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Health

Dogs that detect seizures may be sniffing out the scent of human fear

By Clare Wilson

15 June 2021

A dog looks directly at the camera

Dogs may be able to recognise the “smell of fear”

plainpicture/Mölleken

Dogs that can predict when their owners are going to have an epileptic seizure may be recognising the “smell of fear”.

A small study suggests that a compound in sweat recognised by seizure alert dogs may be the same as one released when people watch scary movies, in this case Stephen King’s It.

Some animals communicate by releasing hormones that can be smelled, called pheromones, including ones that warn of danger, but it is unclear if human pheromones exist. …

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