Pets are often like children in your family. You usually take your children on vacation with you so why not your pets?

A significant number of the 9 million + visitors to the Great Smoky Mountains each year bring along their 4-legged family members too.

This blog is sponsored in part by ERA In The Smokies Realty & Rentals, and they love pets, too.   ERA In The Smokies sponsors our sister blog and website Gatlinburg Pet Friendly Cabins which dedicated solely to the traveling pet lover in us all. Now you don’t have to leave them at home.

ERA has recently added new cabins to the pet-friendly roster, and we thought you would like to know. Visit www.GatlinburgPetFriendlyCabins.com and take a look around. From pet activities to cabin coupons, GatlinburgPetFriendlyCabins.com will help you turn your family vacation into a pet-friendly family vacation.

Here’s a great excerpt from the Pet Fun page on the new Gatlinburg Pet Friendly Cabins.com:

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park has over 800 miles of hiking trails and is the country’s most popular National Park. Dogs are welcome in the camp grounds, picnic areas & along roads, but your pet must be on a leash at all times. Pets should be well-behaved, and you must clean up after them.

Dogs are not allowed on most of the park’s extensive trails but are welcome on the Gatlinburg Trail. The Gatlinburg Trail travels 1.9 miles one-way from the Sugarlands Visitor Center to the outskirts of the city of Gatlinburg, TN. It is relatively flat and runs through the forest along side the West Prong of the Little Pigeon River. The trail offers beautiful views of the river, which is crossed by a pedestrian foot bridge. Foundations and chimneys of several old home sites are visible along the trail. The Oconaluftee River Trail is the second walking path on which visitors can walk dogs and bicycle.

This blog is sponsored in part by ERA In The Smokies Realty and Rentals located at 207 Parkway in Gatlinburg, TN. For more information on a Gatlinburg Cabin for your Smoky Mountain Vacation or all the reasons to move to the Smokies, call 1-800-309-0277. ERA In The Smokies is a leader in chalet and Log Cabin Rentals and Real Estate Sales in the Gatlinburg area.

When is the last time you experienced foot discomfort? Maybe your feet were sore from walking around in an ill-fitting pair of shoes. Maybe you picked up a fungus in the shower at the gym, or maybe you stepped on a sharp object while bare-footing it around the house.

Regardless of what ails your feet, you are immediately (and probably acutely!) aware of the problem and generally address it right away.

But what about our pets? They are subject to irritation from gravel and dirt, infection from excess moisture and cuts, and discomfort from dry, cracked paw pads.

There are ways to keep your pet’s paws feeling their best. Keep your eye out for these issues and address the problems promptly if they do arise.

1. Keep your pet’s nails just above the ground when he walks and avoid trimming nails too far back (into the quick of the nail).
Ask your groomer for advice about which types of trimming tools to use between appointments if your dog’s nails grow quickly.

2. Keep hair from matting between your dog’s toes (which can be painful).
Comb out the hair regularly and trim it so that is lies even with the paws. Use a safety guard while trimming to avoid nicking your pup’s pads.

3. Maintain clean, infection-free pads.
Just as we are taught to clean behind our ears, we have to clean between our pets paw pads to remove dirt and debris including foxtails, slivers, broken glass, and pebbles. Not only can these irritants cause pain, but they can lead to infection if not treated promptly. Use a blunt-end tweezers for any lodged pieces and keep the area clean and dry.

4. Moisturize dry, cracked pads.
Aussie offers a special Paw-dicure which can alleviate the damage left by the harsh, dry air and wet ground of a Georgia winter. Our treatment is pet-safe, non-toxic, and won’t leave greasy stains on your floors and furniture the way petroleum jelly and other home remedies might.

How often do you pay attention to your pet’s feet? Does your groomer talk to you about what he does to treat your pet’s nails, paw hair, and pads? If you’d like us to rectify your pet’s pad problems, just give us a call!

“He needs to be shaved.” They’re the five words pet owners hate to hear. But as many dogs’ coats get heavier in these colder months, so do their mats if their hair is not brushed out with regularity. Once those heavy mats embed themselves deep into your pet’s coat, our only option is to cut them out, or if there are too many mats, shave the dog completely. It’s important to rid your dog of mats because the thick, tangly knots of hair tug at your pet’s skin and only grow larger and more uncomfortable as time goes on.

While Aussie Pet Mobile prides itself on being where you want us when you need us, we understand that it’s not always feasible to call in the groomer while your pet’s hair is growing out between trims. That’s why I’d like to offer you some tips on how to keep your pet looking and feeling his best between appointments and show you how to avoid hearing those five words so many pet owners dread.

The number one thing you can do for your dog is to brush him on a regular basis. Take that half hour during an evening television show and brush your dog from head to toe a few times per week. Not only will it help prevent your dog’s coat from developing mats, but your dog will enjoy the attention. And studies show that spending direct time with your pet has calming and healthy effects on humans, too!

When brushing your pet, it is important to select the proper brush. Ask your Aussie Pet Groomer for recommendations based on your pet’s specific coat. Brushes vary in bristle length, size, and texture so some may not be long enough to brush through a heavy coat while others may be too wiry or sharp for a dog with short hair or a light coat.

