

Keep pet confined and monitor closely for 24 hours, keeping away children and other
pets to prevent excessive activity.

Please use only shredded paper as litter for 5-7 days as regular litter can stick to the
incision sites.

Regularly check the incision site. Although small areas of bruising may occur, you do
not want to see any swelling, redness, discharge or suspect your pet is in excessive pain.

Do not allow your pet to lick, bite or rub the incision area, to do so can lead to infection
and opening of the incision site. It is recommended all pets wear an E-Collar to prevent
self-injury, especially when the pet is unsupervised. It takes only seconds to open the
incision site and any repair of damage or post-surgical medication is at the owner’s
expense.

No running, jumping, playing or strenuous activity for 7-10 days and no bathing, washing
the incision or applying ointment for 7 days as that will interfere with the healing process.

Offer small amounts of food for the first 12 hours following surgery to avoid any postanesthetic vomiting and do not change your pet’s diet or give people food as it can mask
post-surgical complications. Vomiting, diarrhea, reduced appetite and lethargy can
indicate a problem.

Thank you for entrusting us with the care and health of your pet.