Elevate that dog bowl
Imagine if you had to eat on all fours, with no knife or fork. Would you rather your supper dish be flat on the floor or elevated a few inches? Dollars to donuts, you’d say elevated.
Your dog would say the same. A dog dish on the floor can present a lot of problems for your dog: neck strain, joint tension and arthritis pain, to name a few. And it can lead to aerophagia (excessive air swallowing), which can result in poor digestion.
What’s the solution? An elevated supper dish can help. In addition to shortening the reach for your dog, the elevated dish can help kill kibble all over the kitchen (not fun to step on), and the scooting of the dish all over will cease as well.
Ask your veterinarian what she thinks of the elevated supper dish. — Heloise
Pet pal
DEAR HELOISE » My cat, Abby, was leaning against the mirror when I looked up and caught this image that looked like two of her! I just happened to have my phone handy to snap this picture.
I rescued/adopted Abby from a shelter in the L.A. area five years ago. — Kathy D.
To see this double vision, visit www.Heloise.com and click on “Pet of the Week.” — Heloise
Take a stand
DEAR HELOISE » To make lunchtime more appealing for my 10-year-old picky eater, I cut her sandwich on the diagonal and then stand each triangle on its side, leaning one on the other.
This is fun, always promotes a conversation, and the sandwich looks good because you can see all the components of it (the bacon, jelly, etc.). — Gina P. in D.C.
Gina, love the innovation! Maybe sneak some avocado in that BLT. The green is pretty, and healthful! — Heloise
Let’s review
COVID is still with us, and will be for the foreseeable future, although strides have been made, including great movement toward vaccination. Let’s break it down:
The novel coronavirus is a disease that can cause serious and even fatal respiratory distress. That the virus attacks the respiratory system is the main reason masks are helping to slow the spread of the virus.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc. gov), COVID spreads from person to person through respiratory droplets as we breathe, talk, laugh, cough or sneeze.
A cloth mask acts as a barrier to stop these respiratory droplets from spreading in the air from the wearer, and a mask acts as a barrier to stop droplets from spreading to you from someone else.
For your health and the health of everyone around you, it is best to wear a cloth mask, wash your hands frequently, stay home if you feel sick, and maintain six feet of distance between you and everyone else. — Heloise
Pack man
DEAR HELOISE » I’ve been trying my hand at baking during the pandemic, but got a question for ya: Why do recipes call for brown sugar to be “packed,” but not white sugar? — Michael T. in Illinois
Hey, Michael. Good for you to try something new! Brown sugar is made with molasses, which can clump and leave pockets of air. Press the brown sugar firmly into the measuring scoop when prepping your recipe. — Heloise