Nail clipping advice

Hey everyone, I’m looking for some advice from anyone who may have dealt with a similar issue.

We have a 5 year old coton de tulear with IVDD, currently in recovery stage following surgery. He’s doing regular PT and slowly recovering well. However, his hind legs still drag a little bit while walking, which causes the nails on his hind legs to become overly worn out. At the same time, ever since he was paralysed in his hind legs, he became increasingly protective of his front two paws. They’re overly sensitive, and he’s recently started growling and barking whenever he sees nail trimmers get anywhere near them.

We are currently focusing on walking exclusively on grassy surface to protect the nails on his back paws from damage, which means his front nails are too long, yet he reacts aggressively whenever we try to trim them. Has anyone had any experience with anything similiar and any tips in regards to nail clipping or nail protection? He has some allergies and sensitivities already, so I’m wary of using any nail covers that use nail glue.