Love helps injured pet to good health
Dear Heloise: Here’s the story of my dog, Duncan. At San Antonio’s Animal Care Services, I came across a little white dog with black ears and took him outside to play. I noticed right away that he had an injury to his hind leg. Feeling like I could help this little dude, I decided to adopt him.
He was loaded with fleas, which is a pretty easy fix nowadays. ACS let me bathe him there, and the water coming off him was red and brown with flea dirt, scabs and blood. He felt better after his bath and was ready to be neutered.
ACS called me the next day to say that he had tested positive for heartworms. The great news was, he was young enough that the heartworms hadn’t established themselves too well, so treatment and a cure were possible.
And that gimpy leg? With time, good nutrition, rest, lots of love and my veterinarian’s trained eye, the leg is almost as good as new.
My message is: Don’t look past the sickly, injured dogs. They can repay your love many times over. I’m so happy to have my Duncan, named after Spurs legend Tim Duncan.
— Sharon in San Antonio,
Texas
Tell your friend to stick it
Dear Heloise: I have a friend who actually teaches her dog to stick his head out the car window as she drives along at speeds of up to 65 mph. Would you write a hint for your readers why it is unsafe to have your dog’s head sticking out of an open car window at any speed? Thanks.
— Ruth F., Windcrest, Texas Ruth, happy to, and thanks for your readership. Readers, there are several reasons why this is a terrible idea. The dog could fall out of the vehicle or be struck by rocks and other road waste, which can cause an eye injury. The dog also could be struck by road signage or branches, and the wind whipping in their delicate and sensitive ears can cause harm.
The dog should be secured in the back seat with no access to an open window.
— Heloise
Pet pal
Dear Readers: Meet Annie, an 11-year-old beautiful, blue-eyed white cat, belonging to Maria C. in Nebraska. Maria found that Annie does best on freeze-dried raw meat or fish, which comes in pellets.
To see Annie and our other Pet Pals, visit www.Heloise. com and click on “Pet of the Week.” Do you have a funny, furry, four-legged friend? Send a picture and description to: Heloise@Heloise. com.
— Heloise
Dear Readers: The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (www.aspca.org) recommends the following schedule for spaying/neutering your pet:
For canines: The usual age for spaying and neutering is six to nine months, but puppies can be neutered as early as 8 weeks as long as they are healthy.
For felines: It’s safe to spay or neuter kittens as young as eight weeks, and is preferable before five months.
Check with your veterinarian for his or her advice as well.
— Heloise
Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001, or you can fax it to 1-210-HELOISE or email it to Heloise@Heloise.com. I can’t answer your letter personally but will use the best hints received in my column.