Why are Labradors more prone to obesity

Fat labradors may carry 'obesity gene'

Chubby labrador retrievers may be genetically predisposed to obesity, according to a new University of Cambridge study.

The dog which is the most popular breed in the UK is often considered to be "obsessed with food", say the researchers, which could be explained by the gene. Their research has been published in the journal Cell Metabolism.

310 pet and assistance labradors were weighed, assessed, and given a "body condition score". The team also "searched for variants of obesity-related genes" and assessed food-motivation via a diary kept by dog owners. And the research found that one particular gene POMC was associated with obesity in the labradors, with around one in four labradors thought to carry the gene. It affects how the brain regulates and recognises the feeling of hunger meaning the dogs may carry on eating when they're full.

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," said Eleanor Raffman, lead author of the research. "People who live with Labradors often say they are obsessed by food, and that would fit with what we know about this genetic change."

The team says the research may also have an impact on our understanding of human obesity. "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," said Stephen O'Rahilly, who also worked on the research.

Obesity in dogs can cause diabetes, heart disease, cancer and a reduced lifespan.

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This article was originally published by WIRED UK

Why Are Labradors Prone to Obesity? (2024)

According to a recent survey, a whopping 56% of American dogs are overweight or obese. That equates to approximately 50 million dogs with a weight issue.

Surprisingly, according to the same survey, only 15% of dog owners routinely weigh their pet every month, even when dealing with obesity issues. Perhaps even more shocking, by the age of 6 months, 21% of dogs are already overweight, setting themselves up for a lifelong battle against the bulge.

For nearly 30 years, Labrador Retrievers have topped the popularity charts, but theyre also one of the most likely breeds to struggle with their weight. Lets find out why.

Why are Labradors prone to obesity? In addition to lifestyle-related causes, a variant of a gene that regulates a feeling of fullness after a meal is found in approximately one-fourth of Labradors. This variant causes affected Labs to still feel hungry even after eating and is directly associated with obesity.

Obesity can have a devastating impact on your Labs health. Knowledge is power, right? So lets jump right in and take a closer look at this common Labrador issue.

Why Are So Many Labradors Overweight or Obese?

Gulping down entire meals without chewing and then begging for more, constantly scavenging for a free meal, being obsessed with food, and rummaging through the garbage for a tasty morsel. These are all very common Labrador behaviors.

If youve noticed that your Lab seems to be hungry all of the time and is becoming larger by the day, youre not alone. Most Labs are incredibly food motivated and can easily grow too heavy.

Generally, when a dog is 15% or more over the ideal weight for his breed and sex, he is considered overweight, but once he surpasses 30%, he is obese. Both of these conditions can occur when the amount of energy (in the form of food) consumed is greater than the amount of energy expended.

So why do Labs seem to struggle more with this issue than other breeds? Well, new-found scientific evidence suggests the answer might be genetic.

A gene called pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC), which has been found to be linked to appetite, weight, and satisfaction after eating, lacks 14 base pairs in about of all Labrador Retrievers (and Flat-Coated Retrievers too).

Scientists discovered that the more copies of this gene variant a dog has, the more likely the dog is to become overweight and obsessed with food. In fact, dogs with just one copy of this variant were on average 4 pounds heavier than normal.

This POMC variant compromises the dogs ability to feel full and satisfied after a meal, leaving him feeling hungry all of the time. This explains why so many Labradors are intensely food motivated (which does make training quite easy) and have a desire to eat that far exceeds their actual nutritional requirements leading to obesity.

Other Factors That Contribute to Labrador Obesity

Aside from genetic factors, Labs have several other factors working against them when it comes to maintaining an ideal weight.

Diet

Admittedly, its hard to say no to a Labs smiling face and imploring eyes when it comes to food, but overfeeding is one of the most prevalent contributors to fat Labs. In fact, just a few extra pieces of kibble every day can turn into several extra pounds of body fat over the course of a year.

Offering too large of meals isnt the only problem though, as feeding snacks, dog bones, and tidbits of people food throughout the day can quickly equate to added weight as well.

In addition to a lack of portion control, feeding the wrong kind of dog food can also lead to weight gain. Rich diets loaded with fat and excess calories or poor-quality kibble packed with empty calories can both enable your Lab to pack on extra pounds.

Sterilizing

When a dog is spayed or neutered, the consequent hormonal changes result in a slower metabolism and an increased appetite. If, after surgery, adjustments are not made to the dogs diet or exercise time, weight gain may occur easily, especially during the two years immediately following the procedure according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information.

Lifestyle

Another major contributor to Labrador weight gain is the fact that the vast majority of these active dogs are not routinely doing what they were bred to do. Remember, the Labrador was created to spend long hours working alongside Newfoundland fishermen in harsh conditions and frigid waters. Those working dogs had hearty appetites but quickly burned off extra calories each day through hard work.

