Carolina Mountain Dog

Everything for Dogs in Asheville and Hendersonville

Know where the dog parks are in Asheville? Is there anyone who can scoop the poop in your yard? Do any vets offer alternative medicine? Where are the best places to hike with your dog in the Asheville/Hendersonville area? Where is there a campground that actually caters to dogs? 

You'll get the answers to these questions in the new 2010 Edition of the Asheville Doggie Guide -- everything for dogs in the Asheville, Hendersonville, and Black Mountain, NC area!

This handy pocket-size guide includes adoption organizations, animal services, dog bakeries and boutiques, boarding facilities, dog-friendly campgrounds, doggie daycare, dog parks, grooming services, dog photographers, poop pick-up services, dog therapy, hiking trails, dog training, sitters, vets, and more, plus adoption information, safety tips, and pet rules and regulations for Buncombe and Henderson Counties. It has hundreds of listings -- names, addresses, phone numbers, emails, and websites -- saving hours and hours of research time! You will refer to it often. There is no other resource available like the Asheville Doggie Guide.

Pick up your copy today at Three Dog Bakery, 21 Battery Park in Asheville (a block away from the Grove Arcade). Or order the guide online via this special offer:

The publisher's list price for the Asheville Doggie Guide is $19.95, but you can get your copy of the guide for $13.95, a savings of $6! You'll get a $6 rebate when you purchase the Asheville Doggie Guide directly from the publisher! Learn about this special offer here.

Your Own "PetCast"

If the weather's been driving you crazy, take heart. Spring is coming soon (not soon enough!). In the mean time, you can rely on an online service that will not only provide you with the local weather, but also with a page of useful information that's customized to your pet.

Go to www.weather.com/pets, enter some brief information, and get your own "PetCast" with the local weather, as well as a dog "comfort index," a report of mosquito activity in your area, tips from the "dog care clinic," a park locator, a dog walking calculator, a list of local pet events, videos, and more.

Celebrating Senior Dogs

 We own two wonderful dogs who are considered seniors, and we're not alone. In the U.S., about 40 percent of households with dogs have at least one that is considered a senior, aged seven or older. Senior dogs make great pets -- they tend to be laid back, know and accept the routine, and always provide unconditional love.

If you have a senior dog, you'll be interested in a new website called SeniorDogs.com. You'll find articles and resources for senior dog owners all in one place, covering medications, health insurance, nutrition, financial assistance and more. The site provides a full spectrum of pertinent information, as well as message boards where owners can find support and guidance from others who are experiencing the same challenges and joys of caring for an older dog.

To receive a free e-book entitled "A Guide to Caring for Your Aging Companion," simply send an email to: info@seniordogs.com and put in the subject line: FREE E-BOOK.

Pet Behavior Advice from ASPCA

The ASPCA now offers a free online service called the "Virtual Pet Behaviorist." You simply type your dog's behavior problem into their database and you'll receive free step-by-step advice from a nationally recognized team of animal behaviorists, 24 hours a day. This is a pretty cool tool for dog owners so check it out at: http://www.aspcabehavior.org/

Herding Dogs, Listen Up!

If you have a dog that's a herding breed -- or you've noticed that your dog seems to like herding other dogs at the dog park -- you might want to consider taking your buddy to a herding clinic at Possum Hollow Farms in Rutherfordton, NC. Vicki Hughes and her team of trainers offer herding clinics just about every month on a drop-in basis, no reservation required. Your dog will get to experience what herding sheep is like in a controlled environment.

Possum Hollow trainers can also assess your dog's herding instinct, offer you private herding lessons, and even have your dog stay with them for a week or a month of training. For more information, visit: http://www.possumhollowfarms.com/stockdogservices.htm, email info@possumhollowfarms.com, or call 828-429-6388.

What to Do if You Lose Your Dog

The number of stray dogs that come through local animal shelters in the Carolina mountains is amazing. Where do these dogs come from? Are they all lost?

Don't let your dog be one of them. You can avoid losing your dog in the first place by using proper identification. It is best to have your dog microchipped. A tiny chip is painlessly inserted behind the dog's neck. This can be done at a shelter, at a microchip clinic, or at your vet's office. You then file contact information with the microchip provider. If your dog is found and turned in, authorities will scan the dog for a unique ID number and call the provider to match the dog up with your information. In addition to a microchip, your dog should always be wearing some form of ID. This will make it easy for anyone who finds your dog to contact you. You can choose anything from inexpensive tags to designer tags to tags connected to pet-finding services. (Carolina Mountain Dog offers original high quality ID tags from Dog Tag Art via the button on the right under "Good Buys.")

