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Specially trained dogs have long been used to sniff out drugs, dangerous chemicals and explosives. But now researchers have discovered a way to enhance a detection dog's schnoz: change its diet.
很早以前，人們就利用受過特殊訓練的狗來嗅探毒品，危險的化學品和炸藥。但如今研究人員發現了一種使偵緝犬的鼻子更靈敏的方法：改變其飲食。
For 18 months researchers rotated 17 trained detection dogs through three different diets: high protein, regular adult dog food, and regular adult dog food with corn oil. When the dogs feasted on the food with the high fat content, the regular dog food with corn oil, they performed better in exercise and detection tests. The dogs performed just as well on the high protein diet as on their standard fare, apparently a function of the amount of fat in the food rather than anything related to the protein content.
18個月以來，研究人員讓17只偵緝犬輪流吃三種不同的食物：高蛋白、普通成犬糧和拌有玉米油的成犬糧。飽食過高蛋白食物、拌有玉米油的普通成犬糧后，偵緝犬在運動和嗅探考試中表現更好。飽食過高蛋白食物的與飽食過標準餐的偵緝犬表現一樣。很明顯是食物中一定含量的油脂發揮了作用，而食物中的蛋白質則用處不大。
What's fat's magic? The researchers say that dogs fed high fat diets are less fatigued after exercise, which reduces panting and sensitizes sniffing.
那脂肪施展了什么魔法？研究人員說道，以高脂肪食物為食的偵緝犬在運動后不會那么疲勞，這樣會減少喘氣，使嗅探更敏感。
The research was funded by the Department of Justice and presented at the recent Companion Animal Nutrition Summit in Atlanta.
這項研究由司法部提供研究資金，并于近期在奧特蘭大舉辦的寵物營養峰會上提出。
The findings could change how detection dogs are fed to turn the merely star smellers into super sniffers.
這項發現可能會改變偵緝犬的飲食，將普通犬變成超級嗅探器。
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