Thomas K. Graves is a professor of veterinary clinical medicine in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Illinois. His work in endocrinology and pharmacology led him to be a consultant on a new obesity drug for dogs, a prescription drug called Slentrol, manufactured by Pfizer. He was interviewed by News Bureau Life Sciences Editor Diana Yates.
How did you get involved in this study?
I've done a lot of work in endocrinology and internal medicine, and Pfizer asked me to be a part of a team of pharmacologists, endocrinologists, nutritionists and internists while they were developing this drug.
Do you think we need an obesity pill for dogs?
I can tell you that obesity is a really big problem in dogs. There is a part of me that thinks that a pill for obesity in dogs is a little bit absurd, because if you want a dog to lose weight, all you have to do is give him less food, right? But that's a difficult thing for people to do, because people love to feed animals. People love to feed dogs. And sometimes the teenagers are giving it pizza while the mother is trying to control its diet, so it's hard.
The consequences of obesity in dogs are really serious - everything from heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, skin disease and certain cancers have even been linked to obesity in dogs. It's a big problem and an enormous epidemic. So we do need a way to combat obesity in dogs and this medication seems to be one of the best tools that I've seen.
How big is the epidemic?
It depends. If you survey a large number of veterinarians about what percentage of their patients are obese, they'll tell you about 40 percent, which probably is pretty close to the percentage of people who are obese. Interestingly, if you survey pet owners about whether their dogs are obese, you'll get a number around 18 or 19 percent. Sometimes people don't realize that their pets are dangerously overweight.
You study diseases and conditions related to hormonal imbalances in dogs and cats. Has your research influenced veterinary practice?
I think so. I first described the renal consequences of treating thyroid disease in cats, which has become a really important part of feline practice. I developed some diagnostic tests for thyroid disease in cats. And I've done quite a bit of clinical work in diabetes and various endocrine diseases in dogs and cats.
Does your work ever have implications for human health?
Oh, absolutely. We're working on a new type of insulin therapy right now that we're developing along with private industry and researchers at other universities. It's being developed for people at the same time.
Diabetes is a disease that pets and humans share. And just as the incidence of diabetes in the human population is increasing, so is the incidence of diabetes in the pet population. The treatment strategies and the problems associated with treatment are exactly the same.
What is your advice for those with overweight cats or dogs?
My advice is to try a really well planned weight-loss program that they work out with their veterinarian. Because a successful weight loss program - just like with people - has to involve behavioral changes, environmental changes, changes in the pet owner's attitude, dietary changes and, in some cases, medication like Slentrol.
It's not a drug that's for every animal. It should be used only in animals that are healthy enough to take it, that don't have other conditions. It requires a lot of education. But it's extremely important that people address obesity in their pets because there are so many diseases associated with obesity.