读者文摘:宠物长寿指南(1)

Huck is a lucky dog—and an old one. Most Labrador retrievers make it to around age 12, but at 15, Huck has lived 25 percent longer than that.

哈克是一只幸运的狗-也是一只年长的狗。大多数拉布拉多大约能活12岁，但是15岁的哈克已经比12岁多活了25%的时间。

If he were the average American (with a life expectancy¹ of 78.6 years), he would be 98. What's his secret?

如果他是普通的美国人(预期寿命是78.6岁)，他将会是98岁。他的秘密是什么？

"It's a combination of things, including nutritious² food with vitamins and oils, a lot of love and attention, and exercise," says Huck's owner, Henry Uman.

“它是一系列事情的组合，包括含有维生素和油的营养食物，很多的爱和关心，还有锻炼。”哈克的主人亨利·乌曼说道。

He's also never left alone but is always with at least one of his three dog siblings³ or a member of his human family.

他也从不孤单，他总是和至少他的三个兄弟姐妹中的一个或他的人类家庭中的一个成员在一块。

In 2016, nearly 57 percent of American households owned a pet, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association,

根据美国兽医协会的数据，2016年，近57%的美国家庭拥有宠物，

but it's safe to say that 100 percent of them wish their dog or cat had Huck's luck—and level of care.

但可以肯定的是，他们中100%的人都希望他们的狗或猫能有哈克那样的运气——以及得到同等程度的照顾。

In fact, advances in veterinary medicine have made it easier than ever to boost your pet's life span and quality of life.

事实上，兽医医学的进步使提高宠物的寿命和生活质量比以往任何时候都更容易。

Some now-standard procedures—for instance, vaccinations⁴ against rabies, hepatitis, and more—have had a great impact.

一些现在已经成为标准的程序——例如，预防狂犬病、肝炎等的疫苗接种——已经产生了巨大的影响。

On the other end of the spectrum⁵ are breakthroughs that help animals survive injuries and illnesses that might have shortened their lives only a few years ago.

另一方面是帮助动物在伤病中存活下来取得的突破，这些伤病在仅仅几年前就可能缩短他们的生命。

Take Fridgey, a Bengal cat. Just after his first birthday, Fridgey underwent surgery for a fractured hip⁶, followed by physical therapy on a water treadmill⁷.

以孟加拉猫Fridgey为例。就在Fridgey度过了自己的第一个生日后，他就因髋部骨折做了手术，然后在跑步机上进行了物理治疗。

He recovered, but seven months later, he fractured his other hip.

他康复了，但是就在七个月后，他另一个髋部出现了骨折。

In March 2018, he had a hip replacement⁸, the first time that vets⁹ at Purdue University performed the procedure.

2018年3月，他接受了髋关节置换手术，这是普渡大学兽医首次为宠物做髋关节置换手术。

Today, Fridgey is as healthy as, well, a horse. The bill for Fridgey's medical care was steep—almost $10,000.

今天，Fridgey和马一样健康。Fridgey的医疗费用非常昂贵——将近1万美元。

But owners Tyler and Faith Goldsberry thought it was worth it.

但是其主人泰勒和费斯戈德斯贝里认为这是值得的。

"Pets deserve the best treatment we can give them, and we would never add to our family without having the means to make sure they're taken care of," Tyler says.

泰勒说：“宠物值得我们给予它们最好的待遇，如果我们没有办法确保它们得到照顾，我们就不会给我们的家庭增加成员。”

It helped that the family had pet insurance. Once a rarity, pet insurance is now in enough demand that some employers offer it as a benefit.

这个家庭有宠物保险是有帮助的。宠物保险曾经很少见，但现在需求量很大，一些雇主甚至将其作为福利。

Should you invest in pet insurance? What about gluten-free food?

你应该投资宠物保险吗？那无麸质食物呢？

There are so many health and care options available these days that finding the ones that are worthwhile for your pet can be daunting¹⁰. This guide is a good place to start.

现在有这么多的健康和护理选择，为你的宠物找到值得的选择可能是令人怯步的。这个指南是一个很好的开始。

1 expectancy   

n.期望，预期，（根据概率统计求得）预期数额

参考例句：

• Japanese people have a very high life expectancy.日本人的平均寿命非常长。
• The atomosphere of tense expectancy sobered everyone.这种期望的紧张气氛使每个人变得严肃起来。

2 nutritious   

adj.有营养的，营养价值高的

参考例句：

• Fresh vegetables are very nutritious.新鲜蔬菜富于营养。
• Hummingbirds have discovered that nectar and pollen are very nutritious.蜂鸟发现花蜜和花粉是很有营养的。

3 siblings   

n.兄弟，姐妹( sibling的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• A triplet sleeps amongst its two siblings. 一个三胞胎睡在其两个同胞之间。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She has no way of tracking the donor or her half-siblings down. 她没办法找到那个捐精者或她的兄弟姐妹。 来自时文部分

4 vaccinations   

n.种痘，接种( vaccination的名词复数 )；牛痘疤

参考例句：

• Vaccinations ensure one against diseases. 接种疫苗可以预防疾病。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I read some publicity about vaccinations while waiting my turn at the doctor's. 在医生那儿候诊时，我读了一些关于接种疫苗的宣传。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 spectrum   

n.谱，光谱，频谱；范围，幅度，系列

参考例句：

• This is a kind of atomic spectrum.这是一种原子光谱。
• We have known much of the constitution of the solar spectrum.关于太阳光谱的构成，我们已了解不少。

6 hip   

n.臀部，髋；屋脊

参考例句：

• The thigh bone is connected to the hip bone.股骨连着髋骨。
• The new coats blouse gracefully above the hip line.新外套在臀围线上优美地打着褶皱。

7 treadmill   

n.踏车；单调的工作

参考例句：

• The treadmill has a heart rate monitor.跑步机上有个脉搏监视器。
• Drugs remove man from the treadmill of routine.药物可以使人摆脱日常单调的工作带来的疲劳。

8 replacement   

n.取代，替换，交换；替代品，代用品

参考例句：

• We are hard put to find a replacement for our assistant.我们很难找到一个人来代替我们的助手。
• They put all the students through the replacement examination.他们让所有的学生参加分班考试。

9 vets   

abbr.veterans （复数）老手，退伍军人；veterinaries （复数）兽医n.兽医( vet的名词复数 )；老兵；退伍军人；兽医诊所v.审查（某人过去的记录、资格等）( vet的第三人称单数 )；调查；检查；诊疗

参考例句：

• I helped train many young vets and veterinary nurses too. 我还帮助培训了许多年青的兽医和护士。 来自互联网
• In fact, we've expanded mental health counseling and services for our vets. 实际上，我们已经扩大了退伍军人的心理健康咨询和服务。 来自互联网

10 daunting   

adj.使人畏缩的

参考例句：

• They were faced with the daunting task of restoring the house.他们面临着修复房子的艰巨任务。
• Starting a new job can be a daunting prospect.开始一项新工作有时会让人望而却步。