Injectable peptides for dogs: what owners should know first
Injectable peptides for dogs such as BPC-157 and TB-500 are research-use compounds given under the skin by weight band after a talk with your vet.
Injectable peptides for dogs are short chains of amino acids given as a small injection under the skin. The ones owners ask about are BPC-157, TB-500, GHK-Cu, MOTS-c, AOD-9604 and epitalon. Each has been studied for tissue repair, skin, metabolism or aging in rats, mice, beagles or human cells. None has a controlled trial in pet dogs. They are sold as research-use products and are not FDA-approved drugs. The sensible order is to talk to your veterinarian, pick one peptide for one goal, dose by weight band, and keep notes.
The veterinarian first
A peptide does not replace a diagnosis. A limp can be a cruciate tear, arthritis, a disc problem or an infected nail bed, and each calls for a different plan. Before you order anything:
- Book an exam and get a name for the problem.
- Ask how the peptide fits with current drugs, especially steroids, NSAIDs, insulin and chemotherapy.
- Mention any cancer history. Several of these peptides act on cell growth and repair pathways in the lab.
- Agree on what you will measure, such as stair climbing, shedding or weight, and when you will stop if nothing changes.
The vet holds your dog's bloodwork and history. That is the context a peptide decision needs.
What is an injectable peptide?
A peptide is a chain of amino acids, shorter than a protein. Most peptides break down in the stomach, which is why the tendon, muscle and metabolism research used injections. In dogs the injection goes into the loose skin over the shoulders or flank, the way insulin is given.
The one dog-specific study we found is a pharmacokinetic study in beagles, published in Frontiers in Pharmacology in 2022. The authors gave BPC-157 by intramuscular injection at three dose levels and repeated one dose daily for seven days. Absorption was fast, roughly half the dose reached the blood, and the half-life was under 30 minutes. The authors reported no visible signs of toxicity. The study measured absorption and clearance. It did not test any condition, and it used intramuscular rather than subcutaneous injection.
The peptides owners ask about
| Peptide | Canitide cartridge | Studied for | Models in the research |
|---|---|---|---|
| BPC-157 | REPAIR | Tendon, ligament, muscle and gut repair | Transected rat Achilles tendon; rat tendon cells; beagle pharmacokinetics |
| TB-500 | REPAIR | Skin wound closure and cell migration | Rat full-thickness skin wounds; mouse burns; human ulcer trials of full-length thymosin beta-4 |
| GHK-Cu | COAT | Collagen production and skin repair | Human skin cells; wound studies in rabbits, rats, mice, pigs and dogs; human facial studies |
| MOTS-c | VITAL | Metabolism and insulin sensitivity | Mice on normal and high-fat diets |
| AOD-9604 | LEAN | Fat metabolism | Obese mice and receptor knockout mice |
| Epitalon | LONG | Aging markers and telomere length | Female SHR mice; human cell lines |
A few details from those studies change how you read the table.
- BPC-157 was given to rats with a surgically cut Achilles tendon. Over 14 days the treated tendons scored higher on load and function than controls. In a dish, it kept rat tendon cells growing when a growth inhibitor was added.
- TB-500 is a short synthetic fragment of thymosin beta-4. The research reviewed here used the full-length protein. In a 1999 rat study, thymosin beta-4 applied to full-thickness skin wounds, or injected, closed them faster than saline. Human phase II trials of the full protein have been run in pressure and venous ulcers.
- GHK-Cu occurs naturally in human fluids and declines with age. A 2015 review covers its effects on collagen and wound repair in human skin cells, in several animal species including dogs, and in human facial studies.
- MOTS-c is encoded by mitochondrial DNA. In mice on a high-fat diet, treatment prevented diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance.
- AOD-9604 is a fragment of human growth hormone. Obese mice injected for 14 days lost weight and body fat.
- Epitalon was injected into female SHR mice for five days each month from three months of age until death. Mean lifespan did not change. The longest-lived tenth of the group lived longer, chromosome damage was lower, and leukemia was less common. In human cell lines studied in 2025, epitalon lengthened telomeres.
None of these is a dog trial. The step from rat tendon or mouse metabolism to a Labrador with a sore hip is an inference, not a result.
Doses by weight band
Canitide cartridges fit a dial-dose pen. One pen unit is 0.01 mL. Doses are set by weight band, and the band numbers come from the mg/kg ranges used in the animal research, scaled to a dog's size. Treat them as starting points to discuss with your vet, not prescriptions.
| Cartridge | Under 20 lb | 20 to 50 lb | 50 to 90 lb | 90 lb and up | Schedule |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| REPAIR (BPC-157 + TB-500) | 6 units | 9 units | 12 units | 15 units | One dose, five days a week |
| COAT (GHK-Cu) | 4 units | 6 units | 8 units | 10 units | Daily |
| VITAL (MOTS-c) | 10 units | 15 units | 20 units | 25 units | Three times a week |
| LEAN (AOD-9604) | 4 units | 6 units | 8 units | 10 units | Daily, before food |
| LONG (epitalon) | 15 units | 20 units | 25 units | 30 units | Daily for ten days, twice a year |
The full tables with notes on each cartridge are on the dosing page. The pen is described on the pen page.
