King Features Syndicate
DEAR READERS: What to do when your dog gets skunked? Dogs and skunks, unfortunately, come in contact with each other, usually with stinky results. Getting rid of that odor can be challenging. In the past, people have used tomato juice or vinegar to try to neutralize that awful smell. These can do a pretty good job, but here’s the update:
Veterinarians today recommend this formula to do an even better job: Mix 1 quart of 3 percent hydrogen peroxide with 1⁄4 cup of baking soda and 1 teaspoon of mild dishwashing detergent (check to make sure it does not contain bleach or ammonia). Rub this solution into your dog’s coat. Don’t let any get into the eyes or ears. Then bathe with a mild pet shampoo. Rinse well.
If your pooch still has a skunky aroma, repeat the process. — Heloise
DEAR HELOISE: My daughter's two cats somehow manage to get cat fur on my lampshades. I had the brainstorm yesterday to use a lint brush to remove the fur. It worked wonderfully! I read your column in The Washington Post and love it! — Meredith, Springfield, Va.
ADVERTISEMENT
DEAR HELOISE: I had such a good laugh from your column on funny pet names. Our neighbor's cat had kittens, and one of them, a beautiful white-and-apricot mix with big blue eyes, kept coming into our yard for handouts. We began to love this little kitten and fed it nearly daily. We began to call him Freddie the Freeloader — a name that truly fit him at that time.
Long story short, we asked the neighbor if we could adopt him, and she said yes. Now he is just Freddie and doesn't need to freeload anymore, for he is well taken care of, and we enjoy him tremendously. — Janet and Chuck Gallmeyer of Greenville, Texas
DEAR HELOISE: I love to feed the birds in my backyard. To get as many different types of birds as I can, I buy several different types of seed and put out some sliced fruit. The birds have a smorgasbord of food, and I have a smorgasbord of birds to watch. — Lillian in Mississippi
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.
