A gene mutation slows the dogs’ metabolism and makes them constantly hungry
their human owners, dogs are experiencing an obesity epidemic. One recent study of British pooches found that one in 14 is too pudgy, putting them at higher risk of conditions like arthritis, shortening their lifespan and making walks more of a drag. Certain breeds, like Labradors, are particularly prone to fatness. Purebred Labs are around 70% more likely to be overweight than mixed-breed mutts.
The study, led by Eleanor Raffan, a veterinary geneticist at the University of Cambridge, focused on a gene known as, which is found in humans as well as dogs. In a previous study, published in 2016, Dr Raffan and her colleagues found that obese Labradors were much more likely than slimmer dogs to be missing a small section ofin the gene, a so-called deletion mutation.
Their first finding was that dogs with the mutation seemed to be hungrier than dogs without it. This conclusion rested on the results of a “sausage-in-a-box test”. Experimenters recorded the Labs’ reaction to a meaty treat that they could see and smell, but couldn’t eat. On average, dogs with themutation spent almost twice as long looking at, or—for whatever reason—playing with, the tantalising box than did those without.
Not only did the mutation influence the dogs’ desire for food, it also slowed their metabolism. In another experiment the dogs were encouraged to sleep in a respiratory chamber, which measured the volume of oxygen and carbon dioxide breathed in and out. From this, the scientists calculated that Retrievers with themutation burned 25% fewer calories at rest than those without, indicating that the hungry dogs may need to stick to a particularly light diet in order to stay slim.
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