Taking our pets to the vet is the only efficient way of knowing if our pets have something wrong with them. In a way they are just like infants, they can't tell us if something is bothering them. Fleas are a major problem for both you and your pets. Fleas can infest your home, yard, and pets. They bite people, but only live on animals and yards. Fleas lay eggs that can live in your house for many months. If you notice your pet is scratching extensively, you should take your pet to the vet to get checked for fleas. You can buy flea protection for your pet that will relieve them from the constant biting and itching. To get rid of the fleas in your house you will have to "bomb” your house. You can buy this repellant at a store or call an exterminator. The repellant is very dangerous, so you have to leave your house for two or more hours. Exterminators can also kill the fleas in your yard, or you can buy the flea repellant for your yard at the store.

In San Antonio the high flea activity ranges from May to October. High flea activity is caused by the temperature and humidity. During the colder months fleas can still live inside your home. Unfortunately, in Texas the fleas sometimes stay year round.  Mallory Garza  

The Center for Public Policy Priorities released a report on Thursday stating that San Antonio is ranked as the fifth most expensive metropolitan city to live in Texas. The report determined that a family of four consisting of a two-parent, two-child household would need to earn at least $40,000 a year to survive without the assistance of the government. It is estimated that the four person household would have to earn a little over $20,000 more than the poverty level to stay financially stable. The report determined that many families are living in low-income households. Other factors are playing a role in these staggering figures, the decline in real value of wages meaning that living expenses are rising faster than incomes, a lack of employer benefits and the regressive tax policies.For more information, visit the San Antonio Business Journal Web site.

A little known San Antonio fact is that  a major big screen movie was shot in the city during the late 1990s. In 1997 the film "Still Breathing" starring Brendan Fraser was partially set in San Antonio. The premise is a bit quirky; Fraser plays a puppeteer in San Antonio while the female lead, Joanna Going, is a con-artist in Los Angeles. Their paths cross and fate happens. The on location Web site lists shooting locations in San Antonio that acted as the backdrop of the romantic flick. From Mission San Jose to the San Antonio River, local attractions are highlighted in the film, as well as, nearby locales such as the San Marcos River. Although the film wasn't a major success it did earn Fraser a Golden Space Needle Award from the Seattle International Film Festival. For more information, visit the on location Web site for "Still Breathing."