Feeding a Labrador: A Genetic Predisposition to Obesity
Published by Planète Pets · managing editor: Clément Lacaille · how our guides are written
The Labrador Retriever is a 25 to 36 kg dog known for an extraordinary appetite: it constantly begs and lunges at any accessible food. This is not just a personality trait. A study published in Cell Metabolism identified a deletion in the POMC gene, present in nearly a third of Labradors, associated with increased appetite and greater weight gain. Our general benchmarks are in the dog food section.
Contents · 4 sections
Weigh the ration, don't trust the eye
Plan on roughly 250 to 400 g of kibble per day for a 28 to 32 kg adult depending on activity, in two meals. In a dog carrying this genetic variant, trusting its behaviour to judge hunger is misleading: it will always look famished. A kitchen scale and a ration calculated on ideal weight, not current weight, prevent gradual creep.
Channel the appetite without frustration
Splitting into two or three meals, using a slow-feeder bowl, and replacing part of the kibble with low-calorie vegetables (green beans, cooked courgette) during calorie restriction help limit the feeling of hunger. Foraging games, rather than a bowl on the floor, extend mealtime and satisfy the voracious appetite without extra calories, a logic close to our advice on the snuffle mat.
Watch the silhouette for life
A Labrador stays an active, athletic dog when it keeps a healthy weight: ribs easily felt, a visible waist from above. A monthly weight check, at the vet or at home, allows action before a few extra kilos become settled obesity, which then burdens the joints and shortens lifespan.
Frequently asked questions
Are all Labradors affected by this gene?
No, only part of the population carries the variant, but the voracious appetite is so common in the breed that weighing the ration by default is wise anyway.
Does it need a special "light" kibble?
Not systematically: a correctly dosed, quality standard kibble is often enough; lighter formulas make sense once weight gain has already set in, on veterinary advice.
Does exercise make up for overfeeding?
No: exercise helps but does not offset a miscalculated ration. See the Labrador profile and the dog hub.
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This guide is part of Planète Pets’s Dogs universe. Our advice is general in nature: for any health concern, your veterinarian remains the only reference.