Pros And Cons Of Debarking
Statement of purpose
The purpose of this report is to inform veterinary professionals on about debarking, and all the risks associated with the procedure, and to persuade them not to perform the surgery in their clinic.
Background
Debarking (devocalization), is a surgical procedure applied to dogs, where the tissue is removed from the animal’s vocal chords to permanently reduce sound. Debarking is a controversial procedure performed to eliminate a dog’s bark, or muffle it. It is an invasive surgery with numerous risks, and complications that deprives dogs from their sole form of communication.
Veterinary professionals from around the world have been vocal about their opinion on performing the surgery, and many are against it. The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, and the American Veterinary Medical Association both discourage devocalization of dogs, and state it should only be performed as an alternative to euthanasia. It is considered an offense, if not used in a veterinary setting, and performed by a professional. The British Veterinary Welfare Foundation view it as unacceptable. In America, 4 states have officially banned the surgery, and over 750 veterinary practices not included in those states have banned it. All associations stated that they view this procedure as unethical, and unnecessary. …show more content…
It has a high risk of blood loss, complications and post-operative infections. There are two different debarking methods that professionals perform, The oral approach, and the laryngotomy approach. The oral approach involes inserting instruments through the oral cavity into the vocal chord region. This procedure is more common because it is a less invasive, and costly approach. The laryngomentary approach is when an incision goes directly into the larynx and bypasses the oral cavity entirely. This procedure is more invasive, and has a higher risk; therefor it is typically performed only if the oral approach was
The purpose of this report is to inform veterinary professionals on about debarking, and all the risks associated with the procedure, and to persuade them not to perform the surgery in their clinic.
Background
Debarking (devocalization), is a surgical procedure applied to dogs, where the tissue is removed from the animal’s vocal chords to permanently reduce sound. Debarking is a controversial procedure performed to eliminate a dog’s bark, or muffle it. It is an invasive surgery with numerous risks, and complications that deprives dogs from their sole form of communication.
Veterinary professionals from around the world have been vocal about their opinion on performing the surgery, and many are against it. The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, and the American Veterinary Medical Association both discourage devocalization of dogs, and state it should only be performed as an alternative to euthanasia. It is considered an offense, if not used in a veterinary setting, and performed by a professional. The British Veterinary Welfare Foundation view it as unacceptable. In America, 4 states have officially banned the surgery, and over 750 veterinary practices not included in those states have banned it. All associations stated that they view this procedure as unethical, and unnecessary. …show more content…
It has a high risk of blood loss, complications and post-operative infections. There are two different debarking methods that professionals perform, The oral approach, and the laryngotomy approach. The oral approach involes inserting instruments through the oral cavity into the vocal chord region. This procedure is more common because it is a less invasive, and costly approach. The laryngomentary approach is when an incision goes directly into the larynx and bypasses the oral cavity entirely. This procedure is more invasive, and has a higher risk; therefor it is typically performed only if the oral approach was