WEBVTT - Why Do Dogs' Paws Smell Like Corn Chips?

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to brain stuff from how stuff works. Hey, brain Stuff,

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<v Speaker 1>I'm Lauren Vogeldam, and you probably don't go around smelling

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<v Speaker 1>dog's feet all the time, But even if you did,

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<v Speaker 1>or even only on occasion, the odor might remind you

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<v Speaker 1>of something crunchy. As it turns out, there are many

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<v Speaker 1>dogs of all breeds and sizes whose feet smell like

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<v Speaker 1>corn chips or popcorn. Some say or not show flavored

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<v Speaker 1>tortilla chips. Although the smell and its interpretations vary, most

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<v Speaker 1>people who sniff their pets odiferous feet are convinced their

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<v Speaker 1>nostrils are picking up some kind of crunchy snack for rietal,

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<v Speaker 1>I think the corn chip brand Freedo's in particular. But

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<v Speaker 1>why it has everything to do with micro organisms. The

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<v Speaker 1>average human body comprises thirty trillion cells and is topped

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<v Speaker 1>by skin covered by forty trillion bacteria, but this ratio

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<v Speaker 1>maybe even greater. For dogs in particular, the nooks and

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<v Speaker 1>crannies of dog paws pick up actino bacteria from soil,

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<v Speaker 1>where the bacteria lives and multiplies. Most of a dog's

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<v Speaker 1>apple green glands or sweat glands are concentrated in the

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<v Speaker 1>pads on their feet. These pads are surrounded by fur

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<v Speaker 1>and create damp and warm crevices that become an excellent

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<v Speaker 1>breeding ground for all kinds of bacterial growth. With all

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<v Speaker 1>this reproduction comes a number of accompanying smells, most of

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<v Speaker 1>which are related to yeast and bacterial byproducts. You know,

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<v Speaker 1>micro organism poop. East and bacterial poop is responsible for

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<v Speaker 1>a lot of the sense we encounter, from unpleasant body

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<v Speaker 1>odor to the attractive smells in wine, bread, and cheese.

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<v Speaker 1>So which bacteria cause your dog's feet to smell like

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<v Speaker 1>a snack? Yeast? For one, Yeast loves to thrive in warm,

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<v Speaker 1>wet environments, and so do bacteria called pseudomonas, which emit

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<v Speaker 1>an odor that many people interpret as popcorn. The real

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<v Speaker 1>culprit in that corn chip smell, though, are proteus bacteria,

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<v Speaker 1>which emit a scent like slightly sweet corn tortillas, which

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<v Speaker 1>seems to intensify after dogs sleep, possibly because the heat

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<v Speaker 1>generated by a sleeping dog encourages bacterial activity. Even if

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<v Speaker 1>you're not a fan of corn chip paws of some

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<v Speaker 1>pet owners called the odor freedo feet, your health may

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<v Speaker 1>benefit from exposure to doggy bacteria. Studies have shown that

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<v Speaker 1>pregnant women who own dogs have babies with a more

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<v Speaker 1>diverse microbiome, and the children who grow up around pets

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<v Speaker 1>aren't as prone to suffer from allergies. Most researchers agree

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<v Speaker 1>that exposure to a greater number of microbes enhances immune

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<v Speaker 1>system functions. No word yet on whether simply inhaling those

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<v Speaker 1>microbes and their byproducts by huffing puffy pause does the

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<v Speaker 1>trick can't hurt though right. Today's episode was written by

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<v Speaker 1>Laurie L. Dove and produced by Tyler Clang. For more

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<v Speaker 1>on this and lots of other smelly topics, visit our

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<v Speaker 1>home planet, how stuff works dot com.