Got a question about weight-loss dog foods, from an article

[Mary Plummer]

Good morning everyone,

What exactly is "L-carnitine", and how does it work? This NY Times article mentioned it being used in pet foods as a "metabolism booster." I get suspicious of such claims, and wonder, first, if it actually works to help pets lose weight and, second, whether or not there might be some dangers in messing around with a dog's metabolism. I guess maybe it's a case of "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn't." I'm not going to start Mr. Blue on this; I know the problem with his pudginess is ME, not his food.


http://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/30/busin ... &position=

[lmd]

I`ve used l-carnitine for myself for ten years. This is on the recommendation of my doctors for heart muscle health. It is an amino acid that helps in muscle metabolism. Not a danger in such moderated amounts, but is an aid to muscle development. As with anything an imbalance 100x to 10000 x intake could be a problem.

[Mary Plummer]

Thanks lmd; I think I'd want to check with our vets before trying this for Mr. Blue. What I really need to do is remember to give him a carrot piece for a treat more often