25% Of These Dogs in Colorado Are Actually ‘Born Starving’

Nearly every Coloradan loves dogs, whether they own one or not; their unconditional love, goofiness, and companionship make them a treasure.

Dogs love to eat, there's no question about that, but maybe you have a dog that just seems to need to eat all the time; if that's the case, it could because of science.

One of the chores around the house is "feeding the dog;" if you have one particular breed of dog, it may seem like the dog wants more and more food. You love your dog, you want to keep them happy; how can you resist those "puppy eyes?"

Why Do These Dogs Think They're Hungry All the Time?

Studies have found that they carry a mutated gene that turns on a "starvation signal" in their brains. With that, they're always looking to eat, as well as conserve energy, so they put on more weight than they need.

How sad is that? Poor dog thinks it's the end of the world.

What Dogs Possibly Carry This 'Starvation' Gene?

According to Scientific American, 25% of all Labrador Retrievers carry the mutated pro-opiomelanocortin gene; the study showed that even more (two-thirds of) Flat-Coated Retrievers also carry the mutated gene.

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What Can These Dog Owners Do to Help Their Dogs?

Scientific American says that you can do these things:

• Spread out their meals throughout the day.
• Get them more exercise - obesity in Labs can be very detrimental to their health.
• Find ways to distract your dog from their hunger: Toys, a game of fetch..