2025-08-19 16:00:56

Weight-loss jabs could soon be administered to cats and dogs.

Veterinary equivalents of drugs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro are being developed and tested by boffins and could be delivered to canines and felines via implants.

Early clinical trials in cats have revealed that small doses of the drug exenatide – which works similarly to the anti-obesity medication semaglutide – are effective when it comes to reducing the calorie intake and body weight of animals.

A trial last year fitted five moggies with an experimental implant known as OKV-119, which released the chemical into the animal’s blood for 84 days.

Analysis revealed that four of five cats had a reduction in body mass of at least five per cent.

The trial is now being extended to dogs in a partnership with drug companies Okava and Vivani and the medication could be available as early as 2028 should it be successful.

Michael Klotsman, the chief executive of Okava, told The Guardian newspaper: “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 excess begging, scavenging or gulping behaviour.”

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