Onychectomy and its alternatives in the feline patient

Onychectomy and its alternatives are often sought by owners to provide permanent alleviation of scratching behaviors in cats. These alternatives include behavioral modification, nail caps, and deep digital flexor tendonectomy. Although surgical options are commonly performed, they are controversial and have potential complications. Our role as veterinarians is to educate clients to allow them to make the best decision for themselves and their pets. The purpose of this article is to provide an objective review of the positive and negative aspects of onychectomy, describe and discuss alternatives to onychectomy, and review the specific surgical techniques.