New appetite stimulant for dogs | Dr. Justine Lee
Trying to get your dog to eat more? Trying to put weight on your dog? Is your dog not eating? If you have a chronically ill dog with any of the following medical conditions, read on!
- Chronic kidney (e.g., renal) failure
- Protein losing enteropathy
- Protein losing nephropathy
- Cancer
- End-stage liver disease
- End-stage cardiac disease
- Generalized malaise/illness
Thankfully, a “first of its kind’ new drug to by Aratana Therapeutics Inc, was just approved for release in the United States by the FDA. It will launch in February 2017.
Entyce, a flavored oral liquid, is a new appetite stimulant for dogs that works by mimicking the “hunger hormone” ghrelin. You can read the label for the drug here. The dose is 3 mg/kg (1.4 mg/pound). While side effects of this drug are rare (<1%), you can see them here below (Please call the 1-844 number below to report this if you do notice problems in your dog!).
According to the CEO of Aratana, millions of dogs suffer from a lack of appetite secondary to underlying illness (Sadly, the remaining dogs are really overweight or obese!).
While this drug won’t be released anytime soon, it may provide a great option for both veterinarians and pet owners to help entice appetite in dogs that are ill.
My vet gave me this for my golden retriever. I tried shooting into her mouth. She hates it, spits it out and fights me all the way. What do I do? Also your spring shooter is erratic and half the medicine leaks out before I can give it. My hands were so wet I lose the thing in my poor dog’s mouth and I was terrified he would swallow it. I think you need to do some extra work on this product.
It doesn’t taste good unfortunately. And very thick. I’ll pass the syringe info to the company!
I have contacted the company twice about thes sidkeningly sweet taste of Entyce. I hate giving it to my dog. He shakes all over when I shoot it in his mouth. But he needs it to stop losing weigh and to eat well.
This company did not seem one bit interested in my feedback about changing the taste to something dogs like, like meat, cheese, or peanut butter tastes. very disappointing. Dogs do not like vanila
I only give my Husky 1ML 3x a week and works amazing. You dont need to do the full dosage! Cut it in half!
I have tried this on my dog for a week now. Not working at all. I still can not get him to eat
It usually means something more serious is going on and vet recheck is really important!
Mix it with baby food
I agree, my dog hates the taste and the syringe is so thick that it’s difficult to squirt the solution into her mouth. It would be great if this could be in capsule form. Administering it is a nightmare.
My rescued 12 yr old Great Dane would vomit if I gave her the Entyce so I bought clear capsules from my vet and squirt the medicine in there and then put it in pill pockets or canned food . Worked well .
Terrible vanilla flavor – reminds me of what I had to drink prior to my colonoscopy!!!
OMG what a brilliant idea! I have been fighting with our GSD and its such a mess 1/2 of the medicine doesnt even get into her .. trying this next!
We gave this to our dog after she didn’t eat for 6 days due to vestibulococclear disease. It worked very quickly. I was very surprised. To administer the med efficently, it needs to be squirted on the inside of the cheek preferably from behind the dog–you can’t just squirt it in from the front, or it falls out. I was very grateful this medication worked as quickly as it did.
I put it in whipped cream and dog loved it. Not a very healthy solution, but it works. Unfortunately just ate a tiny bit.
Whatever works! That’s ok! Cheese spread or whip works too 🙂
I was prescribed this for my cat, who has a mass in his lung and stopped eating. He despises the flavor apparently because after syringe feeding him puree chicken i finished up with a bit of Entyce, and he went nuts. His tongue started moving uncontrollably and the fluid started to froth in his mouth. Obviously I stopped.
I’m so sorry to hear this. It tastes terrible and I wish they made it into a pill form.
I have contacted the company twice about thes sidkeningly sweet taste of Entyce. I hate giving it to my dog. He shakes all over when I shoot it in his mouth. But he needs it to stop losing weigh and to eat well.
This company did not seem one bit interested in my feedback about changing the taste to something dogs like, like meat, cheese, or peanut butter tastes. very disappointing. Dogs do not like vanila
I agree – not sure why it’s vanilla! 🙁
This drug (capromorelin) was FDA approved for use in kidney compromised cats in Oct ’20 for weight maintenance therapy – under the TM name “Elora”: https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/cvm-updates/fda-approves-elura-capromorelin-oral-solution-managing-weight-loss-cats-chronic-kidney-disease#:~:text=The%20U.S.%20Food%20and%20Drug,cats%20with%20chronic%20kidney%20disease.
Given the above commentary on its foul taste, I wonder if this new version is more palatable. Many reports on TheCatSite forum of Entyce used off-label with miserable results. The ‘Oracle’ of all-things-kidney-cat has this to say about Entyce (with a reference to you here, Dr.L): https://www.felinecrf.org/persuading_cat_to_eat.htm#capromorelin I suppose we’ll have to wait and see…………
Trying to give this to a german shepherd well impossible. Why cant you come out with a chewable tablet or just a tablet I can hide in a treat. The battle isnt worth the result
Gave this to my lab had surgery being very picky not eating. She absolutely HATES THE TASTE Shakes her head. Drools. Growls at me. Its Horrible.. Definitely need to redo this flavor. Dogs hate it. It’s bitter. I got some on my hand and brushed my mouth I damb near puked. Its Horrible… still waiting for it to work…
Not a Goid product if Dogs absolutely hate it. Sounds like company missed the mark on this..