Obesity Drug Approved for Dogs - Paw Talk

Wolfie305 · #1 01-09-2007, 08:57 AM

I just read this article this morning and though it sounds like a plus for dogs, I see more downsides than anything.

You own a dog, and your job is to give that dog love, and care for it just like you would any other family member. A healthy diet is essentail along with exercise and proper grooming to keep your dog happy and health-hazard free.

People who over feed their dogs and chose not to give him/her exercise however, are going to end up with a "round hound."

This new pill for obease dogs, Slentrol, is supposed to help your dog shed a few pounds and also make him/her feel that satisfying "full" feeling after a smaller portioned meal. Though this seems great, their are also side effects when giving your dog Slentrol such as vomiting, diarreha, and even loss of appetite. Think about it, your giving your dog a pill that helps to reduce the fat within your dog and puts a limit on how much fat he/she consumes, but one of the side effects includes loss of appetite? Even vomiting and diarreha can be hazardous to any animal that isn't eating because liquids and soild substances are leaving the animal's body.

And in my opinion, the pill takes away the purpose of being a dog owner. Part of being one includes knowing what your dog needs and how to keep him/her happy and healthy; living a long life. By giving your dog this pill, your most likely not going to give him/her the exercise they would normally needs. Its just going to make people lazy as well...

Please discuss this with any opinions you might have.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16486821/

Mygala · #2 01-09-2007, 10:37 AM

This just sounds crazy to me. A waste of money IMO.

Just don't overfeed your dog. Every bag of dogfood I've ever seen has instructions on how much to feed a dog. And every vet I've ever known has been more than willng to help owners regulate the amount to food their pets get. A little common sense, some professional help, and the determination to keep your animal healthy would seem to be all most folks (95% or so) need.

Why continue to overfeed, and then put the dog on drugs (which may have unpleasant gastrointestinal side effects). Seems a stupid solution for stupid owners who can't learn to say "no" to their dogs.

bob

Wolfie305 · #3 01-09-2007, 10:44 AM

Agreed. The right food always helps your dog as well. When buying dog food, always look at the first three ingredients on th package. If any of them say "Chicken by-products" then the food is more than likely going to cause problems for your dogs.

By-products are the things in the chicken such as the eyes, feet, beak, etc. Most dogs have alergic reactions to them which in turn makes them itchy and uncomfortable. Your dog's coat won't be as shiny and he/she will develop hot spots.

So feeding your dog the right food can also help weight reduction, I think these new pills are unnecessary

**Sasami** · #4 01-09-2007, 04:14 PM

I saw that article a couple days ago and think it's ridiculous. You control what your dog eats and how much he excercises...

Sophie was starting to get a little over-weight at one point so I stopped feeding treats and excercised her more...she's nice and slim again.

Wolfie305 · #5 01-09-2007, 04:25 PM

Good, I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks so. I hate when people think medications are the solutions for everything. Its just going to make your dog less active, more lazy, and unhappy.

Cutting down on the number of times a day you feed your dog, or the number of cups during each feeding is another way to keep him/her slim and healthy.

Nothing wrong with gold ol' fashioned exercise either.

Vanilla_Rat · #6 01-10-2007, 10:28 PM

Thats stupid.I agree,don't overfeed your dog, regular excercise...etc.I have seen (too often) people who cannot say NO to their dogs and give in,giving him/her all kinds of table scraps and stuff and soon enough the dog gains alot of weight...not healthy at all and I don't believe in just giving a pill,especially one with side effects like "loss of appetite"...

candyraver · #7 01-18-2007, 05:33 PM

I have a overweight dog.I changed the food + longer walks,she's loses the weight.Not "quickly" but so much at a time.Everyone who comes in my house knows what she can't have.
I would NOT...EVER give a diet pill to my dog.Thats definately out.
Like you,I see much more negative than good!

grlunderrainbow · #8 01-18-2007, 05:38 PM

I also see alot more negative than good. Granted there may be a rare few dogs out there with odd disorders, that no matter what they eat/excercise..they are overweight. But when I was a vet tech, ALL the dogs I saw that were overweight (which sadly was a lot) were that way directly due to their owners negligence. And some of the owners, I hate to say it, but were not of healthy weights themselves and thought the pets got too much enjoyment out of dog food/scraps,people food..all kinds of junk.. to restrict them. So they killed them slowly. I think they're better off putting more money into educating the public on dog care/nutrition than into a medicine to be used as a "band aid" for those who want to overfeed,imho.