Also, please pay particular attention to your pet’s belly, joints under his arms and legs, and the area around his ears when brushing him. This is where we generally see the most matting because it is where the most rubbing occurs and also the spots that most frequently escape brushing.

As always, we’re here when you need us and happy to share professional tips to keep your dog looking and feeling his best.

Have you noticed your dog’s hair becoming thicker in the colder months? How often do you brush your pet?

Until next time, I’m Eric Pai, owner of Aussie Pet Mobile servicing the Kennesaw, Acworth, Canton, Woodstock, Cartersville, Marietta, Holly Springs, and Mountain Park, Georgia area, and I welcome your comments and questions.

Sometimes it’s funny to read the ads that are targeted at you by Gmail based on the emails you’re reading.  I’m not sure what specific keywords it picked up based on a recent email from Hoffstar, but these are the ads that show up on the side panel of my screen:

Free Funnel Cake
Star Wars Party
Pet Grooming And Bathing
Wowzville Space Adventure

Apparently Gmail has me categorized under the “Retarded cancer kid honored by Make A Wish Foundation” demographic.

!WOJO

When is the last time you experienced foot discomfort? Maybe your feet were sore from walking around in an ill-fitting pair of shoes. Maybe you picked up a fungus in the shower at the gym, or maybe you stepped on a sharp object while bare-footing it around the house.

Regardless of what ails your feet, you are immediately (and probably acutely!) aware of the problem and generally address it right away.

But what about our pets? They are subject to irritation from gravel and dirt, infection from excess moisture and cuts, and discomfort from dry, cracked paw pads.

There are ways to keep your pet’s paws feeling their best. Keep your eye out for these issues and address the problems promptly if they do arise.

1. Keep your pet’s nails just above the ground when he walks and avoid trimming nails too far back (into the quick of the nail).

Ask your groomer for advice about which types of trimming tools to use between appointments if your dog’s nails grow quickly.

2. Keep hair from matting between your dog’s toes (which can be painful).

Comb out the hair regularly and trim it so that is lies even with the paws. Use a safety guard while trimming to avoid nicking your pup’s pads.

3. Maintain clean, infection-free pads.

Just as we are taught to clean behind our ears, we have to clean between our pets paw pads to remove dirt and debris including foxtails, slivers, broken glass, and pebbles. Not only can these irritants cause pain, but they can lead to infection if not treated promptly. Use a blunt-end tweezers for any lodged pieces and keep the area clean and dry.

4. Moisturize dry, cracked pads.

Aussie offers a special Paw-dicure which can alleviate the damage left by the harsh, dry air and wet ground of a Georgia winter. Our treatment is pet-safe, non-toxic, and won’t leave greasy stains on your floors and furniture the way petroleum jelly and other home remedies might.

How often do you pay attention to your pet’s feet? Does your groomer talk to you about what he does to treat your pet’s nails, paw hair, and pads? If you’d like us to rectify your pet’s pad problems, just give us a call!

“He needs to be shaved.” They’re the five words pet owners hate to hear. But as many dogs’ coats get heavier in these colder months, so do their mats if their hair is not brushed out with regularity. Once those heavy mats embed themselves deep into your pet’s coat, our only option is to cut them out, or if there are too many mats, shave the dog completely. It’s important to rid your dog of mats because the thick, tangly knots of hair tug at your pet’s skin and only grow larger and more uncomfortable as time goes on.

While Aussie Pet Mobile prides itself on being where you want us when you need us, we understand that it’s not always feasible to call in the groomer while your pet’s hair is growing out between trims. That’s why I’d like to offer you some tips on how to keep your pet looking and feeling his best between appointments and show you how to avoid hearing those five words so many pet owners dread.

The number one thing you can do for your dog is to brush him on a regular basis. Take that half hour during an evening television show and brush your dog from head to toe a few times per week. Not only will it help prevent your dog’s coat from developing mats, but your dog will enjoy the attention. And studies show that spending direct time with your pet has calming and healthy effects on humans, too!

When brushing your pet, it is important to select the proper brush. Ask your Aussie Pet Groomer for recommendations based on your pet’s specific coat. Brushes vary in bristle length, size, and texture so some may not be long enough to brush through a heavy coat while others may be too wiry or sharp for a dog with short hair or a light coat.

Also, please pay particular attention to your pet’s belly, joints under his arms and legs, and the area around his ears when brushing him. This is where we generally see the most matting because it is where the most rubbing occurs and also the spots that most frequently escape brushing.

As always, we’re here when you need us and happy to share professional tips to keep your dog looking and feeling his best.

Have you noticed your dog’s hair becoming thicker in the colder months? How often do you brush your pet?

Until next time, I’m Eric Pai, owner of Aussie Pet Mobile servicing the Kennesaw, Acworth, Canton, Woodstock, Cartersville, Marietta, Holly Springs, and Mountain Park, Georgia area, and I welcome your comments and questions.

Music Playlist at MixPod.com



Music Playlist at MixPod.com