sandgrubber Posted May 4, 2016 Share Posted May 4, 2016 https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/05/160503130342.htm A May 3 study in Cell Metabolism links a gene alteration specifically found in Labs and related flat coat retrievers to greater food-motivated behavior, describing the first gene associated with canine obesity. The variation also occurs more frequently in Labradors chosen as assistance dogs, and might explain why these canines seem more trainable with food rewards. ... Starting with an initial cohort of 15 obese and 18 lean Labrador retrievers, Raffan and her colleagues selected three obesity-related genes to examine, all of which were known to affect weight in humans. This first analysis turned up a variation in a gene called POMC. In more of the obese dogs, a section of DNA was scrambled at the end of the gene. The deletion is predicted to hinder a dog's ability to produce the neuropeptides β-MSH and β-Endorphin, which are usually involved in switching off hunger after a meal. In humans, common variants in POMC have been associated with differences in body weight. "There are even some rare obese people who lack a very similar part of the POMC gene to that which is missing in the dogs," says Stephen O'Rahilly, co-director of the Wellcome Trust-Medical Research Council Institute of Metabolic Science and a senior author on the study. In a larger sample of 310 Labrador retrievers, Raffan and her colleagues discovered a host of canine behaviors associated with the POMC deletion. Not all Labs with the DNA variation were obese (and some were obese without having the mutation), but in general the deletion was associated with greater weight and, according to an owner survey, affected dogs were more food-motivated--they begged their owners for food more frequently, paid more attention at mealtimes, and scavenged for scraps more often. On average, the POMC deletion was associated with a 2 kg weight increase. "We've found something in about a quarter of pet Labradors that fits with a hardwired biological reason for the food-obsessed behavior reported by owners," says Raffan. "There are plenty of food-motivated dogs in the cohort who don't have the mutation, but there's still quite a striking effect." The researchers found that the POMC deletion occurs in roughly 23 percent of Labrador retrievers overall, based on further sampling of 411 dogs from the UK and US. Of 38 other breeds, the deletion only showed up again in flat coat retrievers, related to Labrador retrievers, and weight and behavior were similarly affected. Notably, the POMC deletion was markedly more common in the 81 assistance Labrador retrievers included in the study, occurring in 76 percent of these dogs. "We had no initial reason to believe that the assistance dogs would be a different cohort," says Raffan. "It was surprising. It's possible that these dogs are more food-motivated and therefore more likely to be selected for assistance-dog breeding programs, which historically train using food rewards." But, Raffan cautions, the results could also be just a quirk of the data. "We haven't yet looked at puppies and asked if they're more likely to qualify as an assistance dog if they have the mutation," she says. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuralPug Posted May 5, 2016 Share Posted May 5, 2016 Most Pugs don't have a hunger switch off either. I'm wondering if the same genetic markers are common with therm. We'll have to wait for more research I suppose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melzawelza Posted May 5, 2016 Share Posted May 5, 2016 When I read this I intended to crack a joke about inferior Labrador genes but my mutt ate an entire value pack of dry weetbix a few weeks ago so I really can't talk - I'm certain she has the same issue! :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salukifan Posted May 5, 2016 Share Posted May 5, 2016 Lets hope owners don't start using this as an excuse for their fat dogs. Last time I checked an obesity gene doesn't effect the amount of food placed in a dog's bowl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted May 5, 2016 Share Posted May 5, 2016 Lets hope owners don't start using this as an excuse for their fat dogs. Last time I checked an obesity gene doesn't effect the amount of food placed in a dog's bowl. My argument exactly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdierikx Posted May 5, 2016 Share Posted May 5, 2016 As HW says... just because a dog is more food motivated (be it by a genetic quirk or not), it doesn't mean you have to feed them more... My Lab would walk through fire for food, but as I'm the one responsible for what goes down her throat, I just make allowances for that fact and keep her at a nice weight of around 23-25 kgs (she's one of the smaller and more compact Lab types). I don't weigh her often, but go by her body condition to dictate what's a healthy range for her particular build and activity levels. T. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willem Posted May 5, 2016 Share Posted May 5, 2016 ...that might also be the reason why half of the Labs I know are keen eating poo? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivory & Beau Posted May 5, 2016 Share Posted May 5, 2016 Our labs both would eat everyone elses dinner. My Pointer and Belgian would too. I've kept them both in perfect condition. Really isn't that hard. I cringe at obese labs. Our neighbors have an odese beagle. They say he gets fed less etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandgrubber Posted May 5, 2016 Author Share Posted May 5, 2016 (edited) ...that might also be the reason why half of the Labs I know are keen eating poo? and everything else . . . mine are spending a few hours under the mulberry tree these days. It's dropping fruit like mad. They also graze acorns when oaks are dropping them ...not to mention eating from the compost bin. When I had a vineyard they ate kilos of grapes at harvest time. I have to cut back their food when they are getting a lot of calories from browsing. It would be great if the can develop a test for this gene, making it possible to breed away from it. If there were a good genetic test, it would also make it possible to test whether biddibility and insatiability are linked. I doubt they are. I've know biddible Labs who weren't highly food motivated. Edited May 5, 2016 by sandgrubber Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*kirty* Posted May 6, 2016 Share Posted May 6, 2016 It's not really an obesity gene though. It isn't a gene that makes them process fat differently or store fat etc. It's a hunger gene. As everyone else says, hungry doesn't equal fat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdierikx Posted May 6, 2016 Share Posted May 6, 2016 All 3 of my dogs eat poo... and it's a learned behaviour in their case... T. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willem Posted May 6, 2016 Share Posted May 6, 2016 All 3 of my dogs eat poo... and it's a learned behaviour in their case... T. hm, that sparks a business idea:...how about a pick-up service :D ?...you just have to follow the daily routes of dog owners that hire you... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdierikx Posted May 6, 2016 Share Posted May 6, 2016 All 3 of my dogs eat poo... and it's a learned behaviour in their case... T. hm, that sparks a business idea:...how about a pick-up service :D ?...you just have to follow the daily routes of dog owners that hire you... *giggle* I think I'll pass on the idea though thanks Willem... *grin* T. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amax-1 Posted May 7, 2016 Share Posted May 7, 2016 Anyone noticed entire "black" male Labs for some reason are generally more on the slimmer side? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest crazydoglady99 Posted May 7, 2016 Share Posted May 7, 2016 I was going to write something funny about me realising I might be part labrador.. then the poo eating came.. so umm turns out I am not part labrador haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steph M Posted May 7, 2016 Share Posted May 7, 2016 I'd believe it. Gus is a bottomless pit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted May 7, 2016 Share Posted May 7, 2016 I'd believe it. Gus is a bottomless pit And then there was Em. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steph M Posted May 7, 2016 Share Posted May 7, 2016 I'd believe it. Gus is a bottomless pit And then there was Em. She does a lot more than him to earn it! He's like one of those renaissance paintings of a guy being fed grapes, the lazy ass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted May 7, 2016 Share Posted May 7, 2016 I'd believe it. Gus is a bottomless pit And then there was Em. She does a lot more than him to earn it! He's like one of those renaissance paintings of a guy being fed grapes, the lazy ass. LMAO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussielover Posted May 8, 2016 Share Posted May 8, 2016 Anyone noticed entire "black" male Labs for some reason are generally more on the slimmer side? No if anything I think many resemble rotties more than labs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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