What is the fat gene in Labrador Retrievers

Fat Labrador

Its not unusual to see a fat Labrador. Our perspectives on healthy weights for dogs have been a little skewed in recent years as more pets hit the obesity marker on the scale. And Labradors are very prone to weight gain for genetic and hunger reasons!

Canine obesitycomes with a raft of accompanying health problems. Feeding your Labrador just the right amount can be a bit of a balancing act, but its one that you have a responsibility to try your best to achieve. Not all Labradors need the same amount of food, so you will need to pay attention to your individual dogs needs, and be prepared to change your habits if necessary.

Some dogslikeworking dogs for example, will need quite a lot more food in the winter than they do in the summer. This is down to the amount of exercise he is getting differing dramatically in the changing seasons. You need to adapt your feeding to suit these shifts.

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IsMy Labrador Fat?

It is really important that you keep your Labradors weight appropriate for his height and build, rather than following guidelines on food packets or in books too closely. The best way to tell is by eye and touch.

Have a look at your dog and compare him with the picture below of a healthy Labrador. Look at your dog from the side.

• Does his belly slope upwards towards his groin, or is it a level line from his front legs to his back, or even worse is it sagging down between his legs?
• Your Labrador should have an upward sloping line from the base of his chest, towards his back legs.
• Now look at the dog from above. Can you see a waist just in front of his hips? You should be able to! Your dog should not be the same width all the way down his body.
• Look at your dog from the side again. Can you see any ribs?
• You should not be able to see a labs ribs whilst he is standing still though you may well be able to see the last one or two when he is eating, drinking or bending and twisting.
• Run you hands along his rib cages firmly. Can you feel his ribs?

Ideally you should be able to just feel, but not see, your dogs ribs. If you can see ribs when he is standing still he is too thin. If you cannot feel his ribs at all with your hands he is too fat!

How Much Should My Labrador Weigh?

As we have seen above, the best way to tell if you have a fat Labrador is by looking and feeling. The trouble with providing you with a number is that it can give a false impression.

Depending upon whether your Lab is field or bench bred, short or tall, chunky or slight, male or female, will all make a big difference to their ideal weight for the individual.

The average adult Labrador will weigh anywhere between 55 to 80 lbs! Male Labs usually being around 5 to 10 lbs heavier than their female counterparts.

If you are still unsure whether your Lab is the right weight for his or her build having given her a thorough check yourself as described above, then the best thing to do is to pop down to your local veterinarian.

They will be happy to let you know how much your individual Labrador should weigh.

Why Is My Labrador Fat?

So how did your slim little puppy end up as a fat adult Labrador?

There are threecommonassumptions that people make when considering how theirdogs came to beoverweight.

Does the dog need more exercise? Has he got some kind of medical problem? Or am I just feeding him too much at mealtimes or giving too many snacks?

In general if your dog is overweight the real reason is simply that he has eaten too much. Or rather, been allowed to eat too much.

So lets have a look at how we can eliminate these other possibilities where most dogs are concerned.

Does my dog need more exercise?

People often say to me, my Lab is a bit overweight because he hasnt had much exercise lately.

Whilst exercise can help to keep your dog in shape as a part of their daily routine, it is not the critical factor when it comes to putting on weight.

He may well need more exercise, but that is not why he is fat.

He is overweight because when you take into account the amount he exercises along with a number of other factors, he has eaten too much.

The exercise needs of your dog are an important but separate issue, whichwe look at in other articles. The important thing to remember is this:

The less exercise you give the dog, the less you must feed him.

You cant be forever playing catch up with his weight, or hoping to spend more time walking him next week. Once put on, weight is hard to shift and it will simply go up and up over time.

You need to control it on a regular weekly/monthly basis, starting now.

Medical causes of canine obesity

Although most dogs who are overweight have simply had a few too many bites to eat, there are some medical causes for obesity which do crop up from time to time.

Canine medical conditions that can affect your Labs weight include hypothyroidism, insulinoma and hyperadrenocorticism.

If a medical condition is the reason then the weight gain will normally be sudden and unexpected.

If you are concerned by sudden weight gain in your Lab when you have not been giving him more food, then a checkup at the vets is definitely in order.

You may also find that your dog puts on weight after having been neutered. If this is the case you will need to adjust your feeding habitsaccordingly.

However, for most dogs weight gain is a simple result of over feeding.

My Labrador is always hungry

People are often concerned because they worry that their dog is still hungry after eating his dinner. Here is an important truth:

Most Labradors are always hungry.

You cannot win this battle. These are greedy dogs and your Labrador will always want more food than you give him. No matter how much that may be.

If your Labrador is overweight he really needs to eat less and he will get used to his new regime quite quickly.

Are Fat Labs Less Healthy?

If you have looked at your Labrador and decided he is overweight, you might be wondered whether that actually matters.

You still love him and he doesnt care what he looks like so why should you bother?

Is it really worth the effort of ignoring those puppy dog eyes and whines for extra food? Arent chubby Labs just even more cute and cuddly than their skinny friends?

Whilst its true that your dog has no interest in his outward appearance, he will be the one suffering on the inside if you allow him to get fat.

Slim dogsare healthier

Being overweight predisposes you to an awful lot of unpleasant health problems. This is true regardless of whether you are a human or a dog.

Carrying extra pounds can also make existing problems your dog may have worse. For example joint problems like arthritis and hip dysplasia can beexacerbated by having more weight to lug around.

As well as joints and bones suffering from obesity related issues, increased body fat can also make your dog more likely to have problems with their organs including those needed for breathing and digestion.

