Make it a priority to get a vet for your pets right away

heloise

Make it a priority to get a vet for your pets

Dear Heloise: I work for a small veterinary office, and recently a woman called one hour before closing. She had come home from work and found her dog in severe distress. She didn’t have a veterinarian. She grabbed the phone book and just called the first one she saw — she didn’t even know where we were located.

I am begging everyone who has just adopted a new pet or moved into an area from another city to please make it your priority to find a vet for your animals the moment you bring them home or settle into a new home. Make a “well visit” for your loved one — it will be the best money you’ve ever spent. The veterinarian can examine your pets, record their vaccine and health histories, and will be ready to help you in just such an instance as this. Bring us a list of their medications, dosages and how taken, so we won’t have to ask all these questions to get a file on your pets. You also will be familiar with the routes to the office and can take the best and fastest one when needed. If it’s after office hours, you will know who is covering, will have the phone number and will know how to get there.

For the sake of the animal, if you cannot afford the costs of care, please don’t get the animal! Donna from Connecticut

Very important information, and thank you for writing. Readers, please take heed. Heloise

Dear Heloise: I had gotten two kittens, and when they found the toilet-paper roll, well, you know what happened: toilet paper everywhere. My fix for this was to take a large, clear, 2-liter plastic soda bottle, cut off the top and bottom to the same size as the toilet-paper roll, then cut a slit from top to bottom. I just snapped it over the roll and fed the first sheet through the slit. I can pull paper through, but the cats just spin plastic, to no avail. Timothy G., Thurmont, Md.

Dear Readers: Michael Stefano of Staten Island, N.Y., sent a photo of his black-and-white cat, Eddy, sitting in the Christmas tree. Michael says, “This was Eddy’s favorite spot to be during the Christmas season.”

To see Eddy in the tree, visit www.Heloise.com. Heloise

Dear Heloise: My dog prefers to wait for treats rather than eat her food, with the result that she’s a little underweight. I saw on a dog-training show that it’s OK to mix some healthy people food with your pet’s meals to solve this problem. I tried scrambling an egg, and not only did it work, but after years without anyone to cook for, I now have a reason to relearn my cooking skills. Sally L., Little Rock, Ark.

Be sure to check with your vet, as dogs with certain medical conditions should not eat eggs, and no salt and pepper! Heloise

SBlt Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or you can fax it to (210) HELOISE or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com.

King Features Syndicate