Scientists have discovered the reason why Labrador dogs can get so fat - and it’s all down to their genes.
Research at Cambridge University showed 23 per cent of the dogs, the most common breed in the UK, have a variant of a gene associated with overeating.
Their study, published in the journal Cell Metabolism, looked at 310 pet Labradors to examine whether they had variants of obesity-related genes. Owners of the dogs were also asked about their animal’s eating habits.
They found one gene in particular, known as POMC, was strongly associated with weight, obesity and appetite in Labradors and flat coat retrievers.
The gene affected is known to be important in regulating how the brain recognises hunger and the feeling of being full after a meal.
For each copy of the gene carried, the dog was on average 1.9kg heavier, notable because owners, rather than the dogs themselves, control the amount of food and exercise their pets receive.
Lead author Dr Eleanor Raffan said: "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.”
Dr Raffan said: "People who live with Labradors often say they are obsessed by food, and that would fit with what we know about this genetic change.”
Scientist also believe that understanding how the gene - which is also found in humans - works in dogs might help tackle the obesity crisis.
Professor Stephen O'Rahilly, 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."
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