Q: If your dog has died at home, call your vet for guidance on what to do next. You will probably be very emotional after knowing your dog has passed away, and it will be hard to think clearly. Your vet can help you organize your thoughts and emotions enough to decide what to do next. If your vet has euthanized your dog, they can talk to you at the vet’s office about making final arrangements for your dog’s body. Whether your dog has died at home or was euthanized at your vet’s office, you can decide to bury your dog or have your pet cremated. Professional services are available for both options. If you’d like, ask your vet for recommendations on pet burial and cremation services.  Be aware that home pet burials may not be allowed in your city because of public health concerns. Check your city’s laws on home pet burials before deciding on this option. If home burial is not an option, you can bury your dog at a pet cemetery. Cremation is a way to keep your dog’s remains without creating a public health risk by burying your dog in your yard.  If you do not want cremation or burial services, you could also have a professional animal removal service remove your dog’s body from your home. It is perfectly normal to grieve the loss of a pet. Through your grief, though, you can think about your dog in a way that makes you smile and feel better. You can remember your dog in several ways:  Remember the good times you had with your dog (play time, leisurely walks, quiet quality time). Create a memorial of your dog. Examples of memorials include scrapbooks, planting a tree, or planting some flowers. Make a donation in memory of your dog. Ask your vet or visit http://www.avmf.org/ for more information about making a donation. If your grief becomes too much for you to handle on your own, contact a pet loss hotline. Veterinary schools and various professional organizations sponsor pet loss hotlines to help pet owners cope with the death of their pet. Your veterinarian can provide you with pet loss hotlines in your area that you can contact.
A: Contact your vet. Decide what you want to do with your dog’s body. Find ways to remember your dog. Contact a pet loss hotline.

Q: Mix one teaspoon (5 ml) into ¼ cup (59 ml) of water. Apply one drop of the solution to a hidden spot on the fabric. Wait for one minute and then blot the spot dry with a white cloth. If the color does not bleed or fade, it should be safe to use bleach on it.  Choose a hem for shirts you tuck in and an inseam or spot around the waist on pants. It’s also smart to check the tags on clothes. There will be a warning if the clothes are sensitive to bleach. Remember when you add bleach to your laundry not to let the bleach come into direct contact with the laundry. To accomplish this, start the washer before you put any laundry into it. Let the basin fill at least halfway before you add detergent and bleach. Bleach does not wash clothes, so you still need to use detergent to clean your laundry. If your machine has a detergent compartment, measure out the detergent and add it. If the machine has no detergent compartment, pour it directly into the water. For small loads, use about ½ cup (118 ml) of bleach. If you have an extra large load, it’s okay to use closer to a full cup (237 ml) of bleach. Pour it into a bleach compartment or directly into the water. Washer sizes and load sizes vary, so you’ll have to adjust how much bleach you use. Let the washer finish filling with water so that the bleach mixes up and dilutes into the water. When the machine is almost full, put your load of laundry into the water. Make sure it goes all the way into the water rather than floating on top.
A:
Test the colorfastness of non-white fabrics. Fill the washer with water. Pour your detergent into the washer. Add about ½-¾ cup (118-177 ml) of bleach for a standard size load. Push the laundry down into the water.