HELOISE Helping dog lose weight requires dedication

Dear Heloise: My 9-year-old dog, Tulip, is really obese. I want to put her on a diet, but I don't know what type of dog food to give her. Does it take a long time for a dog to lose weight? Jane L., Fort Worth, Texas
Dogs can lose weight, but you have to really be dedicated and consistent with what you feed her and what you don't feed her! According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, the best thing to do is to take Tulip to your veterinarian for a good checkup, and he or she can recommend an exercise program and caloric intake to suit your dog and maintain her weight. Heloise
P.S. Remember, dogs depend on us to take care of them, so watching their weight will help prolong their lives.
Dear Readers: Adam Graf owns an adorable ferret named Slinky. She loves to crawl into shoes and small spaces to hide. In the photo Adam sent, she is trying to get Adam's grandpa's foot out of a shoe so she can crawl into it.
Visit my Web site, www.Heloise.com, to see little Slinky trying to get into a shoe. Send your favorite, unusual pet photo to: Heloise/Pet Photo, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279. Heloise
FYI: For anyone who has a pair of birds and is planning to breed them, be careful what you line their nest with. Use material bought from a pet store, or you can use very small pieces of straw to line the nest. Don't use cotton!
According to my veterinarian and friend Dr. Tom Vice, cotton is dangerous because the fibers can wrap around baby birds' feet. Heloise
Dear Heloise: My cat constantly scratches the arm of our new couch. He ignores the scratching post we got him. We put plastic on the couch and tried tape, but nothing works. He is determined to constantly claw the couch.
I really don't want him to be an outside cat, but I have to do something to keep him away -- the threads on the couch are starting to pull away. How can I stop him? Carol G., Via E-mail.
Sounds like your cat has a mind of his own, like most cats. He might need a little punishment -- the type that doesn't hurt him. Don't hit or scold him when you catch him scratching -- that will only frighten him to run away, but he will come back.
The thing to do is get a water gun and, from a distance, squirt him. He won't know it is coming from you, but he will catch on eventually that when he gets close to the couch, he is going to get wet -- something cats don't like! Heloise
Dear Heloise: When I feed my cat outdoors, ants show up in the bowl of food within minutes. It's very frustrating for me and the cat!
The problem is solved now. I put his food bowl in the middle of a pie plate that is filled with water. It works like a moat. The ants try getting to the bowl but fall in the water. I change the water often in case Callie drinks it. A Reader, 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