Elderly pets must be taken care of properly

I realized that my dog was losing her hearing, so I started to not only talk to her but use hand signals and facial expressions to communicate. It’s so important to pet your elderly dog and make sure they know that they are still loved.

Brush them often and feed them as close to a regular schedule as you can. Eye contact is vital. Most dogs will catch onto hand signals, especially if it’s done with petting or just a pat on the head afterward. To wake my dog up, I slowly and gently pet her until she opens her eyes. I give her more treats and walks now that deafness is creeping up on her.

She’ll be 15 in October, but no matter how old she gets, she will always be an important member of this family.

Gallen W., Stone Mountain, Georgia

Gallen, it seems to me that the older a family pet becomes, the more special they become. They’ve been through all of our trauma, traditions and tragedies, as well as our joys. When they get old, they depend on us to take care of them in their time of need.

Heloise

Dear Heloise: Until fairly recently, I worked for a company that manufactures lipsticks, and it made me observe and become aware of how women wear their lipstick. I have a few hints:

1. Open your mouth when you apply lipstick.

2. Never use a dark outline on your lips. Instead, go for a nude color. A dark outline ages you and draws attention to “smoker’s lines” above the mouth.

3. Using a drop of foundation on your bottom lip and then applying a lipstick makes your lips appear fuller.

4. Stay within the outer edge of your lips. Overdrawing your natural lip line dates you.

5. If your lips are really dry, mix a little dab of foundation and petroleum jelly in the palm of your hand and gently pat over your lips. Then, apply your lipstick.

6. Get used to applying lipstick with a brush. You get much better coverage.

Anon. via email

Dear Heloise: Christmas might be over, but I found a great use for the wreath hanger that goes over the top of the door.

I usually hang my purse up using the wreath holder, which is hung on the back of my bedroom door. This way, I don’t have to hang it on the doorknob, which is easy to walk into or knock off. Sometimes I hang my heavy bathrobe from the wreath hanger or even my straw gardening hat. It has multiple uses!

Allis, a wreath hanger is a very handy tool.

I’ve used one for hanging up a tennis racket, an umbrella and sometimes to hold up an outfit I plan to wear so that I can inspect it to see if it needs to be pressed.