It goes by many names, toots, the vapors, fart or the more scientific term—flatulence. Flatulence in dogs is a fact of life and is impossible to completely eliminate it.
Too much of it, however, can be a sign of underlying health issues that can negatively affect the lives of both you and your pet. After all, no one wants to be around a dog that lets out gas all the time.
You can, however, reduce it!
Why do dogs fart?
When your dog has his meal, the food passes through the digestive tract. In the lower parts of this GI tract are bacteria that break down the food. Consequently, the process results in the bacteria releasing gas which your dog will let out as fart.
Excessive farting in dogs
As much as flatulence in dogs is a normal occurrence, you may notice that your pooch is farting more than normal. There are a number of causes.
- Swallowing air
If your dog is eating too quickly and gobbling up its food, it may swallow air in the process. This air travels with the food along the digestive tract and comes out through the other end.
- Indigestible meals
If your dog is eating food that is difficult to digest, there will still be plenty of nutrients remaining in the lower parts of the digestive tract for the bacteria to work on. This causes the bacteria to release plenty of gas as fart. Also, some meats may have high sulfur content resulting in a particularly smelly fart. Consider some tips for choosing the best dog food that is easy to digest.
- Health issues
Excessive farting may be a result of underlying health issues such as irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, food allergies, cancer, pancreatitis, and internal parasites. Usually, you will notice other symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting as well as weight loss.
Reducing excessive farting in your dog
Now that you are aware of the three main causes of excessive flatulence in dogs, there are a number of things that you can do to reduce it.
Getting a medical checkup
It is important to take your pooch for a medical checkup to rule out any possible underlying illnesses. The vet will start off by doing a physical exam and check the dog’s body.
The vet may also need to do a blood test to see if the dog is suffering from diseases such as pancreatitis or irritable bowel syndrome.
Check your dog’s behavior and look for any signs of discomfort. If your dog is showing pain in the abdomen especially when you touch, or if the stomach appears larger than normal due to bloating then he will need medical attention. You may also notice that your dog lacks energy and prefers to rest and looks lethargic.
The impact of proper nutrition
You can start by improving the dog’s diet. Avoid feeding table scraps, treats, and foods that are high in fat. There are some human foods for dogs that are fine. These can be hard to digest or even cause issues with pooch’s digestive tract. If there are no underlying health concerns, then you should notice the farting is starting to reduce considerably.
However, if you find that the dog still isn’t improving, you will need to take a closer look at the food you are giving your pooch. Just like humans, some dogs will be fine with certain types of foods while others will not. Find out what is in the dog’s diet that it doesn’t agree with.
The diet you give your dog should come with a highly digestible label. Also, keep off dog food that is extremely rich in protein or contains soybeans, corn, beans, peas as well as dairy products. A better alternative is to go for food that contains limited ingredients such as chicken and rice.
And when you find the perfect diet for your dog, it is important to ensure that he doesn’t gobble it down too fast. While there are bowls designed to reduce eating too fast, you can always use the trick of putting a tennis ball in the dog’s food. It should help him figure out that not everything in the bowl is edible and will slow down his eating.
Adding in exercise
Exercise is an excellent way to making the food in the dog’s gut pass through much quicker including the gas.
If you notice that your furry friend is letting out smelly gas, up the amount of exercise. Play fetch more intensely and even find a park where the dog can go off-leash.
The right supplements
There are supplements and herbs that help boost digestion and reduce flatulence in dogs. Note that before you add any supplements to your dog’s diet, you should first talk to your vet to find the right ones for your furry friend.
- Fennel
Fennel seeds are effective at dealing with bloating and flatulence in dogs. They allow food to pass through the digestive tract much faster as well as preventing a buildup of gas.
- Ginger
This is a great way to cure an upset stomach. Ginger will also help cure inflammation throughout the whole body. Try adding powdered ginger in your dog’s food and this should help reduce farting.
- Probiotics
Probiotics contain good bacteria that will help balance out the microflora in your dog’s gut. When feeding probiotics to your dog, make sure to give one specially designed for dogs as this contain the same type of bacteria as that in your dog’s gut.
If your dog has recently gone to the vet and received antibiotics, these may kill off the healthy bacteria as well as the bad. As a result, the dog may suffer from flatulence. Probiotics are an excellent way to help your dog regain the good bacteria.
Your pooch may simply have flatulence due to stress or just general gassiness. Probiotics will help get rid of the gas and you will start to see your furry friend’s mood start to lighten up.