How do owners give the injection?
- Wash your hands and let the cartridge warm in your palm for a minute.
- Attach a fresh needle and dial the units for your dog's band.
- Lift a tent of skin between the shoulder blades or over the flank.
- Slide the needle into the base of the tent at a shallow angle, press the button, and hold for a few seconds before withdrawing.
- Rotate sites from day to day.
- Cap the pen and return it to the refrigerator.
If your dog dislikes handling, ask your vet or a technician to show you once in person.
Signs to watch for
- A bump or redness at the site that lasts more than a day.
- A change in appetite, thirst or energy.
- Vomiting or loose stool.
- With VITAL or LEAN, shakiness or unusual hunger. Both were studied for effects on blood sugar and fat in mice, so a diabetic dog needs vet input before starting.
- With LONG, any new lump. Epitalon acts on cell growth pathways and there is no long-term canine data.
Stop and call your vet if any of these persist. Keep a log with the date, the dose, and one line on how the dog moved, ate and slept.
Injectable or oral?
Not every peptide needs a needle. Canitide GUT is a capsule that pairs oral BPC-157 arginate with KPV, the last three amino acids of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone. In a 2008 study, KPV in drinking water reduced colitis in two mouse models and reduced inflammatory signaling in human intestinal cell lines. The dose is one capsule a day for dogs under 20 lb and two a day for larger dogs.
The research pattern is the guide. Tendon, skin, metabolism and aging studies used injections, so REPAIR, COAT, VITAL, LEAN and LONG are injectable. The gut study was oral, so GUT is a capsule.
Regulation and research status
The FDA keeps a list of bulk substances it has reviewed for human compounding. Its entry for BPC-157 says the agency has found no, or only limited, safety information for the proposed routes and lacks enough data to know whether the drug would cause harm in humans. No controlled canine trial has been published for any peptide on this page. That gap is why the veterinarian comes first, the dose stays in band, and the log matters.
Sources
- He L et al. Pharmacokinetics, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of body-protective compound 157 in rats and dogs. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 2022. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2022.1026182/full
- Staresinic M et al. Gastric pentadecapeptide BPC 157 accelerates healing of transected rat Achilles tendon and in vitro stimulates tendocytes growth. Journal of Orthopaedic Research, 2003. PubMed record: https://eutils.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/eutils/efetch.fcgi?db=pubmed&id=14554208&rettype=abstract&retmode=text
- Malinda KM et al. Thymosin beta4 accelerates wound healing. Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 1999. PubMed record: https://eutils.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/eutils/efetch.fcgi?db=pubmed&id=10469335&rettype=abstract&retmode=text
- Xing Y et al. Progress on the function and application of thymosin beta4. Frontiers in Endocrinology, 2021. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/endocrinology/articles/10.3389/fendo.2021.767785/full
- Pickart L et al. GHK peptide as a natural modulator of multiple cellular pathways in skin regeneration. BioMed Research International, 2015. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4508379/
- Lee C et al. The mitochondrial-derived peptide MOTS-c promotes metabolic homeostasis and reduces obesity and insulin resistance. Cell Metabolism, 2015. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4350682/
- Heffernan M et al. The effects of human GH and its lipolytic fragment (AOD9604) on lipid metabolism following chronic treatment in obese mice and beta3-AR knock-out mice. Endocrinology, 2001. https://academic.oup.com/endo/article/142/12/5182/2988749
- Anisimov VN et al. Effect of Epitalon on biomarkers of aging, life span and spontaneous tumor incidence in female Swiss-derived SHR mice. Biogerontology, 2003. PubMed record: https://eutils.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/eutils/efetch.fcgi?db=pubmed&id=14501183&rettype=abstract&retmode=text
- Al-dulaimi S et al. Epitalon increases telomere length in human cell lines through telomerase upregulation or ALT activity. Biogerontology, 2025. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12411320/
- Dalmasso G et al. PepT1-mediated tripeptide KPV uptake reduces intestinal inflammation. Gastroenterology, 2008. PubMed record: https://eutils.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/eutils/efetch.fcgi?db=pubmed&id=18061177&rettype=abstract&retmode=text
- FDA. Certain bulk drug substances for use in compounding that may present significant safety risks. Current as of April 22, 2026. https://www.fda.gov/drugs/human-drug-compounding/certain-bulk-drug-substances-use-compounding-may-present-significant-safety-risks
Canitide products are sold for research purposes and are not FDA-approved drugs. They are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Consult a licensed veterinarian before starting any protocol. Not for human use. Keep out of reach of children.