There’s no question that peptides are having a moment. Social media is awash with influencers sharing the purported benefits of injecting synthetic peptides — from building bigger muscles and anti-aging properties to healing wounds or making your skin glow. A study published this summer in the Journal of the American Medical Association found over 130,000 peptide-related hashtags on Instagram and 230 million TikTok views of peptide content as of May 2026.

With the rise of the popularity of peptides for humans, it’s unsurprising that people are starting to give them to their pets — and also “a little bit concerning” since there’s so little research into unregulated peptides, according to Dana Varble, DVM , chief veterinary officer at the North American Veterinary Community (NAVC).

“It’s so easy to get wrapped up in these trends, especially when it comes to our pets because we have such a strong emotional bond with our pets,” she said. “So it’s not surprising to me at all that people are looking for any way that they could extend the time they have with their pets and to improve the quality of their pet’s life.”

“Peptides are this class of biochemicals that are just kind of mini proteins, if you will,” Varble said. “It’s made up of the same amino acids that make up larger molecules that are proteins, but we tend to classify these in a different group — but there’s no solid line, like what’s a peptide, what’s a protein? It’s sort of this gray area where smaller groups of amino acids are classified as peptides and larger groups of amino acids are proteins. So peptides are just part of our biology.”

While the online discourse about synthetic peptides largely centers around experimental peptides that haven’t been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) — which sent warning letters to several companies marketing unapproved peptides in August — Varble noted that proven medications like insulin, hormonal supplements like oxytocin and vasopressin are FDA-approved peptides. Even GLP-1 weight loss medications are peptides.

“There are peptides out there that are FDA approved,” she said. “We just don’t think of them as peptides. We think of them as medications.”

Are Peptides Safe And Effective For Pets?

There is a need for research into the safety and efficacy of non-FDA approved peptides for dogs and cats according to Varble, whose beloved pets include a mastiff mix named Denali, four snakes named Phil, Hickok, Saffron and Rocky, and a giant gecko named Haka.

“The studies are very, very rudimentary so far,” she said. “Some of the peptides that are being marketed to pet owners have barely even gone through safety studies. So we have injectable and oral medication peptides out there that OK, we found some really interesting studies in mice about joint healing and inflammation and longevity, but they’re really basic studies. All they’ve basically told us is there’s some biological activity.”

There’s still a major question about whether the peptides are really doing anything, since there’s a placebo effect even in laboratory animals like mice — and whether they’re safe or can cause side effects.

Additionally, it’s important to investigate proper dosages.

“I think this is really the biggest concern I have right now. Maybe they’re safe. We’re not sure if they’re effective. Doses matter. Look at insulin, a peptide. If you give too little, it doesn’t work at all. If you give too much, blood sugar can crash and we can see seizures in an emergency event.”

So Varble hopes to see large scale, peer-reviewed studies into the safety and efficacy of peptides for pets. In the meantime, she doesn’t want people who can’t afford to buy experimental peptides for their pets to feel guilty. In fact, she noted there are already proven ways to enhance and extend a dog or cat’s life, such as exercise, certain joint supplements and weight management.

One of her favorite studies found dogs fed 25% less food than their counterparts lived nearly two years longer .

“There’s nothing I can sell you today that will give you two years, but I can tell you to keep your dog in a lean body condition, and I can promise you that that will add time onto their life on average,” she said. “I love that because again, it’s not making me money. But it’s great advice, and it’s the perfect advice, and it is so hard to do, and it is so important.”

Still, there will be people looking for a magic bullet to help their dogs and cats live longer, so Varble stressed the importance of checking with a trusted veterinarian before giving your pet peptides or other experimental medications or supplements.

“I know there are some vets out there who are well-versed in alternative therapies and feel strongly about these. And if nothing else, your vet can help you stay safe,” she said. “We might not be able to recommend them right now because again, we don’t have that robust research body to say they’re effective. But from a safety standpoint, we can make sure that you’re getting things from licensed pharmacies. We can certainly help make sure that we’re addressing any interactions between medications or interactions between medications and health conditions that your pets may develop through time.”

Ultimately, she looks forward to robust research that will help veterinarians and pet owners know whether peptides for dogs and cats are safe and effective.

“What’s interesting is when something makes a marketing splash, which peptides certainly have, we’re more likely to get some follow-up results even if they’re not promising,” she said. “So I’m really hopeful we’ll find some answers there.”