If you do lose your dog, take action right away. Often, a dog is closer to home or the point of loss than you may think, so make the rounds, call your dog, and shake a bag of treats. This might do the trick. Put the word out about your lost dog and offer a reward. Obviously, you should inform family, friends, and neighbors first.

File a lost dog report with your local shelter immediately, and keep checking back with the shelter periodically to see if your dog shows up. Make up and post signs where the dog was lost. Use email, Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media you're familiar with to publicize your dog. Check "Found" ads and place a "Lost" ad on your local Craigslist (www.craigslist.org) and on local newspaper websites.

There are other websites that could help you out as well. In Western North Carolina, there's www.LostPetsWNC.org, a free service where you can post a listing and search to see if your pet has been reported.

National sites with lost and found sections include:
www.petfinder.com
www.pets911.com
www.thefoundbin.com
www.petharbor.com
www.lostmydoggie.com
www.lostpetsos.org
www.flealess.org/lostpets
www.petchaser.com
www.fidofinder.com
www.amberpetalert.com
www.lostandfoundpetsca.com (California)
www.lostandfoundpetsnewyork.com (New York)
www.lostandfoundpetstexas.com (Texas)

(Note: There may be fees associated with some of these sites.)

For additional helpful tips, go to: http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/pet-care-tips/finding-a-lost-pet.html

Should You Use a Mobile Vet?

For most dog owners, visiting a vet at a traditional office or clinic is fine. But in special cases, a mobile vet might be just what the doctor ordered. A mobile vet is an option to consider when your dog is in his or her later years, has a debilitating condition, or gets extremely anxious traveling in a car.

Another time to use a mobile vet may be if you're ever faced with an end of life choice for your dog. A mobile vet can make this painful time less stressful for you and your pet.

We used a mobile vet to put an elderly dog with numerous conditions to sleep. The vet and and an assistant were compassionate and took their time. They performed the procedure in our home, where we and our other dogs were able to say good-bye in a familiar environment. It was a dignified ending for our pet in the home he loved.

Here are the mobile vets we know of in the Carolina mountains. If you are aware of others, please feel free to leave a comment and add to the list.

Asheville Veterinary Housecalls
Asheville
828-254-2221

Best Friends Mobile Veterinary Clinic
Buncombe and Henderson Counties
828-337-8333
www.bestfriendsmobilevet.com

Mobile Pet Veterinary Services
Polk County, Saluda, parts of Buncombe, Henderson and Rutherford Counties
Spartanburg County, SC
828-817-9958
www.mobilepetvetservices.com

Mobile Vet to Pet Service and Clinic
Catawba, Caldwell and Burke Counties
828-446-9838
www.mobilevettopet.com

Outback Mobile Veterinary Service
Morganton
828-448-9295
www.outbackmobilevet.com

Richland Creek Animal Clinic - Pet Med Mobile
York County to as far south as Aiken
864-232-2718
www.petmedmobile.com

Well Pet Mobile Vet
Leicester, Asheville
828-515-0141
www.wellpetmobilevet.com

Business is Picking Up

Let's be honest: Dogs poop. A lot. If you have one or more dogs who spend time in your yard, you may find yourself navigating your way through a poop patch.

That's why there are services that specialize in disposing of doggie waste. And at least for these folks, business is picking up. Here's a list of poop scoopers in the Carolina mountains. Feel free to leave a comment if you know of others.

WNC

At Your Bark and Call

828-275-5345

www.barkandcall.com

West Asheville (offers other services)

Poo Patrol Pet Waste Cleanup Service

828-551-9027

http://pooscoopin.com

Asheville and Hendersonville areas

Parts of Transylvania, Polk and Rutherford Counties

 

Upstate

Doggie Doo Care

864-617-7197

http://doggiedoocare.com/default.aspx

Anderson

It’s a Doody Job!

864-901-6357

http://itsadoodyjob.com

Greenville, Simpsonville, Mauldin, Fountain Inn

Poopie Scoopers

864-607-0740

http://poopiescoopers.localplacement.net/

Greenville

Scoopy’s Dog Waste Removal

864-399-9185

http://noyardmines.com

Greenville County