Test Detail

Genetic predisposition to obesity and increased appetite in the Labrador Retriever and the Flat-Coated Retriever, commercially described as an "adiposity" (ADI) test. A 14-bp deletion in the POMC gene alters the production of the neuropeptides β-MSH and β-endorphin, central regulators of energy balance. Carrier dogs show greater food motivation and greater weight and adiposity; the effect is additive (each mutant allele adds ~0.33 SD of weight). It does not cause clinical disease by itself, but it substantially modifies the risk of obesity.

Labrador Retriever (allele frequency ~12 %) and Flat-Coated Retriever (allele frequency ~60 % in samples examined). Absent in 38 breeds screened. There are no reliable figures by country for the European breeding population (limited data in the accessible literature).

- Genotype breeding animals before mating, especially in working lines with food reward
- A carrier may be bred to a clear animal, progressively replacing the allele
- Avoid mating two carriers: 25 % homozygotes and 50 % carriers
- It is not advisable to select breeding animals solely by POMC status: obesity is multifactorial
- Inform the buyer of the status and reinforce feeding and exercise guidelines
- The test is useful, not deterministic: weight control depends mainly on management

The POMC variant is a genetic modifier of weight, not a disease. It must be distinguished from endocrine obesities (hypothyroidism, hypercortisolism) and from purely environmental obesity. In homozygous dogs, strict control of intake and exercise can maintain a normal weight. The greater food motivation is used positively in assistance dog lines.

1. Raffan E et al. 2016. A deletion in the canine POMC gene is associated with weight and appetite in obesity-prone Labrador retriever dogs. Cell Metab 23:893-900. PMID: 27157046
2. OMIA:001258-9615 - Obesity (POMC). https://omia.org/OMIA001258/9615/