This month we are launching a new monthly publication series, “Going Pro”, dedicated to the nutrition and activities of working and sporting dogs.
The nutrition of many sporting dogs is to fuel performance during activities as diverse as obedience trials, airline passenger screening, agility events and hunting. But energy and conditioning aren’t the only important performance aspects for sporting and working dogs. Hunting and scent detection dogs need a diet that also optimizes olfaction, ie their incredibly sensitive sense of smell.
What does nutrition have to do with a dog’s sense of smell? For starters, a balance of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids from animal and plant-based ingredients, such as those found in Diamond Pro89 Beef, Pork & Ancient Grains Formula for Adult Dogs, provides the building blocks of healthy cell membranes, including those in the nose. Curious to know more? Read on and we’ll explain, starting with an overview of this particular canine sense.
Anatomy and Physiology of the Super Sniffer
Dogs have incredibly sensitive noses to smell thanks to the 220 to 300 million olfactory (smell) receptors in the nasal cavity. Additionally, each olfactory receptor cell has hundreds of microscopic hair-like structures (cilia) that help dogs detect tiny concentrations – 1-2 parts per trillion — smells. In contrast, we humans have a paltry 5-6 million olfactory receptors with about 25 cilia per cell.
The internal architecture of dogs’ noses is complex and somewhat convoluted, and air flows through markedly different pathways during normal inspiration (or inhalation) and during sniffing. During normal breathing, inhaled air can follow one of two pathways: one pathway directs air to the olfactory epithelium; the other, known as the airway, carries air to the trachea and the lungs. During sniffing, inhaled air always travels through these two pathways. However, studies show that sniffing is much more effective than normal breathing in delivering odor-laden air to the olfactory region of the nasal cavity. More odor molecules are inhaled and a greater percentage of nasal airflow is directed to the olfactory region during sniffing.
What’s even more amazing is that dogs smell in stereo when they sniff – each nostril samples the air from different spaces in front of the nose. The independent functioning of the nostrils helps dogs locate the source of an odor. Additionally, dogs’ noses are designed in such a way that air is inhaled forward and exhaled downward and laterally. This pattern of exhaled airflow disrupts and mixes scents in the environment, including those on the side of the nose, which are then inhaled during subsequent sniffles.
Dogs, like their feline housemates, have an additional scent-sensing organ, known as the vomeronasal organ or Jacobson’s organ, which is nestled deep in the nasal cavity and just above the roof of the mouth. . The vomeronasal organ detects pheromones, chemical signals that are released into the environment to communicate with other dogs. Considered a second olfactory organ, scientists believe the organ is involved in parental, social, and reproductive communication.
And as if that weren’t enough to create a super sniffer, consider this: the region of the brain that processes olfactory information, the olfactory cortex, makes up 12.5% of a dog’s total brain mass. In comparison, our olfactory cortex occupies less than a measly 1%. So not only do dogs have a greater ability to detect smells, but they have the brain computing power to analyze it all. fragrant information.
No wonder canine behavior and cognition experts say dogs “see” the world through their noses!
What is the role of nutrition in odor detection performance?
The olfactory receptor cells and epithelial cells that line the convoluted structures of a dog’s nasal cavity all have cell membranes made up of fatty acids and other substances. Omega-6 and omega-3 long-chain fatty acids are important for cell membrane structure, flexibility and integrity. However, scientists now know that dietary fat can alter fatty acids in cell membranes, including the cells that line the canine nose.
Although a limited number of studies are available, veterinary nutritionists have found evidence that the source of dietary fat may be important for a dog’s sense of smell. Research on hunting dogs suggests that foods with high levels of saturated fatty acids may decrease olfactory acuity and performance in dogs, especially if they are not physically conditioned. Scientists believe that dietary fatty acids may have an effect on brain function since the composition of cell membranes in the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) can be affected by the fatty ingredients in a food. Additionally, researchers believe that changing the proportion of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids in a dog’s diet changes the fatty acids found in the cell membranes of the nasal epithelium and affects a dog’s ability to detect low concentrations of odors. All of this information implies that a balance of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids can improve a dog’s sense of smell.
Proper nutrition, along with physical conditioning and scent training, can affect your dog’s scent detection performance. Make sure the food in your dog’s bowl contains saturated and unsaturated fatty acids and an optimal ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids.
RELATED ARTICLE: Do Sporting and Working Dogs Need Different Nutrition?
