HELOISE: Tips on finding a vet helped

Dear Heloise: Your list of questions to ask when finding a veterinarian was very helpful. When moving from the Northeast to San Antonio recently, I found myself in this very position. Here are some additional suggestions that may help folks whose pets are integral members of their families:

Schedule an appointment with the doctor, without your pet, to conduct an in-person interview. Not only will you learn about the doctor’s approach to medicine, but you’ll also be able to assess if his or her personality is one with which your pet will be comfortable.

Is the vet available for an occasional or emergency house-call visit?

Can you be with your pet as it emerges from anesthesia after surgery?

Does the office have after-hours contact numbers for emergencies?

Judy, via e-mail

Dear Readers: Hamsters can be a fun addition to the family, but they also can be a lot of responsibility. Things to know:

A cage, metal exercise wheel (they could chew through a plastic one), food dish and water dispenser all are necessary, and don’t forget an exercise ball!

Remember to clean the cage often, supply hamster food and fresh water daily, and keep the cage out of the kids’ rooms, because hamsters are nocturnal and can be noisy at night.

Hamsters can and will escape if given the chance, so make sure they are secure in the cage, and one hamster per cage is best. They are territorial, and they may fight.

If a hamster does escape, fashion a sort of “trap” for it. Use a small bucket, a yardstick as a ramp, and some carrots or cheese in the bucket. He’ll run up the ramp to get the food and land safely in the bucket.

Heloise

Dear Readers: Arline Benes Nenni of Goffstown, N.H., sent a couple of photos of her Scottish terrier, Buddy, enjoying the flowers and riding in the wheelbarrow. Arline says, “When my Scotty was a pup, he was very inquisitive and ‘took time to smell the flowers,’ and he was my husband’s shadow when he worked in the yard.”

To see Buddy, visit www.Heloise.com.

Heloise

Dear Heloise: I have a dachshund that likes to burrow under the covers when sleeping. I have a blanket on the couch that he sleeps under during the day. Imagine my shock when I came home from work and found the little guy with his neck caught in between the binding and the blanket itself. Apparently it had come unstitched, and he had worked himself through the blanket.

My hint is to inspect these blankets and make sure there are no loose seams that animals can get caught in. Thank you for your column!

E.S., via e-mail

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

King Features Syndicate