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If you have a labrador, you’ve probably done your veterinarian the following assessment: “Dr., my dog eats a lot.”
Not only do they eat a lot, but the Labrador Retrievers eat it all. They would eat it, in fact, if they could, because they have a genetic mutation that prevents their brain from producing the molecules that eliminate the sensation of hunger when they have eaten. That is, they are never satiated.
The mutation of this gene, called POMC, was identified for the first time a couple of years ago by scientists at the University of Cambridge, and opens the way to investigate not only canine but also human obesity.
This genetic mutation appears even more frequently in labradors who are also guide dogs, which in a way explains the ease of training this breed using food as a reward … as well as its tendency to gain weight.
