omidog

As I was settling in to watch some of the always entertaining Colbert Report last night, Stephen Colbert introduced a segment entitled “Pet News”, wherein he introduced a product known as Slentrol - an anti-obesity medication for dogs. Apparently, Slentrol is the first medication of its kind that’s a prescription pill directly targeted toward combating excess weight in our pudgy pooches. Of course, since Stephen Colbert was talking about it, I don’t think anyone was supposed to take it seriously, haha. A little photoshopped picture of a pug with a doctor’s outfit on popped up as Colbert said, “Slentrol has been hard to get a prescription for since it’s been particularly difficult to find a dog with a Ph.D.”

After the initial shock and hilarity wears off, though, we have to remember that this is, in fact, a real product. What’s even more important is that dog obesity is common and serious enough that an entire company and product have been created because of it. The whole concept of this medicine is alarming on many levels. First, there’s the fact that a company has created a pill for pets that’s being presented just like all of the other advertised, prescription medicines for humans. It makes you question the integrity of the product, and skeptical that they’re merely out to make money.

Second, like many human medications, there is, of course, a disclaimer of side effects with Slentrol. Taken directly from the Slentrol website, “The most common side effect from Slentrol is vomiting. A few dogs may develop diarrhea, seem unusually tired, or completely stop eating. If any of these side effects last longer than 2 days, call your veterinarian.” Many people are hesitant to take prescriptions because of the side effects. Imagine being the one giving the medicine to your dog and having your dog completely stop eating…scary!

Third, the whole reason that pet obesity exists is because of irresponsible pet guardianship. Dogs have no control over what’s fed to them or how often they’re taken out for exercise. A dog doesn’t look at a glistening fried chicken drumstick and say “hm…you know, I should probably stick to my kibble today because that looks like it’s loaded with fat and calories” haha. It’s up to us as pet guardians to take care of our pets. This means frequent exercise, healthy diets with limited table scraps (preferably none), and keeping an eye on our dogs’ weight so we can prevent obesity before it starts.

In this era when pills and instant fixes are the expected solutions, I’m hesitant to trust things like this. A pill may be able to help your pet manage its weight, but you’re also running risks with side effects and taking an ‘easy way out’. Also, since it’s a brand new medicine, you don’t know the long term effects it may have on your dog’s health. Don’t feel bad by ‘depriving’ your dog of a piece of your food when you’re eating, or that you’re ‘making’ your dog take a walk. Dogs by nature love to run and play, and need the vital nutrients that balance their bodies. I think we need to take a look at ourselves and see just how badly obesity is spreading, and realize that, as in most cases with humans, it’s completely preventable. (I’d like to help my guinea pig slim down a bit too, so that means I need to offer him more fresh veggies and more floor time. No piggie pills!)

So my message for the day is: combat pet obesity with proactivity, not pills! (how’s that for an alliteration?)

Tags: Dog Health, dog obesity, obesity in dogs, obesity in pets, pet obesity, prescription dog medicine, slentrol, slentrol dog medicine, slentrol side effects