Yarvitan - The Weight Loss Wonder Drug?
Back in January 2007 possibly the fattest dog in the world came to the public's attention with pictures of Labrador Rusty Benton weighing in at incredible 74kg appearing in many of the newspapers.
Few people would argue that Rusty's quality of life was not seriously compromised; even walking a few feet exhausted him. Unsurprisingly the RSPCA were moved to prosecute the owners and rightly so many would agree.
This story should cause many owners to pause and reflect on the size of their own dog. Is it fat, heading towards obese? Studies show that canine obesity as with humans is an increasing problem. As of 2004 it was estimated that 40% of the dog population was overweight if not obese. This was up from 24% IN 1986.
Even if your dog is not a Rusty-sized animal the long-term health consequences of being overweight are very real and significantly affect the quality of your pet's life and undoubtedly shorten it.
Into this "growing" market comes Yarvitan, a drug produced by Jassen Animal Health - launched as the world's first anti-obesity treatment for dogs. Too good to be true? - we wondered. Well after reading the small print we are giving it a cautious welcome for present.
The treatment regime consists of the liquid drug given on food once daily for three weeks. Then no treatment for two weeks followed by a further three weeks of daily treatment. The manufacturers suggest that the majority of dogs will lose between 5 and 10% of their body weight during this time. This is achieved by the drug inhibiting fat absorption from the diet and reducing the dog's appetite by making it feel full.
For those hoping for a miracle drug which will just shrink your dog down to a racing whippet shape, sorry it's not that simple. To achieve this weight loss, the treatment needs to be part of an overall weight loss programme. This includes:
- Restricting your dog's diet to an appropriate maintenance level of food
- No tit-bits, scraps or treats
- Regular exercise
- Weekly check-ups monitor the weight loss.
Therein lies the stumbling block, even with Yarvitan the programme can still be sabotaged by poor compliance with the above.
Owners need also to be aware that as with any drug there can be side effects. Transient liver enzyme changes were reported while dogs were on treatment so pets with a known liver condition should not receive Yarvitan. Vomiting, diarrhoea and occasionally anorexia were the main other side effects reported.
Summary
Successful weight loss whether in dogs or humans relies on the motivation of an individual. In the case of our pets it's you the owner who has to make a diet work.
Special diets, weight loss drugs, exercise programmes, weekly weighing and motivating talks by veterinary staff won't make you pet lose weight and keep it thin on a long-term basis unless you are really determined to achieve it!
Almost all pets can and will lose weight on a prescription weight loss diet, and a change of lifestyle / eating habits without the use of any drugs.
So where does that leave Yarvitan? One realises in the real world that many owners have tried to diet their dogs with little or no success. In these cases it may be that the use of Yarvitan will provide that extra edge both therapeutically and psychologically to achieve real weight loss. Once an owner realises that weight reduction is possible, they can then build on that success.
Hopefully they will also be more receptive to implementing the life style changes that will give long-term weight control. If this is the case then undoubtedly Yarvitan will have a valuable place in the veterinary treatment of obesity.
If your pet is overweight then why not book an free appointment with one of our nurse clinics and get things moving. Call 020 8300 8111.
Related Links
Hiil's R/D Prescription Diet Food Info
Order Hill's R/D from our online shop
