Don’t blame yourself if your labrador is lardy

It is in the breed’s genes to be constantly hungry, so owners just need to opt for healthier food, say experts

IT MAY not be all your fault if your labrador is fat, Cambridge scientists have found, as the breed is genetically predisposed to being hungry and is slow to lose weight.

Labradors are the UK’S most popular breed of dog and are admired for their temperament, trainability and loyalty. But, as owners know, if the UK’S top dog has one weakness it is a large appetite.

A study from the University of Cambridge focused on the gene POMC, which they previously discovered causes the breed to be “genetically hungry” and makes it hard for them to shed pounds.

New analysis found the gene, which is present in about a quarter of all labradors, makes them 25 per cent slower at burning off calories owing to a slow metabolism. The faulty POMC gene is also seen in two thirds of flat-coated retrievers, data show, and is linked to a heightened risk of obesity.

“Dogs with the POMC mutation experience hunger more acutely than others but even without that mutation many highly food-motivated dogs seem to think about food all day long,” Dr Eleanor Raffan, the study author, said.

“The basic message is to restrict food to maintain a healthy body shape, and drop their food if they are getting tubby.” The faulty gene alters a signal to the brain that triggers starvation impulses earlier than normal. Therefore, the dog feels hungry faster than those without the faulty gene.

Dr Raffan added that keeping dogs with the POMC mutation slim was “difficult, but can be done”. Breath analysis of the dogs revealed that animals with the mutation burned calories 25 per cent more slowly than normal.

The findings, published in Science Advances, come as vets are increasingly warning of an issue with pet obesity.

PDSA, the veterinary charity, said the pet obesity crisis needed “urgent attention”, with about half of UK pets being overweight – equating to around five million dogs and 4.7 million cats.

The charity claims titbits are a scourge for dog diets, because treats owners think are harmless can have a huge impact. For example, giving a small dog such as a Jack Russell a cube of cheese is the same as a human having 11 pancakes, with the extra 110 calories being almost a third of its recommended daily allowance.

A roast potato, if given to a large dog such as a German shepherd, is equivalent to a human having one and a half blueberry muffins, the charity says. Experts recommend swapping high-calorie treats for water-rich snacks.

Georgia Woods-lee, a canine nutrition expert at the University of Liverpool, believes courgette is an ideal treat. “Dogs don’t spend a whole lot of time tasting their food,” she said last year. “Courgettes are very high in water and very low in calories.”