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People Aren't the Only Ones Who Need Help with Weight Loss

Updated: 8/14/21 2:00 pmPublished: 8/31/07

In a world focused on the dire problem of human obesity and type 2 diabetes, it's good to know that someone's also looking out for… dogs. Yes, that's right. Pfizer Animal Health announced on June 12 that the FDA has approved Slentrol, the first prescription drug for the treatment of canine obesity in the United States. It seems that pets really are a reflection of their owners; Pfizer estimates that up to 25% to 40% of US dogs (about 17 million) are overweight or obese (that's actually a lower percentage than their owners). Not sure if your pudgy pup is at risk of heart disease? Check out Pfizer’s StopCanineObesity website which comes complete with a Body Assessment Rating for Canines or BARC calculator (think of it as the dog version of BMI), to help owners decide if their pets are overweight or obese. Time to pay a visit to the vet!

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