Declawing dogs

I do not condone any mutilation of dogs such as ear cropping, tail docking etc, let alone the declawing of them, but what inspired this blog today was a question on Yahoo Answers:
'Can you declaw a 6 month old puppy'
No more information than that, but it was obviously a serious question as the asker gave the puppy's age.
What an outcry in the answers 'why on earth would anyone do that' and 'how cruel it would be' and 'what pain it would cause the puppy' and 'the asker should give it away rather than declaw it'
A few bright sparks came on:
'I've never even heard of vets offering or doing the procedure on anything but a cat'
'No vet in their right mind will declaw a puppy......maybe a cat, but not a dog'
'No ethical vet would EVER do it because declawing a dog will literally cripple them. Dogs and cats have a slightly different structure to their feet'
Do they think declawing doesn't cripple a cat too ?

Dogs only use their feet to walk on and their claws to scratch themselves. Cats use theirs to defend themselves, to groom,to exercise, and to play, as well as to walk on and to scratch themselves.
See my previous blog:
http://kattaddorra.blogspot.com/2009/05/putting-straight-some-facts-about.html
about why cats claws are necessary and why declawing cats is not acceptable.

Why no outcry every time someone asks about having a kitten or a cat declawed ? Why is a 6 month old puppy different to a 6 month old kitten ? A kitten feels as much pain as a puppy!
Imagine the shock and horror of people seeing someone walking along with a limping declawed dog! Well the vet who did that dreadful operation would be as hated as the owner who had the dog declawed, as the poor things mutilated feet ending in stumps would be plain for all to see. Who sees the stumps of a declawed cat who is then a prisoner for life (unless they escape of course and their life is soon over, with no defence they are easily cornered and killed by wild animals)? No one sees that poor cat limping and in pain apart from the family, no one sees the bewilderment of the poor creature desperately trying to use non existent claws, no one sees the cat being punished when the behavioural problems from declawing begin, such as biting, and the using of carpets and soft furnishings because digging in a litter tray hurts so much. No one misses the cat written off as a 'bad cat' when it ends up unrehomeable in a Rescue Shelter because of those behavioural problems.No one sees another new kitten come into the home and oh so casually off it goes to have its toes removed too, because of the baby, the children, the frail person, or the very important furniture! Cats are living feeling beings, they should not be replaceable possessions!
So come on everyone who shudders with horror at the thought of declawed dogs, shudder with horror at the thought of declawed cats too and help us end this barbaric operation once and for all !!
http://www.petitionthem.com/default.asp?sect=detail&pet=4312