Q: I've entered the 30 day chalange, some time ago. The change has been good for my cat, but he sooks non-stop during food time, because he wants his old wet food, what if anything can I do. Also I have not yet recieved anything in the mail, to send back a receipt of my Purina purchase

A: Just like your cat, I’m a little bit torn here. My every veterinary instinct is telling me to say ‘be firm’ and stick with it. That super premium dry food is the best thing for your boy and I would be certain that soon enough those wet food days would be but a distant memory. After all, cats do get a ‘taste’ for certain foods just like we do. Adjusting to new tastes takes time, however, in the long run he will enjoy and appreciate the new and more sophisticated flavour of the dry food. But this is where I see it from your side. Those ‘sooky’ sounds must get a little overwhelming. So for a quicker fix you could try this. Mix a full can of Fancy Feast wet food through his dry food on day one. That gives the food a wetter ‘feel’ and should satisfy his wet food fetish. Then on day two, mix through ¾ can. Day three, mix ½ can. Day four, mix ¼ can and then day five just go with the straight dry food. The change in texture will have been so slow that “Jackson” won’t really have noticed the difference, making him a dry food fanatic after just five days! Whether you go the hard road or the softer road, the result should be the same; a satisfied cat that now enjoys his dinner time. With regard to your 30 Day Challenge query, please contact Purina on 1800 738 238 or send them an email at http://www.purina.com.au/contactus.aspx and one of the Pet Advice Centre representatives will be able to assist you.

Q: We have just adopted Wizard and he has quite bad teeth. He's 5 years old and I was wondering what we can do for him to strengthen his teeth.

A: The most magic way to strengthen this Wizard’s teeth won’t involve any potions. Instead, my first priority would be to protect the porcelain he currently has. If they are ‘terrible’ as you say then I would recommend a complete clean at your vet. This removes all the tartar and the associated bacteria that are trying to invade into his gums and loosen teeth; which could eventually result in him losing at least some of them. With clean teeth and some antibiotics to treat the bugs, your feline can now make a fresh start; thankfully with fresh breath! Now, the key is to now keep it that way. Feeding a super premium dry cat food (like PURINA ONE) will act as your little buddy’s tooth brush, sweeping any build-up of plaque each and every day. The scientifically balanced level of calcium and phosphorus will also ensure those chompers are as strong as they possibly can be. For extra protection and for variety, dental treats and the occasional raw chicken wing could also be a good idea.

Q: I have an adult lab that has "pacadermitis". He's been treated by our vet, but nothing seems to be helping him. He's lost pretty much all of his hair, his skin is scaly and he has a horrible odor. Can you suggest anything?

A: Pachydermatitis sounds dramatic and unfortunately the symptoms go some way towards matching the name. Dogs affected with the condition are sadly left with hairless and thickened skin that some people think resembles that of an elephant (or ‘Pachyderm’). But I would be hopeful that we might be able to get “Homer” looking a little more like the Labrador you once knew. The key is identifying the cause of his skin condition. It’s almost always called by something at the absolute opposite end of the size spectrum from an elephant; a microscopic yeast called “Malassezia”. This yeast is on every dog’s skin, however, on “Homer” it’s been allowed to multiply out of control. Why? Well, it sounds to me like “Homer” suffers from an imbalance of oils on his skin. Too many of the wrong type has provided a perfect place for these yeast to eat and breed. Yes, Homer’s skin is yeast honeymoon heaven and they’re not scared to exploit the hospitality! So how do we turn the tables on these unwelcome guests? For starters, we need to give “Homer” the right type of oils so his skin can get in balance. He needs the essential fatty acids contained in omega 3 fish oils; which are part of a super premium diet like PURINA ONE. In the initial stages we’ll need really high levels of the oils so supplement his diet with some “Megaderm”; which is a supplement available from vets. Then we need to kill off the yeast with a medicated shampoo called “Malaseb”. Finally we will ease the itch, inflammation and the skin irritation with some medication (such as low dose cortisone) from your vet. That’s sure to have those yeasts “pachy-ing” their bags and getting out of “Homer’s life leaving him happy once again!

Q: I have a 10 week lab pup which i feed Purina 1 puppy food. the amount on back of the pack doesn't say if its the amount to feed her per feed or the amount for the whole day broken up over 2 or 3 feeds thanks

A: Obviously ‘how much to feed’ is the final piece of the puzzle in feeding your puppy - and it’s obviously a very important one. That measurement written in the feeding guide on the back of the packet actually refers to how much they need for the ‘whole day’. It’s essentially their daily ‘ration’; the amount of food they should eat in a day to keep them growing at the right rate and meet all their nutritional requirements. Once you have this total daily amount, you should then divide it into at least 3 or preferably 4 small meals. Young pups like “Honey” have small stomachs that can only handle small amounts of food. And since mealtime is sure to be the highlight of “Honey’s” day, space the meals out during the day and always make sure she has plenty of fresh water available.