If you’re thinking about getting a Labrador, this study may influence which colour you go for.
A new study has revealed that chocolate Labrador retrievers have a significantly shorter lifespan than their black and yellow counterparts.
Researchers from the Royal Veterinary College studied 33,320 Labrador Retrievers in the UK.
The analysis revealed that the average lifespan for chocolate Labradors is just 10.7 years – 1.4 years shorter than black or yellow Labs.
The team also found that chocolate Labradors are more susceptible to ear infections, with 23.4% affected, compared to just 17% of yellow labs, and 12.8% of black Labs.
Professor Paul McGreevy, co-author of the study, said: “The relationships between coat colour and disease may reflect an inadvertent consequence of breeding for certain pigmentations.
“Because chocolate colour is recessive in dogs, the gene for this colour must be present in both parents for their puppies to be chocolate.
“Breeders targeting this colour may therefore be more likely to breed between only Labradors carrying the chocolate coat gene.
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“It may be that the resulting reduced gene pool includes a higher proportion of genes conducive to ear and skin conditions.”
The researchers hope the findings will help breeders and vets to priorities approaches for tackling health concerns within the breed.
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