Now I have heard it all: Pfizer Medication for Obese Dogs Wins U.S. Approval

[MADem]

Jan. 5 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. approved the first prescription weight-loss drug for the growing number of dogs whose owners feed them too many scraps and treats.

The Food and Drug Administration today cleared Pfizer Inc. to market a drug called Slentrol for use in the estimated 5 percent of U.S. dogs that are obese. Veterinarians also could use it for the additional 20 percent to 30 percent that are overweight.

The medication, which Pfizer estimates will cost pet owners about $1 to $2 a day, could be used for the increasing population of dogs with weight problems due to overfeeding and lack of exercise, said George C. Fahey Jr., a professor of animal sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign who specializes in pet nutrition. As with humans, obesity can lead to diabetes along with heart and joint problems. .....It will be dispensed only by veterinarians and is expected to be available in the spring, Pfizer said.....The medication will include a warning saying the drug isn't to be used by humans, and Pfizer said it shouldn't be used for cats.

Pfizer originally studied the drug for use in humans to lower cholesterol, said Bob Fauteux, a spokesman for New York- based Pfizer. The company discovered it could be used in dogs and gave up on human uses.

The drug makes it easier for owners -- many of whom are overweight themselves -- to reduce the amount of food their pets consume......"You start to take away the calories from the animal and they beg and they steal food and they take food from the trash,'' Zoran said in an interview. With the drug, she said, owners were able to feed their dogs less ``without having a fight.'' .....

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&sid=aTF8UtmVNB1k&refer=home

[Taxloss]

1. America: Fat dogs get drugs, the poor can't afford them.

Truly unbelievable.

[MADem]

6. It is beyond bizarre, ain't it? NT

[TechBear_Seattle]

2. Whatever it takes to make a buck

If the drug is so effective, though, why is it for dog only and not humans? Oh, that's right: human drugs must be proven safe and effective.

[MADem]

3. Well, they developed it for people--as a cholesterol drug, but it wasn't working

So now, it's BAD for people, and BAD for cats....but hey, FIDO, come git yer pill!!!!

[tridim]

7. I give my dog Phenobarbital for epilepsy, a drug that can cause severe..

psychological problems in humans. It hasn't been used in humans for a long time because of that. It doesn't affect dogs the same way.

I guess maybe that's a possibility?

[jdadd]

16. The ex and her dog....

Were both on prednisone....the vet was cheaper than the drugstore...looking back,I regret not filling the ex's prescriptions at the vet. :rofl:

[angstlessk]

4. Git fer yer dog..take it fer yerself..gonna happen doncha know!

this is the backdoor way to test humans...

[MADem]

9. They already tested it on people, it didn't pass muster

Cats can't take it either!!!

[progdonkey]

5. $1 - $2 a day?

You know, instead of spending an extra $30 a month to get your dog to stop eating the excess food around the house, why not save $50 a month by not buying all that food in the first place? It'll be better for both the dogs and the owners ("many of whom are overweight themselves").

[Ezlivin]

8. Correction: Drug is for fat bitches

That should make it clear what is the real application.

[BadgerKid]

10. "The safety of slentrol use in dogs has not been evaluated beyond 1 year."

(is that "1 year at a time"?)

Here's the PDF: http://www.pfizerah.com/slentrol

[MagickMuffin]

17. Is that in Dogs Years? ;-P

I don't see a problem here. So, it will only cost approximately $365 a year to keep puppup from eating like a pig. We can use all the money from our tax-cuts to pay for it. :sarcasm:

Well you know that the meth heads will be stealing fat dogs and taking them to the vet to get lil' puppup some pills. Since the feds cracked down on how much OTC cold medicine you can buy at a time, this will only encourage criminal behavior.

Ah well what ya gonna do?

First advertisement
Opening scene:

Owner tries to entice Fido to go out for his morning pee break. Fido can't budge from his favorite spot next to the fridge.
Fido can't muster the energy to get himself off the floor and out the door, so he just sits there and soils himself; or owner carries Fido outside only to have Fido not be able to hike his leg.
Voice Over:
Is your dog to fat to make it out the door in the mornings? Then your dear sweet doggie needs a new and innovated way to get him to respond. Just one Slentrol™ a day and Fido will be up and running again in no time.

Disclaimers: May cause your dog to become irritable, lashing out at people, or suicidal tendencies!

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

[paulk]

11. I've travelled quite a bit in third world countries

I can't tell you - how sick this makes me. Not just that we've got fat dogs - but that Pfizer would spend money developing

drugs to deal with such a "problem".

[NotGivingUp]

12. Stop the insanity...I want to get off!

[SmokingJacket]

13. Interesting that it's so cheap.

It costs just as much to make as a human drug -- it's only cheap because that's the most they figure people will pay.

I wonder why it doesn't work on humans... or if it does, but it's just too dangerous...

[Mend]

14. it worked but it had an unfortunate side effect: death

the last four Pfizer drugs in their pipeline have failed. They fired 40 % of their sales force, not the dopes whose ideas thought up these drugs.

[Timmy5835]

15. You want your dog to lose weight? Simple......

.....Don't feed him as much.