has anyone seen this? A pill to help with obese dogs..........whatever next!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6406719.stm

rediculous isn't it?  I can maybe - maybe - see an application for dogs having real trouble shifting weight, such as those with hypothyroidism or other metabolic diseases, or possibly dogs struggling with weight due to injury or the like.

What worries me is that a lot of people might see this pill as an excuse not to put the effort in, or at least not to try as hard as they should.  Education would be a far better tool, teaching people about their dogs' needs re. exercise and appropriate diet.  A bit like people and Slimfast!

I've heard that it's only for use in healthy dogs, not ones with hypothyroidism etc - and it should be perfectly possible to get weight off an otherwise healthy dog without drugs. About as silly as that new implant to make dogs infertile for 6 months or something (not sure I would trust that apart from anything else!).

Pointless then!  And I read about that implant, it was in last week's new scientist.  Again I can see possible applications - but only with responsible breeders who want to prevent accidental litters, say, before a bitch is fully mature, or maybe for a dog that is medically unable to be neutered - anaesthetic allergy for example, and neutering is desirable perhaps from a behavioural point of view.  But then, what are the odds of both being true in one dog?