First diet drug for dogs approved by the FDA

Attention, dog owners of the world: The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first diet pill for dogs.\nSlentrol, produced by Pfizer Inc., was approved Jan. 5 as the first canine diet pill on the market, according to the FDA. Scientists developed it to fight the rising number of obese dogs.\nAccording to FDA surveys, 5 percent of dogs in the United States are obese and another 20 percent to 30 percent are overweight. Slentrol is aimed at dogs that are at least 20 percent over their ideal weights.\nDr. Stephan Sundlof, director of the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine, told MedPage Today, a medical-news service, that Slentrol is a “welcome addition to animal therapies, because dog obesity appears to be increasing.”\nIU senior Chris Bryant, an employee at Pass Pets in the College Mall in Bloomington, disagreed with Sundlof regarding canine obesity.\n“If it’s not a medical thing, I would exercise my dog more and start feeding him Ultra dog food. Dogs shouldn’t get obese.”\nSlentrol blocks the assembly and release of lipoproteins into the bloodstream. According to the FDA, the weight loss seems to come from increased absorption of fats and the canine’s feeling that it is full after eating smaller quantities than usual.\nDr. Dale Miller of the Arlington Heights Veterinary Hospital in Bloomington said he thinks dog owners will respond favorably to the product. \n“The pill works out well because there are a lot of people who overfeed their animals and can’t say no to them,” he said.\nMiller said he has no experience with the drug because his office only received information about it recently.\nThe drug is not yet for sale but should be available to the public through veterinary prescriptions sometime this spring, a Pfizer spokeswoman said.\nThe Web site of Pfizerah – the “-ah” ending stands for animal health – says the drug is not a cure for obesity. In fact, the decreased appetite that dogs will experience is only temporary and lasts no longer than one to two days after treatment ends. \nOnce a dog reaches the goal weight, manufacturer Pfizer recommends continued use of the drug during a three-month period. During this time, the company says, the veterinarian and dog owner will establish an optimal level of food intake and physical activity needed to maintain the dog’s ideal weight.\nDogs receive the drug in varying doses during the treatment period. They are given a constant dose for the first two weeks. After 14 days, the dog’s progress can be tracked month to month, and veterinarians can help adjust the dosage accordingly.\nThe drug is not without possible adverse side effects, which the FDA says include vomiting, loose stools, diarrhea, lethargy and loss of appetite. There are some dangers – including abdominal distention, abdominal pain, diarrhea, flatulence, headache, nausea and vomiting – to humans who ingest the drug.\nIU student Courtney Lang said if her dog were overweight she might use the drug, rather than traditional diet and exercise. \n“I would try to do what’s best for the dog,” she said, “but if I didn’t have the time, I would resort to (using the drug).”