Scarily, in order for these risks to be increased your dog doesnt even have to be very over weight. Just a bit of extra fat can havea host of unwanted consequences.

Being a fat Lab puppy can potentially make your dog more likely to suffer from joint problems later in life.

Slim dogs live longer

Not only will a slim dog have a better level of fitness and a lower likelihood of becoming unwell, they will in all probability live longer too.

Purina PetCare carried out a lifetime study on 48 Labradors, where they were divided into two categories, one of which was given 25% more food than the other.

Those Labs on the largefood ration had a median lifespan of over 11 years old. Those on the smaller food ration lived to be over 13 years old.

When you look at the difference which can be made in these terms, by helping your Lab to stay slim you could be giving him an incredible two more years with you!

So, if you are going to help your Lab to lose weight lets have a look at the best way to go about it.

How to Reduce your Dogs Food

The first thing to cut out of your overweight dogs diet is any snacks or fillers that you give him in between meals. If he gets a lot of household scraps these may have to go too.

If you use food as rewards in dog training,this should be deducted from his daily food allowance.

It could also help to find healthier alternatives to your usual training treats.

Bear in mind that if your dog is unwell, old or very young, it is sensible to consult your vet before tampering with his diet. It is also a good idea to have a chat with them beforehand if your dog is very overweight and has a lot to lose.

Record your Dogs Weight Loss Progress

If your dog gets nothing to eat but a complete dog food then you can safely simply reduce the quantity you give him by about a third for three to four days.

Take a photo of him from above and from the side before you start.

At the end of the three to four days, check the dog over as described above and ask yourself if he is still fat.

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If you think he has improved a little but needs to slim down a bit further, keep going for another three to four days then review the situation.

Compare the photo you took a week ago and you should see some improvement.

Keep going until your dog has a waist again and you can feel his ribcage when you press firmly along his sides.

You may need to increase his food slightly in order to maintain his new slim figure and ensure he does not get thin.

If the dog is not losing weight after a couple of weeks on two-thirds of his previous food allowance, you may need to cut his food down even further.

This is a good point to check in with your vet, let him know what you are doing and get his opinion on cutting down further on the dogs daily food rations.

The Labrador Site Founder

Pippa Mattinson is the best selling author of The Happy Puppy Handbook, the Labrador Handbook, Choosing The Perfect Puppy, and Total Recall.

She is also the founder of the Gundog Trust and the Dogsnet Online Training Program

Pippa's online training courses were launched in 2019 and you can find the latest course dates on the Dogsnet website

Genetic variant may help explain why Labradors are prone to obesity

In developed countries, between one and two in three dogs (34-59%) is overweight, a condition associated with reduced lifespan, mobility problems, diabetes, cancer and heart disease, as it is in humans. In fact, the increase in levels of obesity in dogs mirrors that in humans, implicating factors such as reduced exercise and ready access to high calorie food factors. However, despite the fact that dog owners control their pets diet and exercise, some breeds of dog are more susceptible to obesity than others, suggesting the influence of genetic factors. Labradors are the most common breed of dog in the UK, USA and many other countries worldwide and the breed is known as being particularly obesity-prone.In a study published today in the journal Cell Metabolism, an international team led by researchers at the Wellcome Trust-Medical Research Council Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, report a study of 310 pet and assistance dog Labradors. Independent veterinary professionals weighed the dogs and assessed their body condition score, and the scientists searched for variants of three candidate obesity-related genes. The team also assessed food motivation using a questionnaire in which owners reported their dogs behavior related to food.The researchers found that a variant of one gene in particular, known as POMC, was strongly associated with weight, obesity and appetite in Labradors and flat coat retrievers. Around one in four (23%) Labradors is thought to carry at least one copy of the variant. In both breeds, for each copy of the gene carried, the dog was on average 1.9kg heavier, an effect size particularly notable given the extent to which owners, rather than the dogs themselves, control the amount of food and exercise their dogs receive.This is a common genetic variant in Labradors and has a significant effect on those dogs that carry it, so it is likely that this helps explain why Labradors are more prone to being overweight in comparison to other breeds, explains first author Dr Eleanor Raffan from the University of Cambridge. However, its not a straightforward picture as the variant is even more common among flat coat retrievers, a breed not previously flagged as being prone to obesity.The gene affected is known to be important in regulating how the brain recognises hunger and the feeling of being full after a meal. People who live with Labradors often say they are obsessed by food, and that would fit with what we know about this genetic change, says Dr Raffan.Senior co-author Dr Giles Yeo adds: Labradors make particularly successful working and pet dogs because they are loyal, intelligent and eager to please, but importantly, they are also relatively easy to train. Food is often used as a reward during training, and carrying this variant may make dogs more motivated to work for a titbit.But its a double-edged sword carrying the variant may make them more trainable, but it also makes them susceptible to obesity. This is something owners will need to be aware of so they can actively manage their dogs weight.The researchers believe that a better understanding of the mechanisms behind the POMC gene, which is also found in humans, might have implications for the health of both Labradors and human.Professor Stephen ORahilly, Co-Director of the Wellcome Trust-Medical Research Council Institute of Metabolic Science, says: Common genetic variants affecting the POMC gene are associated with human body weight and there are even some rare obese people who lack a very similar part of the POMC gene to the one that is missing in the dogs. So further research in these obese Labradors may not only help the wellbeing of companion animals but also have important lessons for human health.The research was funded by the Wellcome Trust, the Medical Research Council and the Dogs Trust.ReferenceRaffan, E et al. A deletion in the canine POMC gene is associated with weight and appetite in obesity prone Labrador retriever dogs. Cell Metabolism; 3 May 2016; DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2016.04.012