A rare surgery was performed at the Georgian Triangle Humane Society (GTHS) Animal Hospital this week.
According to a post on the GTHS website, animal hospital staff under the direction of a visiting veterinarian performed an onychectomy repair, which is a surgery done to remove bone fragments and repair the toe pad on a cat that has been declawed.
Dr. Gitte Fenger was at the GTHS animal hospital on Nov. 18 to assist Dr. Anick Amaro with the surgery.
Fenger is a member of the Paw Project Team, a group educating the public about the pain and negative health effects of declawing felines. She has a veterinary practice in Mississauga.
According to the GTHS, the onychectomy repair is a relatively new procedure in the world of veterinary medicine.
Freddie the cat underwent the surgery at the animal hospital and the GTHS website states he is the first cat to receive the procedure in an Ontario shelter.
“Globally, only approximately 300 onychectomy repairs have been done to date,” states the GTHS website.
The local shelter opened its animal hospital in April this year, and the hospital is used to provide surgery and care for animals in the care of GTHS.
