HELOISE Hints may help carsick puppies

Dear Readers: If your pup suffers from carsickness, there are a couple of things you can do to help make it more comfortable. First, take your dog on very short car trips, just to get it used to the car. After a few times, take it on longer rides.
Your dog might outgrow carsickness, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, but until that happens, avoid feeding it at least three to four hours before a car trip, and make sure it has had water. Ask your veterinarian for medication to help prevent motion sickness -- don't give it to your dog on your own. Some dogs should not take it if they have glaucoma or bladder disorders.
Keep your dog in a large-enough carrying case or kennel, and cover it so your dog can't see out the windows. Sometimes looking out can cause nausea, and keeping your pet confined is a safety measure. Heloise
Dear Readers: Linda Haas of Gastonia, N.C., owns a beautiful rabbit named Jerry. Linda put some hay in a wagon, and when she turned her head, Jerry jumped in! He is litter-box trained and lives like a king, with all the toys and food he could ever want.
Visit my Web site, www.Helo-ise.com, and click on This Week's Pet to see Jerry in his little red wagon. Send your favorite, unusual pet photo to: Heloise/Pet Photo, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279. Heloise
If your hamster gets out of its cage, don't fret -- usually you can catch it. It might take a while -- as long as it takes for your pet to get hungry. What do you think it takes?
A. Put an open paper bag on the floor with food inside.
B. Leave food in the cage with the door open.
C. Put food in a shoe box with a hole cut out of the cover.
A and B would work if you were right there to catch it, but if it happens during the night, C is the correct answer. Cut a hole in the shoe-box lid that's large enough for the hamster to fit through, and cover it with a napkin with some food on top. Make a "plank" for your pet to climb up onto the lid, using a flat piece of wood. Once it gets in, it can't get out. Hopefully, you'll find it in the morning, happily munching food. Heloise
Dear Heloise: We recently brought home a new addition to our family, an adorable white Chihuahua we named Bennie.
The first night, he cried for his littermates. I felt so sorry for him that I ran out and bought an adorable white stuffed bear, just his size. Actually, it looks like him, so he immediately bonded to it. Now he sleeps comfortably most of the night, cuddling up to his little companion. K.M., San Antonio
Dear Heloise: My two little cocker spaniels love water. Usually, I bathe them in a big washtub I have in the garage, but they splash around and really make a mess.
This summer, I decided to buy a plastic kiddie pool to bathe them outdoors on the patio. I keep it full on hot days, and they can't wait to jump right in and romp around to keep cool. Jane B., Via E-mail
XSend a great hint to: Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000, Fax: (210) HELOISE or E-mail: Heloise@Heloise.com.
King Features Syndicate