'Wolverine' peptide warning as videos show 11 year old dog's before and after results

Experts have warned against the recent trend of injecting dogs with a 'rapid regeneration' peptide in the hope of

Dogs might be man's best friend but that doesn't mean that they should be involved in all your activities, especially when it comes to getting stronger in the gym.

Although some pet owners are reporting some impressive results after injecting their older dogs with the peptide BPC-157 as a way of improving their recovery and getting them moving, there is no real science to suggest that this is a good idea.

Viral videos online have depicted the difference in a dog's mobility after just a few weeks of the 'Wolverine' peptide but now experts are issuing a serious warning about why this shouldn't be done without speaking with a vet first, due to the lack of research around it.

Dogs might well be closer to Wolverine than most humans but while it might be heartbreaking to see them growing older and not running around like they used to do, it's also vital to understand that our dogs aren't 'lab rats'.

Speaking to Men's Health, Jamie Richardson, head of veterinary medicine at Small Door Veterinary, said: "Your dog is not a lab rat. Their metabolism and biology differ significantly from humans, and what works for a 'Wolverine' enthusiast might be toxic for a Golden Retriever."

Unsurprisingly, a lot of the positive chat about the peptide is coming from manosphere influencers, while Joe Rogan also credits the peptide for helping to clear up his elbow tendonitis, but it's unclear when or why pet owners started adding some of the peptide into their dog's diet.

Although some experts admit that it might have 'potential' when it comes to improving a dog's recovery after an injury, after one owner noticed following a dog's knee ligament tear, there simply isn't enough science to support these claims yet, and it could do more harm than good.

Andrew Bugbee, chief medical officer at Texas A&M University Small Animal Teaching Hospital, added: "The biggest concern is the lack of safety data. There are no long-term studies evaluating the safety of these supplements in dogs."

One paper on BPC-157 reported some success but included just six dogs, which obviously isn't enough to work as evidence for it being universally safe for all breeds of dogs.

"It only describes how their body handles and processes the supplement,” he explains. “Short-term side effects were not observed in this small population, and they did not evaluate if it actually worked for a specific condition or if it was safe for long-term use."

Richardson adopted the same attitude, saying: "While BPC-157 has shown some interesting results in laboratory rodent studies for tendon and soft tissue healing, there are zero peer-reviewed, long-term clinical trials on its safety or efficacy in dogs. Giving your dog a substance that has not been regulated or tested for their specific physiology carries risks of unpredictable side effects, including potential impacts on heart health, organ function, or even the acceleration of undetected tumours.”