Nearly half of all dogs in the UK are overweight. To improve canine health, pet food startup Omni has introduced a vegan weight-loss supplement inspired by Ozempic.
UK climate-smart dog food brand Omni Pet has announced LeanPaws, an animal-free weight-loss supplement to tackle canine obesity.
The product is designed to mimic the effects of the GLP-1 hormone, the same peptide targeted by human weight-loss medications like Ozempic and Wegovy. Produced in the gut, GLP-1 regulates blood sugar, fulfils the appetite, and manages weight by reducing the pleasure response to fatty foods.
LeanPaws is described as a “natural”, drug-free supplement designed for dogs. In the UK, 46% of canines are overweight, raising the risk of arthritis, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Omni’s solution leverages a patent-pending blend of amino acids and probiotics to replicate the impact of Ozempic, but without the prescriptions, side effects, or diet compatibility issues.
The product is set to launch in 2026, and with results backed by scientific research, it is already attracting interest from veterinary retailers, according to Omni.
Omni’s LeanPaws lowers weight in 77% of dogs analysed
Excess weight can cause a range of ailments in dogs, from joint pain to reduced energy. These pets often suffer from lower mobility and poorer quality of life, and can be at greater risk of premature death.
It’s why pet expenditure is rising in the UK. One estimate suggests that Brits spent 76% more on pets last year compared to 2019.
“Obesity in pets not only predisposes to painful chronic disease like arthritis and diabetes, but like in humans, extra weight can also curtail lifespans,” said Guy Sandelowsky, a veterinarian and co-founder of Omni.
“As a vet, I saw thousands of obese dogs, the solution should have been simple – more exercise, and less food, right? The reality is that many people struggle to feed their pets less, as this is how they bond with them, and extra steps for heavy pets with joint pain [are] often not a viable option,” he explained.
This is where LeanPaws comes in. It has been under development for two years now, and contains fibres and resistant starches that mirror GLP-1 effects, as well as prebiotics and probiotics for optimal fat metabolism.
To prove the efficacy of the supplement, Omni conducted a placebo-controlled trial with vets in Norway. To ensure unbiased reporting, owners were not told whether their dogs were given the supplement or the placebo.
In the trial, 77% of overweight dogs who took LeanPaws shed some pounds with virtually no side effects. Additionally, 63% saw reductions in clinically assessed body fat composition, and 42% expressed fewer begging behaviours (in other words, they felt more satiated).
Dragons’ Den success propels Omni sales in big year for alternative pet food
According to Sandelowsky, the dogs were a “broad mix of ages, breeds and sex” and ate various commonly fed diets. “Crucially, other than adding the powder supplement to their usual meals, owners were not required to make any major changes to their feeding and exercise regimes to achieve these results,” he said.
Now, Omni is working with the School of Veterinary Medicine and Science at the University of Nottingham to co-author a scientific paper, whose findings will be presented at a major veterinary conference later this year. Ahead of next year’s launch, it’s considering a waitlist-style business model for LeanPaws, inspired by premium human supplements like Lyma.
It comes as pet nutrition becomes an increasingly lucrative market, with research forecasting a near-125% increase in this market’s value over the next decade. For six in 10 Brits, their pets’ wellbeing is more important than their own.
LeanPaws touches on pet owners’ three biggest concerns about their furry friends: longevity (31%), joint health or mobility (19%), and gut health (18%). While these findings were from a US-based survey, they underscore the need for fibre-packed weight-loss supplements for dogs.
The launch was first teased during Sandelowsky and co-founder Shiv Sivakumar’s appearance on UK TV show Dragons’ Den, where they earned a £75,000 investment from Deborah Meaden and Steven Bartlett. Following the episode’s airing in February, Omni saw sales shoot up by 130% with 20,000 new customers in the ensuing three months.
The founders are targeting an exit in the next three to five years, with the hope of being acquired by a bigger pet food company for around £150M, they said on the show.
The news follows a recent study by Bond Pet Foods, which found that its precision-fermented chicken protein benefitted digestion, the intestine and gut microbiome, and faecal metabolites in dogs.
It’s been a big year for alternative pet food, with the UK becoming the first country where consumers could buy cultivated meat for their cats and dogs off the shelves, Germany’s Vegdog raising $10.2M after a 66% sales hike in 2024, and Singapore handing out its first cultivated meat approval for pet food.
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