In preparation for the surgery the anesthetized cat is placed on its side with the foot to be declawed on the top (black arrow). A tourniquet is applied to temporarily slow bloodflow to the foot (red arrow). The hair on the foot is wetted with alcohol. The green arrow points to the endotracheal tube through which the anesthetic gas is delivered to the cat's lungs. The blue arrow indicates the tube which connects the endotracheal tube to the anesthetic machine.

The surgery involves the removal of the third phalanx of each of the five digits on each of the front feet. The claw on the phalanx to be removed is held with a special clamp. The toe is extended and flexed to allow incision through the skin and common digital extensor tendon and dorsal ligaments on the top of the toe. The site of the incision is indicated by the red arrow.

The red arrow indicates the top of the third phalanx following the initial incision. Next the collateral ligaments on either side of the joint are severed followed by the deep digital flexor tendon on the bottom of the toe.

The third phalanx has been disarticulated from the second phalanx and is now only attached to the foot by a narrow piece of skin above the digital pad.

Following the surgical removal of the third phalanx from all five digits a pressure wrap is applied to the foot and then removed the following day. No suture material or tissue glue is applied to the incsions so as to minimize infection and local tissue reaction.

The five third phalanges following surgical removal from the cat's front right foot.

The now front declawed patient is recovered from anesthesia. This particular patient was also spayed at the time of declaw.