I've shaved gum off tons of dogs and it really wasn't a big deal. If you pull on it yes, it hurts, if you make sure you get the blade UNDER the gum then it wont be pulling at the skin and hurt the dog. Its pretty much the same thing as having to shave poop stuck to their butts...Dogs act like everything is a bigger deal with their parents lol. My mom, whos been grooming for 30 years can't clip her own dogs nails...but her dog stands perfectly still for me to clip them. I dunno, she can go get it sedated and have the vet do it but I bet that will cost a lot more and take more time then just having a local groomer do it.