"Cuddly" canines have got their podgy paws all over this week's animal health news, after Pfizer announced the approval of Slentrol, an obesity drug for dogs.
The ambiguously worded Pfizer release ("FDA approves first medication to combat canine obesity") led to a flurry of inaccurate news reports that Pfizer had gained the world's first approval for this new indication.
This provoked a rightfully angry response from Janssen, who did in fact get the first approval for a canine obesity drug Yarvitan in the EU last year.
And anyway, what sort of society are we that we care so little for our pets that we mistreat them by overfeeding and under-exercising? What sort of dog owners don't have time to take their pets for walks regularly? And should they be condoned? It's disturbing that, according to Pfizer, 40% of dogs are considered obese.
Who knows what will come next, a drug that will stop pets from feeling lonely so you only have to spend time with them when it suits you?? I wonder if that already exists (DAP??).
Disturbingly, one of the side effects of Slentrol is that it can cause canine anorexia. "No, you don't look fat, I promise Rover …"
And anyway, what about obese cats? There are a few well rounded cats rolling around the streets in my neighbourhood.
3 comments:
I read an interesting article about two brothers in the UK who were convicted of abusing their chocolate-coloured labarador by allowing him to become so overweight that he collapsed after taking two steps. The charity, who took the brothers to court for animal abuse, spent £3000 on a good diet and drugs to bring the dog's weight down to a healthy level. This conviction must be music to the ears of the producers of animal-obesity drugs.
Where does this kind of interfering from the law courts end? Does an overly bouncy bunny mean that the animal police will be knocking at the door and force feeding antifatty drugs down poor Fiver's face? Should this precedent be extended to cover children, or overweight editors of the Animal Pharm Blog?
yeah even I have heard about this news. Its just disgraceful to learn about the owners who overfeed their dogs.
take care
justin
I'm concerned about one of my dogs whom is now on Slendtrol. Lucy is a small Pug mix. When I rescued her in June of 2006 she was 22 lbs. She now weighs in at 45 lbs. She has doubled her weight! I have 5 other dogs weighing from 7lbs up to 80 lbs. They all eat the correct amount for their size, including Lucy. As a matter of fact, Lucy hardly ever finishes her dinner. I am in a quandry, I can't understand why she is so fat. Pugs are generally on the chunky side, but not like this. I've had dogs all my life, and I've never had an overweight dog, let alone an obese one. The first 2 weeks her dose was 0.2ml/day. Her dose increased to 0.4ml/day on day 15. Lucy began Slendtrol on 8/14/07. She is now scratching herself insesintly, and she is lethargic. I'm concerned she isn't metabolizing the medication properly, but I don't want stop the medication and risk her having diabetes, heart problems. Are these side effects common, or been reported or documented at all? Anyone else with a pet on Slendtrol having similar issues? Please help....Lucy is miserable.
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