A Cure For Fat Dogs

To paraphrase comedian George Carlin on American business culture: "If you nail together two things that have never been nailed together before, someone will buy it."

No words could more fittingly capture the essence of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's decision to approve the sale of Slentrol, the first prescription weight-loss drug for dogs.

Developed by Pfizer Animal Health, a division of Pfizer Inc., Slentrol promises to suppress Fido's appetite and decrease fat absorption by triggering a feeling of fullness. Pfizer will make the drug available to veterinarians this spring at a cost to dog owners of $1 to $2 a day.

Of 550 dogs tested in a four-month trial, 97 percent lost weight and half lost 11 percent or more of their body weight. Pfizer officials said many of the dogs were hard-core dieters with failed histories of battling the bulge.

Indeed, FDA officials say 5 percent of the 65 million canines in the United States are obese, surpassing their ideal weight by 20 percent. That's about 3.25 million potential customers for Slentrol.

Slentrol's very presence suggests dogs have little discipline when it comes to food. It evokes images of Max chowing down multiple orders of pepperoni pizza as he watches professional football on TV or Lassie filling up on layer cake when no one's looking.

Slentrol's target audience is not dogs, of course, but dog owners who think they are showing their love by overfeeding their pets and are too lazy to exercise them. If the owners could reverse their behavior, the dogs wouldn't be fat.

Consequently, weight-loss drugs will probably be about as effective on dogs as they are on humans. Owners will either recognize that restraint in feeding pets and making sure they get proper exercise are the best solution, or Fido and Lassie will spend the rest of their lives on and off the weight wagon. What will the FDA approve next?

Source : www.courant.com