Diet pills for dogs?

I was having a hard time sleeping and turned on the TV at 4:00a.m. to watch some morning news. The news anchor announced a new diet pill for dogs with a picture of an extremely over weight beagle behind him and said that the pill should be approved by the FDA, Food and Drug Administration, by next year.

HELLO.......Get your lazy butt up off the couch and take the dog for a long walk every day. You know you might shed some pounds yourself. It is time we build some healthy relationships with our pets and give them the care and nutrition and exercise that they require to live a healthy life. With obesity rates rising in the U.S. in children, teens, adults and in pets, we should get a clue on our daily diet and exercise programs. For heaven sakes your dog can't open the fridge to feed itself unless it is the dog in the beer commercial who fetches his owner a beer. Fat-filled dog foods and treats can create exceptionally unhealthy pets that are subject to the same health complications as people with obesity and related complications. Supermarket shelves are filled with dog foods that claim to be natural dog food or healthy dog food. Read the ingredients in the fine print. So feed the dog a good quality food low in saturated fats and low in corn meals and other fillers and by products. Reduce the quantity of food every day if your dog is over weight. And a must is to give the dog some exercise. All dogs like to take walks. I think it is the owners that don't like to walk. Go out in the back yard and throw a ball or Frisbee. Give it healthy snacks and treats like a piece of carrot or a slice of apple or a piece of banana. Yes my dogs love these healthy treats.

In an extreme case if the dog has a major physical ailment that keeps it from walking and exercising, the pill might do some good. But you know the diet pills for humans can eventually create problems for our liver and heart so if that is the case for dogs also, we need to take a look at the quality of life here for that pet.