a day ago
Ozempic for DOGS: Scientists are testing an implant for fat pooches that mimics weight-loss drugs taken by humans
Weight-loss drugs like Ozempic have already helped hundreds of thousands of humans to slim down.
Now, scientists want to develop drugs that could help dogs ditch their puppy fat.
One biotech firm has now announced trials for an implant that mimics the effects of Ozempic's active ingredient in dogs.
Okava, one of the companies involved in the trial, says their doggy-Ozempic could be on the market as soon as 2028.
The drugs Ozempic and Wegovy contain a chemical called semaglutide, which is a class of medication known as a 'GLP-1 receptor agonist'.
This means that it mimics the GLP-1 hormone in our bodies and suppresses the appetite by controlling blood sugar levels, helping people lose weight.
While these exact chemicals don't work in dogs, biotech firms are looking to find alternatives which reproduce the same effects, known as 'GLP-1 mimics'.
Scientists say these drugs could help prevent pooches' begging behaviour, which owners find so hard to resist.
Just like in humans, obesity in pets can lead to a range of related health conditions and exacerbate underlying illnesses.
For example, overweight dogs are at a higher risk of arthritis, heart disease, breathing issues, and cancer.
However, obesity among dogs is at what some vets consider 'crisis' levels, with over half of all dogs being considered overweight according to research by the trade body UK Pet Food.
In order to tackle this growing problem, some biotech firms are now looking for potential chemical interventions.
Okava has partnered with the biotech firm Vivani Medical to produce a long-lasting implant that could help both dogs and cats lose weight.
Roughly the size of a standard tracking chip, the implant would be delivered once every six months and sit below the skin to release a steady supply of weight-loss drugs.
Instead of using semaglutide, this implant would use an alternative GLP-1 mimic called OKV-119, which has been found to be safe in cats.
The company is currently planning trials in dogs and plans to release the implant commercially sometime in either 2028 or 2029.
According to the company, this should reduce the food-obsessive behaviours that lead to humans overfeeding their pets.
For some vets and owners, this treatment could be an extremely valuable option to help tackle persistent obesity in dogs.
Professor Alex German, a dog obesity expert from the University of Liverpool, told Daily Mail: 'Having an alternative approach, such as drugs, could be useful for clinicians on the ground to have an extra option.'
Although feeding habits and training play a big role in putting on excess weight, Dr German says that obesity is a far more complex condition than most people realise.
Dr German says that his clinic constantly deals with pet owners who are 'desperate to help their pets, but they face a major challenge.'
The current approach to treating pet obesity involves a 'therapeutic diet' which restricts calorie intake while keeping nutrient levels appropriate.
However, Dr German says that this is a 'massive years-long, often life-long challenge' that doesn't always work for every dog.
'There's a massive genetic component that drives the animal to be hungry all the time,' says Dr German.
If GLP-1 mimics are proven to be effective, they could be a useful alternative or supplement to therapeutic diets.
However, Dr German warns that these treatments could cause behavioural side-effects that some users might not like.
A weight-loss drug for dogs named Slentrol was launched in 2007, which worked by suppressing the appetite.
However, the drug failed to perform well on the market and was eventually discontinued, partially because owners didn't like how their dogs began to act.
Dr German says: 'Normally, the dog would be waiting at the door to greet them; delighted, happy, wagging their tail.
'But, because they weren't hungry, some of that behaviour and interaction with the owner changed - the suppression of the appetite was something that was seen as a negative by the owners.'
If GLP-1 mimics are going to be successful this time around, Dr German says owners will likely need counselling and support to ensure they understand any potential behaviour changes.
However, some vets are not convinced that GLP-1 mimics are necessary for treating obesity in pets, even if the drugs do work.
Dogs often become obese due to what vets call 'pester power', meaning they are better at begging for food than their owners are at saying no.
Combined with insufficient exercise, old age, or neutering, pets can quickly gain excess weight.
That means if your pooch is starting to pile on the pounds, a stricter diet and more exercise are the best place to start.
Dr Helen Zomer, of the University of Florida, told Daily Mail: 'We don't have definitive answers whether it would be a good solution or potential consequences.
'Controlled caloric intake through balanced diets and physical activity remains the best solution right now.'
Overweight people are more than twice as likely to have overweight dogs, a 2019 study found.
The team of Danish study authors said this is at least partly because they are guilty of feeding their pets fattening treats.
Writing in their study the authors claim this lends credence to the saying 'like owner, like dog'.
'The prevalence of heavy or obese dogs is more than twice as large among overweight or obese owners (35 per cent) than among owners who are slim or of a normal weight (14 per cent),' the researchers from the University of Copenhagen said.
Of the 268 dogs studied, 20 per cent were found to be overweight.
Average–weight owners tend to use treats for training purposes while overweight owners prefer to provide treats far more often.
The study's main author, Charlotte Bjornvad, said: 'For example, when a person is relaxing on the couch and shares the last bites of a sandwich or a cookie with their dog.'
