Labrador Retriever obesity becoming an epidemic?

Question

I've noticed recently that everytime I go out and see a Lab that he/she is obese. I dont just mean a few! I think I've seen about 20 of them just this last month and every single one of them was fat. I've been noticing this for the past year. When I was a child, the labs I encountered were all normal, healthy weights.

So it's got me wondering, are their owners just uneducated about diet and overfeeding unhealthy foods? Or does it seem that the majority of bloodlines of labs today have a genetic predispostion for obesity?

Answer 1

Labs have a higher tendency to gain weight than some other breeds and one of the main things you will read when researching the breed is to be strict about limiting their diet to the recommended amounts and do not feed table scraps. I read that time and time again when I was researching the breed before getting my 2 beautiful Lab puppies. Their weight can be easily controlled if people would just educate themselves and stop making the poor dogs pay for their ignorance!

Answer 2

I would have to say that it has to do with lazy owners. Labs make very good family dogs, which you probably know. Since a lot of people know that labs are good with children and are very loving dogs, they dont realize the breed is actually a hunting breed. I think that most people dont realize how much excercise that Labs need. It is far more than most breeds. I also would agree with you about the over feeding. Labs will eat until the food is gone, the dont know when to stop. I have actually caugt my Lab eating out of the bag and her tummy was enormis, I had to call the vet cause I was in such shock on how much she must have eaten.

Answer 3

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Answer 4

Unfortunately, it's not just Labrador Retrievers that are getting more and more obese these days. Almost every time I'm out with my dog, I see overweight dogs - whether they're Chihuahuas or German Shepherds, it doesn't matter.

One big problem is that many owners and many veterinarians have absolutely no idea what a healthy weight for their dog is, or how to tell that their dog is overweight. Many owners feel that food equals love, so the more they feed their dog ("because he's still hungry!"), the more they feel they love their dog. In addition to that, many of the dogs we see competing in conformation (dog shows) are woefully overweight as well - just look at the German Shepherds at the Eukanuba Tournament of Champions. Yuck.

You can easily tell whether your dog is overweight or underweight by looking at them and feeling their ribs. You should be able to see the dog's waist when looking from above (depending on the breed, obviously), and when your dog is standing normally, you should not be able to see the ribs (except maybe the very last one), but should be able to feel them easily when you put your hand, fingers facing down the side of the dog's rib cage, onto the spine.

The thing that really annoys me is that I have a German Shepherd who is at perfect weight - she's lean and healthy and gets lots of exercise. I have had complete strangers come up to me to tell me I'm a bad dog owner for "not feeding her enough", and I constantly get people telling me that she's "much too skinny."

Ignorance is bliss...

Answer 5

I would say i see a lot of obese dogs, not just labs. I think it's because of a more sedentary lifestyle with more time at work and less time to devote to animal activities and also because we often equate food with love. We want to show our dogs how much we love them so we feed them dinner and treats and extra goodies and pretty soon we have an obese dog.
I also don't see vets warning their owners until the dogs are VERY overweight and it's become a real health issue. Frankly, i think most owners have no idea their dogs are overweight or even what 'overweight' for a dog IS!

Answer 6

I have a Lab and he is 110# but he is a bigger Lab...not fat. He is tall and built. I think that it has to do with people overfeeding them. They only have to be fed 1 1/2 cups of food 2x a day. And they need to stop giving them scraps, its unhealthy.

Answer 7

I had one which was a serious contender in every parade or exposition an died because it was too fat. Now I have another with a less "classy" bloodline and is not so fat, treating it in the same way than the other.

Answer 8

my guess is, most people buy a dog that they like the looks of, and completely ignore the proper care for the breed. labs are work animals first and foremost, and if you are not going to hunt with them, then you have to replace that high level of activity with exercise - like walking... take a look at the dogs' owners - they are probably just as overweight as their dogs due to the same lack of exercise...

Answer 9

Just like humans, if dogs don't get exercise then they will gain weight. For convenience, some probably put them on automatic feeders also.

Answer 10

Fat lazy owners=fat lazy dogs.