[pyrnet] Dew Claw Question

[CW <cwolfe@trib.com>]

I have a question about my rescue-girl's dew claws.

When I got her about six months ago, her dew claws had been somewhat
neglected, but not dangerously so. If, as I've read, neglected claws can
grow into a complete circle, her longest were about 1/3 of a circle.

I've been trimming weekly, using a clipper that has a guard on it to keep
me from trimming into the quick, but this seems only to be maintaining the
status quo. My problem is that I've hurt other dogs by trimming off only a
tiny bit more than the guard on the clippers allowed, so I'm now afraid to
get more aggressive about trimming.

Can anybody tell me how deeply I can trim overgrown claws without hurting
her? Or would it be best to let the vet or her groomer do an initial
trimming and simply go into maintenance mode from there? Or is a 1/3-circle
claw perfectly okay?

Athena seems to think I'm going to kill her, merely by handling her dew
claws. I've been conditioning her by gently holding her claws several times
during routine brushings (which she loves), and she's becoming more
accepting . But between her fears and my own past ineptitude, I could use
some wise counsel.

Many thanks to all.

Claire