Anyone used Slentrol the new diet Medicine for dogs?

poodleholic · 10-21-2009, 05:20 AM

A simple way to deal with this is to feed your dog a high protein, low carb, no-grain diet.

greensheep · 03-13-2010, 11:37 AM

Hi, I am a certified vet tech. I have four dogs, all skinny, except for one. She has had two cruxiate ligament surgeries, a year apart. That meant she could not exercise as she normally would, for over two years, either because of injury or because she was healing from the surgeries. I was worried about her weight gain. So my vet and I together decided she was a good candidate for Slentrol.

Well, I would do it again in a heartbeat! It curbed her appetite, and it also works to discourage the intestine from absorbing the fats that it normally would during digestion. Her weight just melted off.

I don't think it is for every dog. But when strict diet and increased exercise are NOT an option, it is a great aid.

A word of caution - don't do a BARF diet or other fad diet with a dog who has a history of any kidney problems. You could end up with serious health issues or even permanent damage. Other people here recommend various high protein diets - again, a diet abnormally high in protein (for a dog, cat's are different!) is NOT a good thing for kidneys. These diets are fads, and people are making money off them. They aren't based on sound science, for the most part (I know, I've done extensive research on them from a medical veiwpoint).

Do go ahead with the cruxiate surgery too - I'm sure your vet told you there is a more than 50% chance your dog will blow the other cruxiate too. And the surgery is expensive. But if your dog is young, and would normally be active, as mine was, it is totally worth it. She was 3 for the first, 4 for the second, and she is nine now and active and not in pain as she was.

ruthmaryhill · 03-17-2010, 04:12 PM

Yes! Slentrol along with rabies shots killed my 7 year old beagle. Too many chemicles at once. My vet stopped using it but made me pay their bill. We lost our best friend.

FilleBelle · 03-17-2010, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by greensheep

A word of caution - don't do a BARF diet or other fad diet with a dog who has a history of any kidney problems. You could end up with serious health issues or even permanent damage. Other people here recommend various high protein diets - again, a diet abnormally high in protein (for a dog, cat's are different!) is NOT a good thing for kidneys. These diets are fads, and people are making money off them. They aren't based on sound science, for the most part (I know, I've done extensive research on them from a medical veiwpoint).

And your research indicated that feeding raw meat to a carnivore is a fad, but feeding diet pills is a great idea? I would be very interested in seeing this research. Could you point me toward some of your sources?

greensheep · 03-17-2010, 07:50 PM

Good grief, I'm not here to argue with people, and I am not going to get into that kind of discussion. I am merely posting my experience, as someone with a veterinary background/degree and someone who has used Slentrol myself.

As for the beagle story - I am very sorry for your loss, but you have to realize that any dog, any time, can have an adverse reaction to a drug or vaccine - that does not mean most dogs will. Also, the individual dog's propensity to reaction depends upon what is going on with them physiologically at the time - which you and your vet may or may not be aware. For example, your vet may not be aware of a pre-existing allergy to specific drugs, or may not be aware of an underlying condition with heart or liver (some of which are not detected with tests). To blame Slentrol for your dog's death is just not accurate, from a scientific viewpoint, and I would ask you to be very careful about using your own isolated experience - tragic though it was - to scare everyone else off Slentrol. If you have lingering questions, I suggest you speak more at length to your vet about exactly why and how your dog died. Many dogs have vaccines while taking Slentrol, and your vet can clarify why for your particular dog, that was fatal.

The truth is - Slentrol can be very safe and very helpful for the right candidates. The woman who started the thread has a dog who may be an ideal candidate. Obesity is very dangerous for dogs, and Slentrol in helping to control that can be a real positive in health care and maintainance.

greensheep · 03-17-2010, 07:58 PM

Oh, forgot about the raw meat thing. . . I really don't want to get into an argument over that either. There is plenty of bad info out there on the internet. Also, it is not my responsibility to do your research. If you care to educate yourself, that is your responsibility.

What I can tell you, is based upon my experience, background and education, yes, raw feeding has many inherent problems at this point in time. That is why the vast majority of vets discourage it. Some of these may be parasites, inadequate nutritional additives, and high calories. Not to mention exhorbitant cost.

I believe personally that it is a fad because 1)it is simply not based on good science at this point in time, but more on pseudo-science originating from people who have a vested interest in selling the idea to make money, and 2) I have personally been involved in the treatment of too many dogs suffering from malnutrition because their owners had them on such a diet.

In the future, raw diets may make more sense and may be more nutritionally and scientifically sound in their formulation, but at this point, the basic reason why you would choose to feed your dog such a diet over a premium kibble which is higher in nutrition, less prone to spoilage, and has zero chance of parasitical transfer - is beyond me. So, I call it a fad.

FilleBelle · 03-17-2010, 11:00 PM

This is the second time in as many months that I have asked someone on this forum to point me toward the sources they used to do research and they have told me they won't do it. What's up with that? You said you'd done research already...why would I search for your sources when you could just tell me what they are? I'm interesting in gaining some actual knowledge on the subject. Why keep it from me?