With the news that a US biotech firm is trialling a dog-friendly version of Ozempic, dubbed “doggy Ozempic”, “Wagovy” or “Ozempup”, many people with food-obsessed dogs like mine will be eager to get it. Others will judge it as taking the whole weight-loss drug boom to ridiculous new levels, but they don’t understand what I go through daily with my golden retriever, Muggles.
Jabs for dogs are set to become the new norm as canine obesity hits a crisis point. Latest figures show that 50 per cent of British dogs are overweight, a 5 per cent increase from 2014, according to research by the trade body UK Pet Food.
The challenge for scientists is to find an alternative pet version of semaglutide and tirzepatide – the active ingredients in drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro that in humans mimic the GLP-1 hormone in our bodies that suppresses the appetite, controls blood sugar levels, increases feelings of fullness and slows digestion to help people lose weight.
But the good news is that Okava, a company in San Francisco that aims to produce it with Vivani Medical, might have come up with the goods. Its drug, OKV-119, contains a GLP-1 mimic called exenatide and would be delivered via an implant under the dog’s skin, lasting six months.
Okava claims its product could be on the market by 2028 or 2029. I can’t wait to get my hands on it for Muggles. But at this rate, he might be dead before it’s licensed.
I’m sure I’ll be criticised. People say it’s a pet owner’s fault if a dog is overweight, as we control their food intake – but clearly, they don’t know my dog. I’ve known for some time that he is an addict in the truest sense of the word, but I have been laughed at by vets telling me it’s just his breed, hyperthyroidism, or boredom.
I got him an appointment with a top animal psychotherapist a few years ago, who tried to help get him more focused on me, rather than the food, with the use of liver treats – and came to the conclusion that perhaps his excessive food obsession was partly a result of PTSD from my partner’s suicide, having been alone with him when it happened, and by being pushed down the hierarchy following the births of my children Lola, and Liberty, now seven and nine.
But I recognise the addictive behaviour, having myself suffered from alcoholism and gone into recovery 25 years ago. Muggles goes to extreme lengths for food – and nearly kills himself to get it.
It gets progressively worse – like addiction – and the thyroid meds prescribed by the vet, which could have explained his out-of-control hunger, haven’t made any difference. Nor did the “talking therapy” on Zoom. And unlike humans, he can’t go to AA.
It’s rock bottom for Muggles, and I need him on weight-loss drugs pronto. Excess weight can shorten a pet’s lifespan and reduce their quality of life. Muggles is already 11, and despite his worsening weight-related arthritis, meaning that he now runs out of parks much more slowly than before to retrieve bread he’s spotted earlier, that insatiable hunger still leads him to narrowly avoid being run over.
His pester power has reached new lows with a new manipulative trick, where he lies down on the pavement and won’t move unless I give him a treat. People think he’s unwell and accuse me of animal cruelty as I exasperatedly tug his lead and shout at him to get up.
I understand it; I ate with wild abandon through both of my pregnancies and stress ate while caring for my elderly dad. My cholesterol levels went dangerously high, and the GP said I needed to take action. Weight-loss drugs helped me shed two-and-a-half stone – and I’m hoping it can help Muggles too.
But worryingly, they could also change a dog’s behaviour and make them less joyful as their appetite is dampened. How will I feel if Muggles doesn’t come running to me, wagging his tail and badgering me for a treat when I come home? Do I want him as depressed as I was on the jabs, living on plant-based chocolate protein drinks to keep my protein intake high, and worrying about muscle wastage?
Okava’s chief executive, Michael Klotsman, is hopeful that dogs’ behavioural changes from OKV-119 won’t make them sad and ill. “What owners should expect to see is their pet eating appropriate portions without the previous food obsession – they’ll still eat regularly and show interest in meals, just without the excessive begging, scavenging or gulping behaviour,” he told The Guardian.
I do worry Muggles’s life won’t be worth living if I get him on weight-loss drugs, but for his sake, I’ll still be the first in line to try them out.
If you are in need of mental health support, you can call the free Samaritans helpline on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org or visit www.samaritans.org to find details of your nearest branch
