[FEL-L] USDA no more declawing or defanging!

[GemOJungle at aol.com]

Declawing or the removal of the canine teeth (fangs) in wild or exotic  
carnivores
or nonhuman primates is no longer considered to be appropriate  veterinary 
care
unless prescribed by the attending veterinarian for treatment  of individual 
medical
problems of the paws or teeth. These procedures are no  longer considered to 
be
acceptable when performed solely for handling or  husbandry purposes since 
they
can cause considerable pain and discomfort to  the animal and may result in
chronic health problems. These procedures are no  longer allowed under the
Animal Welfare Act. This notice is consistent with  the current position 
statement
issued by the American Veterinary Medical  Association.
What animals does this apply to?
This applies to all  regulated nonhuman primates and captive wild or exotic
carnivores, including,  but not limited to, big cats, canid species, and 
bears.
Who does this apply  to?
This policy applies to all AWA licensees (breeders, dealers, and  exhibitors)
and registrants (research facilities).
What does this mean to  the licensee or registrant?
All AWA licensees must no longer routinely  perform these procedures
(declawing and removal of canine teeth) on their  wild or exotic carnivores
and nonhuman primates. Continuing to routinely use  these procedures
may subject the licensee to citation for noncompliance with  the AWA, and
may result in enforcement action. Treatment of individual  animals with
documented medical problems as prescribed by the attending  veterinarian
is not subject to these restrictions. Registrants may use such  procedures
only as part of a research protocol that has been reviewed and  approved by
the IACUC at the institution.
What about animals have already  been declawed or defanged?
Facilities with animals that have been subjected  to these procedures prior to
the issuance date of this notification will not  be found in noncompliance
with this provision since these procedures cannot  be undone.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination  in all 
its programs and activities on the basis
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://www.breuckman.com/pipermail/felines-l/attachments/20060901/40990d5d/attachment.html