The human family sits down to eat at the table, suddenly, the dog becomes alert, gets up and approaches with great curiosity, sits next to you and looks at you, if you return look and you see his attentive, tender face and his hypnotizing gaze, you're lost, it's practically impossible not to feed him.
Obviously we are talking about the Labrador, a dog with a beautiful appearance and an irresistible character for dog lovers, since few dogs are so kind, docile, friendly, affectionate and also very suitable for the job. There are many characteristics that make the Labrador retriever one of the most popular dogs, but among them we must highlight that its appetite is voracious and it seems to be a practically insatiable dog.
This is the specific topic we address in this AnimalWised article, the Labrador retriever and his obsession with food.
Why does the Labrador retriever have an insatiable appetite?
Canine obesity is a very dangerous disease for our pets and unfortunately it occurs more and more frequently, for this same reason various studies have been carried out in the veterinary field that have tried to identify the genetic causes of this disease state.
A study conducted at the University of Cambridge identified a variant of the first gene related to the appearance of obesity in dogs, it is a gene called POMCand that it was precisely discovered in Labrador retrievers.
It is precisely the variety or mutation of this gene that gives Labradors a voracious and continuous appetite. Does this mean that we have to respond with food to this genetic characteristic of the Labrador? No, it's actually a bad idea.
Reasons why you should not give in to your Labrador's requests
As we mentioned at the beginning of the article, resisting when you are eating and your adorable Labrador looks at you with the face of a slaughtered lamb is difficult, very difficult, but if you really love your pet, you can't share your food with her every time she asks.
You should know that the Labrador is one of the breeds most prone to obesity, which implies the following risks:
- What you may consider a pampering or show of affection towards your dog is actually a factor that contributes to the development of obesity, since the Labrador is very prone to gaining weight.
- Obesity can lead to heart disease, respiratory problems and joint pathologies, with the consequent decrease in mobility and quality of life of the dog.
- If you continually give in to your Labrador's requests for food, you will make him acquire a very harmful habit, therefore it is better to prevent this type of habit.
He althy nutrition and exercise for Labrador retrievers
It is recommended that you feed your Labrador retriever a feed with a calorie content that is reduced compared to the reference food. Despite this, you may also want to offer homemade food, but doing it when you are eating is not a good option, since this implies adding calories that your dog does not need.
In any case, you can substitute a feed intake for a homemade food intake, but it is better not to mix both types of preparations, since the digestion time varies from one to the other and this could cause problems gastric.
Although the Labrador is a dog prone to obesity, it has the advantage of having a very robust physical structure and suitable for physical activity, that's why it's important that you exercise it daily, in addition, there are multiple exercises for Labrador retrievers that will help you maintain your pet's he alth and prevent obesity.
