Would You Give Your Dog A Diet Pill?

Is your pooch getting pudgy? Pfizer just released the first FDA-approved prescription diet drug for dogs. You heard me right! Can you believe that? It's called "Slentrol."

ADVERSE REACTIONS:
The adverse reactions associated with treatment with SLENTROL include vomiting, loose stools/diarrhea, lethargy, and anorexia. These adverse reactions were mainly observed during the first month of treatment or during the week after a dose increase. Vomiting was usually mild in severity, of short duration, and resolved with continued SLENTROL treatment. The SLENTROL-treated dogs generally had an increased frequency and duration of vomiting and diarrhea compared to the control dogs. The control dogs received corn oil.

In addition to the adverse reactions listed above, there were other abnormal findings. Many control and SLENTROL-treated dogs had dental disease, abnormal skin and ear findings, and lameness/arthritis.

So, if you can put up with your dog puking and defecating all over the house, all you have to do is deal with a lethargic dog who might be anorexic, have dental disease, skin disease and arthritis/lameness. Not only will your pooch be slender but "sicker than a dog" should be.

Slentrol works by preventing your dog’s digestive tract from being able to absorb fat. It also makes them feel full. It works just like Glaxo-Smith-Klein's drug for humans that is called "Alli." By the way, if you or your dog take these pills, you will also block several fat-soluble nutrients that are vital to a healthy diet. Here are a few of them:

Coenzyme Q10
This nutrient is the major energy source for almost every cell in your body as well as your pet’s and the key to healthy function of all major organs, especially the heart, brain and liver. It is what gives muscles their energy and strength, including your heart. Depriving your muscles of CoQ10 can bring about a condition called rhabdomyolysis. This breakdown of muscle causes pain and inflammation.

Vitamin A
Prevents many skin disorders. Enhances the immune system - protects against colds, flu, and infection to kidney, bladder, and lungs. Maintains and repairs the mucous membranes (all tissue that interacts with air, such as lungs, throat and eyes).

Vitamin D
Supports bone and tooth formation, muscle function and thyroid gland function. Important in the prevention and treatment of breast and colon cancer, osteoarthritis and osteoporosis. Needed for strong bones.

Vitamin K
Important for blood coagulation and increased calcium absorption.

Vitamin E
A major antioxidant that is important in the prevention of cancer and cardiovascular disease. Promotes healthy skin and coat (hair). Improves blood circulation and blood pressure. Aids in healing and the formation of red blood cells.

The American medical system and the big pharmaceutical companies are notorious for giving you a pill to treat the symptoms (obesity) instead of focusing on the cause. Why is your dog fat in the first place? Is it because of a lack of drugs? How about taking a look at diet and exercise?

What Are You Feeding Your Dog?
Look at the ingredients on most commercial dog foods and you will find things like corn, rice, wheat, soy, beans—even peanut shells. Giving them food that contains a lot of grains will have the same effect that it has on humans: it produces an insulin spike, raises their blood sugar, and packs on the pounds.

Low Fat Dog Food?
Dogs have survived for thousands of years on a diet of mostly protein and fat. Fat doesn't make you fat. People lose weight on the Atkins diet every day and it includes plenty of healthy fats. The next time you go to a restaurant, take a pad of real butter (without the roll), put it in your mouthand swallow it. You will soon notice that your hunger is greatly diminished. Fat sends a message to your brain that you are full. When you feed your dog low-fat dog food, you could actually be making him/her fatter! Well-intentioned pet owners feeding Fido and Spot so-called “reduced calorie” specialty foods are actually giving them the exact opposite of what they need to stay fit and trim.

Here are some tips on feeding your dog:

If you feed your dog a commercial food, consider looking for one that has more protein (fish, lamb, chicken, beef) and less fillers.
Look for a food that contains less of the bad fats (corn oil) and more good fats (fish oil, omega 3's, flax seed oil, poultry oil). It’s the key to reducing heart disease, high blood pressure, ramping up HDL cholesterol levels (the “good” kind), and keeping their joints, eyesight, and immune systems strong and healthy. I’ll add a tablespoon of cod liver oil into my dog's bowl to make sure she’s getting plenty of omega-3.

• Feed your dog real meat like chicken, beef, lamb, fish and turkey.

• Cook your dog a few eggs every morning.

• Eliminate or restrict rice, corn, bread or potatoes from your dog's diet.

Exercise

I know that most dog owners are not home enough to be able to exercise their dogs as much as they should. But there are steps you can take to get them enough exercise. One is to hire a dog walker or have neighbors let their kids take your pet out to play under their supervision. You can also bring your dog with you on the go when you do errands. Even the extra walking is good for them. Extra walking would not hurt a pet owner either.