Today, many Labs are not given the opportunity to exercise as they should. No long hours hunting and retrieving in the field, no days spent plunging into the water to bring back downed game. The result? Extra pounds accumulate.

Age

As dogs age, they tend to naturally slow down, just like people and will spend more and more time resting and sleeping as they ease into old age. Many owners find that this is the time when their once-trim Labrador becomes a little too hefty.

Health Conditions

Certain health issues, such as hypothyroidism or Cushings disease, can cause unexpected weight gain and lead to obesity if not properly treated. Before any weight-management program is started, a check-up by your veterinarian is recommended to rule out any underlying diseases or disorders.

How to Tell If Your Lab Is Overweight

Its a wise idea to evaluate your Labs weight once a month or so and it only takes a few moments to complete. Of course, you could bring him by your vets office to be weighed, but a visual check and quick feel of his bones can easily be done right at home.

View your Lab from directly overhead and from the side while he is standing up, and run your hands down his spine, over his ribcage, and across his rump, prodding gently with your fingertips for the rib, spine, and hip bones.

Signs of an overweight Labrador include:

• No noticeable indentation at the waist is present when viewed from above.
• Belly hangs down and there is no slight upward slant of the abdomen from the ribcage toward the hips.
• The rib and hip bones and the knobs of the backbone are difficult to find by gentle probing or cant be felt at all.
• Rolls of fat are present or dog appears bloated.

Dangers of Obesity

High blood pressure, joint issues, osteoarthritis, diabetes, kidney disease, respiratory troubles, heart disease, cancer, and a general decreased quality of life are all associated with obesity. Sound familiar? These same dangers plague people struggling with obesity as well.

How to Help Your Overweight Lab Lose Weight

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, but if your Lab is already on the pudgy side, you need to take action now.

The first step in reducing your Labs weight should be a trip to the vet to ensure that there arent any major health issues to deal with first. While there, ask your vet to calculate the correct amount of daily calories your dog should be eating so that you can make adjustments right away.

Also ask about replacing a portion of his regular meals with an equal amount of canned green beans to decrease calorie consumption or switching to a kibble formulated for weight management.

In place of his usual snacks, offer only healthy treats like a baby carrot, a few blueberries, or an apple slice, and practice tough love when he looks at you like hes starving.

Gradually increasing the amount of your Labs daily exercise is key to shedding extra weight. Dont just teach him to walk on a treadmill (although you can), but make each exercise session a fun bonding opportunity.

Dinnertime can also be used to increase physical activity if instead of placing his food in a bowl, you hide it within a snuffle mat or make a trail of kibble winding through your backyard.

These activities will get him moving, slow his eating down so his tummy has a chance to realize that its full and will provide mental stimulation.

Last update on 2024-04-26 at 03:24 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Much more fixated on the sausage: study sheds light on obesity in labradors

When it comes to greedy canines, labradors take the biscuit. Now researchers have shed light on why the breed is prone to a portly form.

Scientists previously revealed a mutation in a gene called POMC (proopiomelanocortin) predisposes dogs to obesity. The genetic variant is found in about a quarter of labrador retrievers and two-thirds of flat-coated retrievers, with the effect slightly larger in the former.

Now two explanations have emerged for the association: not only are dogs with the mutation hungrier between meals, but they burn fewer calories when at rest.

It means that these dogs have a double whammy, said Dr Eleanor Raffan, of the University of Cambridge, who led the study.

But canine obesity is not a fait accompli.

What we know is that there [are] loads of owners who manage their dogs really carefully, and do manage to keep them slim but they do it by putting a lot of effort in, Raffan said.

Writing in the journal Science Advances, Raffan and colleagues describe how their first test involved 36 adult labradors that carried either one copy of the POMC mutation, two copies, or did not have the mutation at all.

The dogs, which were all on a standard diet, were given breakfast and three hours later shown a transparent box with a perforated lid into which a researcher placed a sausage. The dogs were then allowed to approach the box.

The researchers found dogs with the POMC mutation spent far less time resting or exploring the room, and more time attempting to get at the morsel, than those without.

The dogs with the mutation were just much more fixated on the sausage, said Raffan, adding that it suggested they were hungrier.

However, a subsequent test with 24 labradors with either one or no copies of the mutation highlighted this was not because they felt less full straight after eating: regardless of their genetics, the dogs voluntarily consumed a similarly enormous quantity of wet dog food about 2kg on average when offered a can every 20 minutes.

The team also analysed the calories burned by 19 adult flat-coated retrievers when at rest by measuring their oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production in a specially modified kennel.

The results revealed dogs with two copies of the mutation burned about 25% fewer calories than those with no copies enough, the researchers say, to significantly decrease how much food they required to maintain healthy body weight.

While the situation is more complex in humans, Raffan said the study was a powerful illustration of how genes could influence behaviour around food.

Its a message about the fact that obesity isnt a choice, she said. Its a reflection of a background drive to eat, which is driven by a combination of your genes and your environment.