A cat with a broken jaw, nicknamed GPS cat, visits daily, raising concerns about its health and ownership.
The episode begins with host Sara, a holistic veterinarian, sharing a story about a cat she calls 'GPS cat' that visits her home daily and has a broken jaw, raising concerns about its condition and ownership. She then transitions to answering a listener question submitted via Stand FM about meal portions for pets. The listener, Non, asks if it's acceptable to let dogs eat until they are full, noting their own dog might eat until vomiting and referencing an assistant's dog that gained 2 kilograms. Sara responds by stating that free-feeding is not recommended, explaining that pets, like humans, have varying appetites and that obesity is a disease. She details how underlying health issues, such as Cushing's disease or steroid medication, can cause abnormal appetite, making it risky to let pets self-regulate. Sara advises starting with knowing the pet's weight to calculate daily energy requirements. She describes a formula: multiply weight by itself three times, take the square root twice, then multiply by 70 to find the resting energy requirement (RER). She notes that this amount might suffice for sedentary pets, but adjustments are needed for puppies, pregnant dogs, or unneutered animals. Sara mentions that the same calculation can determine daily water needs for dogs, though cats require less water. She references an article she supervised on a website called 'Dog Food God' for further details. Sara cautions that a 2-kilogram gain in a 4-kilogram dog is significant, akin to a 40-kilogram human gaining 20 kilograms, likely not just muscle. She emphasizes using a kitchen scale to measure food and regularly recording weight to prevent unnoticed obesity, sharing that such surprises are common in veterinary practice. The episode ends with Sara promoting an upcoming Instagram live session on March 21st for further discussion.
