Takeout containers shouldn't go to the dogs



Dear Heloise: I have a warning about letting pets eat out of takeout containers that come with a metal handle. I was home alone eating Chinese takeout and innocently offered the empty containers to my dog to lick. After a few minutes, I heard her panting and saw her pacing a bit frantically. Hanging from her mouth was the container! She had skewered one of the metal handle ends through the side of her tongue! I realized that her frantic behavior would soon result in her tearing the handle out of her tongue, and there would be no way I could get her to an emergency vet in time for them to extract it before she hurt herself further.
So, I gathered up all my courage, and gently but quickly pulled the handle back out the way it went in. She was left with a pierced tongue but fortunately did not develop an infection. I wouldn't even give a pet a container that is stapled, since the staple could easily be lodged in its mouth or swallowed. Take this as a warning! Wendy in Minneapolis
Wendy, glad your pet is OK. It's probably not a good idea to give a pet any takeout containers. Thank you so much for passing your warning along! Heloise
Dear Heloise: Our wonderful little guinea pig, Morris, is an adorable pet. We really get a kick out of hearing him squeal with delight each time we open the fridge. He knows he is going to have a veggie treat.
I usually make a salad every night and put some tops of carrots, lettuce and celery in a covered plastic container for Morris. Naturally, he is fed his normal diet, but along with that he gets his salad. Linda S., Houston
Dear Heloise: My young son loved a recent popular underwater movie -- a story of the adventures of a father and son clown fish. He wanted me to buy his favorite character fish from the movie, but since clown fish are tropical, I got him a couple of goldfish instead.
We set up an aquarium with everything in it and put two goldfish in it. He just loves watching them. A goldfish is a perfect pet for a 3-year-old -- it's not much to take care of, and it keeps him quiet just watching the fish every day. V.W., via e-mail
King Features Syndicate

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