Why Labradors Are Always Hungry: Weight, Feeding and the POMC Gene

Labradors are famously greedy, and it isn't a character flaw. Around a quarter carry a variant of the POMC gene that blunts the feeling of fullness; they are hungrier more of the time and eat faster. Add a breed built to please and beg, and you get the fattest breed in most vet surveys. Obesity shortens a Labrador's life by up to two years and loads the hips, elbows and knees that were already the breed's weak spot. Weight is the single biggest thing you control.

The waist test

From above, a waist behind the ribs. From the side, a tuck up behind the chest. Ribs easy to feel under a thin cover, not visible and not buried. Show-type Labradors are stocky, so owners mistake fat for build. Ask your vet to score body condition out of nine and tell you the number; four or five is where you want to be. Then feed the dog you want, not the dog you have.

How much to feed

Measure every meal with a cup or, better, scales. Two meals a day for adults, three for puppies. The packet's guide is a starting point, usually generous; adjust monthly by the waist, not by the look on the dog's face. Treats come out of the daily allowance, not on top of it, and should stay under ten per cent. Use part of the meal ration for training; a Labrador will work for kibble.

Slow it down

A slow bowl, a snuffle mat or scatter-feeding in the garden turns a ten-second inhale into ten minutes of work. Better for the stomach, better for the brain, and a free daily enrichment session.

The bin, the socks, the compost

Labradors eat what they find: socks, corn cobs, stones, cooked bones, the compost heap. They are the breed most likely to need surgery for a swallowed object. Manage the environment, teach a rock-solid 'leave it' and 'drop', and know the poisons that matter: grapes and raisins, xylitol in chewing gum and some peanut butters, chocolate, mouldy food, slug pellets, antifreeze. If they eat one, ring the vet before symptoms start.

The two emergencies

A swallowed object: repeated vomiting, a hard or painful belly, straining to pass nothing, lethargy. Vet now.

Bloat: Labradors are deep-chested and at risk of gastric torsion. A swollen, drum-tight belly, retching without bringing anything up, restlessness, drooling, collapse. This kills within hours; it is a race to the nearest vet. Feeding two smaller meals rather than one large one, a slow bowl and avoiding hard exercise right after eating lower the risk.

The honest summary

Measure everything, look at the waist weekly, treat from the ration, slow the eating down, and lock the bin. Do that and your Labrador will be one of the lean ones, and lean Labradors get two more years. The joint guide explains what those years are worth.