dewclaws

Question
Hi,
We get our shitzu grromed regularly.  SHe has been picking at her feet and upon inspection, I saw that her front dewclaws are ingrown.  

1.  Should trimming them have been a regular part of the grooming procedure?

2.  Will she need to go to the vet for a trim?

3.  Can they be removed in a 3 year old dog?

Thanks,
PAula

Answer
Paula,
They absolutely should have been trimmed by your groomer along with the other nails. A good groomer will still be able to cut them for you...and it would be much cheaper then the vet doing it. Your regular groomer should actually do it for free! After all, it should have been part of her/his job in the first place. If they are actually grown into the skin, just apply some Antibiotic ointment to the wound and she should be fine. You could have the dew claws removed, but I wouldn't. Just make sure that future groomings include the dew claws. If you feel a vet should do the job, talk with the groomer about who is going to pay the vet bill as you did and should assume that the nails were being taken care of on each visit.
Good Luck, Wendy