New Diet Drug Is Approved for Pudgy Dogs

[spindrifter]

By STEPHANIE SAUL
Published: January 6, 2007

Too many dogs are lounging around at home all day while their owners work, then stuffing on table scraps in front of the television at night, so much so that veterinarians say there is an epidemic of canine obesity in this country.

Skip to next paragraph Yesterday, the Food and Drug Administration announced one possible way to address the problem: the first prescription drug to treat obesity in dogs.

“This is a welcome addition to animal therapies, because dog obesity appears to be increasing,” said Dr. Stephen Sundlof, director of the Center for Veterinary Medicine at the food and drug agency, announcing the approval of the drug.

Veterinarians define obese dogs as those that are 20 percent overweight. About 5 percent of dogs in the United States are obese, and another 20 precent to 30 percent are overweight, according to the drug agency. In all, Pfizer, the maker of the dog drug, called Slentrol, estimates that four million American dogs are obese and potential candidates for its therapy, which will cost $1 to $2 a day.

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http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/06/washington/06dogs.html?hp&ex=1168059600&en=0a4f39b5a2ba702b&ei=5094&partner=homepage

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Pretty sad that we are stuffing our dogs, then having to drug them.