Weight loss jabs for cats and dogs: Are pets next in line for Ozempic and Mounjaro?

Pets could soon be following their owners in using revolutionary weight-loss drugs such as Mounjaro and Ozempic.

Scientists are developing and testing veterinary versions of the GLP-1 medicines for use on cats and dogs.

As part of a partnership between drug companies Okava and Vivani, early-stage clinical trials in cats found that small doses successfully reduced the animals’ calorie intake and body weight.

Plans have been announced for an implant that reproduces the effect in dogs – with the aim of bringing it to the market as soon as 2028.

It comes after a recent study estimated that around 60% of dogs and 39-52% of cats in the UK are deemed overweight.

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‘Pet owners shouldn’t rely on weight-loss drugs’

Vets have warned against the weight loss drugs – suggesting that owners would be better off avoiding obesity in their pets through more old-fashioned methods, such as exercise and restrictive diets.

Caroline Allen, the RSPCA’s chief veterinary officer, said: “A healthy diet and exercise are the best ways to keep our pets happy and well, but we understand that owners can sometimes struggle to manage their pets’ weight.

“There is currently little information about proposed weight-loss implants or vaccinations for animals, and owners shouldn’t rely on them becoming available.

“Before resorting to these sorts of interventions, owners should seek help from their vet about how to reduce their pet’s weight with a good diet and providing lots of opportunities to exercise and play in ways that their pet will enjoy.”

A severely overweight Welsh Corgi mixed breed dog with floppy ears standing outdoors Mary Swift via Adobe Stock

The active ingredient in Mounjaro is tirzepatide, and in Ozempic, it is semaglutide.

Both work by mimicking a hormone produced in the body called GLP-1, a substance released in the gut when people consume food.

This hormone regulates blood sugar and appetite, slowing the rate at which food is emptied from the stomach, ultimately leading people to feel fuller for longer and therefore less hungry.

While the human versions are administered by injections once a week – the pet drugs would be delivered via implants.

A trial of the drug Exenatide last year fitted five cats with an experimental subcutaneous implant, known as OKV-119, which released the weight-loss chemical into the blood for 84 days.

Analysis found four of five cats had a reduction in body mass of at least 5%.

Okava, a San Francisco-based biopharma company that specialises in pet health and is running trials desgined to mimic the effects of Ozempic, said using the drugs can help avoid “disrupting the human-animal bond”.

“Caloric restriction, or fasting, is one of the most well-established interventions for extending the lifespan and improving metabolic health in dogs,” said Okava CEO Michael Klotsman.

“But it is also one of the hardest to maintain.

“OKV-119 mimics many of the physiological effects of fasting—improved insulin sensitivity, reduced fat mass and more efficient energy metabolism—without requiring significant changes in feeding routines or disrupting the human-animal bond that often centres around food.”