Friday, January 05, 2007

This just astounds me

Oh my word... can you imagine it....
A diet pill for dogs. yes, the FDA has approved a diet pill for dogs.

I'm shocked...are you?

Oh...before I forget. Here's the link.

I guess I shouldn't be, after all, many people treat their dogs better than they treat their children, or at least relatively close to it.
This is a welcome addition to animal therapies, because dog obesity appears to be increasing," said Stephen Sundlof, director of the Center for Veterinary Medicine at the Food and Drug Administration.
AGH!!!!

Haven't people heard of
1. exercising your dog
2. putting your dog on a diet... unlike people, dogs can't cheat unless you let them
3. switch to raw feeding if the kibble isn't helping their weight control - really it's not that hard to do and your dog will love you for it.

I do find it interesting that the side-affects of this drug are similar to that which people suffer if using drugs of this sort.
The prescription drug also can produce some unfortunate side effects, including loose stools, diarrhea, vomiting, lethargy and loss of appetite.
Ah..the joy of it... have a lazy (lethargic) dog with diarrhea... oh joy! :) Bet that will help people not use this "easy way" out of helping a dog lose weight properly. But guess to, is it will increase the "fartiness" factor as well. Doesn't that just sound like a ringing endorsment! :)

I do like this warning though
Like all diet drugs, Slentrol is meant to be part of an overall weight management program that includes a complete and balanced diet and exercise, according to its label. Slentrol is not a cure for obesity; its effects cease within a day or two of stopping treatment.
Like that's going to stop people from using it. People will just use it and think...ah..now I don't have to walk the dog so much, he can eat whatever he wants, and he can just the backyard and everything will be hunky dory fine.

All I can say is NOT!!!

UPDATE: a couple other places to check out for commentary on this.
Livin' La Vida Low-Carb and Edmund's Blog.

3 comments:

Moby Dick said...

Obese Children are becoming an epidemic in America! Apparently, dogs are not far behind either. What do they both have in common? They rely on adults to do the right thing.

Science4u1959 said...

They also rely on proper nutrition and neither are getting that... A dog's diet is raw meat, fat, and bone marrow: not cereals, cheap veggies proteins and ash - which is what "modern, civilized" dog food is made of.

Annette said...

My dogs aren't on kibble at all. :) For which they are very happy. They are fed good food! :) Meat, veggies, leftovers, organs... you name it, they love it. :)