We all love our pooches but sometimes dog farts can really ruin your day!
While occasional flatulence is just part of having a pooch, persistent gassy episodes may be an indicator that your dog has digestive problems. If you feel like you ought to be wearing a gas mask around your dog everyday then it may be time to consult a vet!
Luckily our friends at Burns Pet Nutrition are experts on all manner of dog health. They’ve provided us some steps anyone can take to try and reduce their dogs flatulence. Try these measures to stop your four legged friend from emptying rooms on a regular basis.
Why Do Dogs Fart?
Dogs are not dissimilar to humans. When dogs digest the food they have eaten gas is created during the process. It is the emission of this gas that we can hear (and smell). The gas is created by bacteria in the gut that breaks down food. Gulping down air while eating can also cause flatulence, especially for flat nosed breeds like Bulldogs.
How Do I Deal With Dog Farts?
Multiple factors can cause your pooch to fart but luckily, most of these can be addressed easily. However, if problems persist or you notice that your dog seems uncomfortable, vomits or is having loose stools you ought to contact your vet as these can be signs of an underlying health issue.
Top Tips To Banish Dog Farts!
Don’t overfeed
Overfeeding your dog will lead to flatulence. Too much food will cause a build up of fermenting material sat in their intestines, causing the dreaded gas. Always consider factors like your dogs weight, age and activity level when portioning food for them. Also reduce their meal portions to account for extras and snacks like scraps, treats or dental chews. Divvying up their meals into smaller, more frequent portions can also help reduce flatulence.
Use high-quality complete dog food
High quality dog food ought to contain natural ingredients that are easy for our pooches to digest. Burns pride themselves on using wholesome, nutrient rich ingredients that provide your dog with all they need. Lower quality dog foods are often bulked out with low grade cereals, preservatives and additives which our furry friends struggle to process. This upsets their digestion and inevitably leads to more farts!
Be consistent with mealtimes
Our pooches are very sensitive to dietary changes. Something as small as a change in their regular food or certain table scraps or treats can cause an increase in flatulence. When you’re planning to change your dogs diet do so gradually over the course of at least 2 weeks or so in order to prevent an upset stomach and more farts!
Exercise regularly
Not getting enough exercise can result in constipation and a build up of gas. Overweight dogs can be prone to both constipation and flatulence as their digested food isn’t excreted in a timely manner. Proper exercise can get things moving again and is one of the best things for your dogs health in general.
Support your dog’s gut
Dogs can experience bacterial imbalances in their gut just like humans can. This is particularly common after they’ve been unwell. A quality probiotic will restore good bacteria into their gut and aid digestion.
Encourage them to eat slowly
If your dog tends to wolf down their dinner try to encourage them to eat slower. Eating too quickly can cause digestion problems for dogs just like it can for humans. Anti-gulp bowls can be a good solution to this problem as they have raised sections for your dog to eat around.
Beware of Dairy
Most dogs lack the specific lactase enzyme required to digest dairy. This means that most dogs are actually lactose intolerant. Hence why doggy ice creams are usually dairy free or have added lactase in the formula. While dairy is one of the main culprits, if your dog is excessively gassy it’s possible that they have some other dietary intolerance.
Worm your dog frequently
Conditions like worms can lead to excessive gas production in dogs. It also prevents nutrients being absorbed properly and usually leads to weight loss. Parasites like worms can contribute to extra gas production making your pooch fart more. As a general rule of thumb use a broad spectrum wormer each month and a tape worm treatment every 3 months.
Farts are just a part of life
We’d like to thank our friends at Burns Pet Nutrition for their expert insight into our pooches gas. By following the steps above you should be able to limit the amount that your dog farts. That’s not to say it will ever completely stop, dog farts are just a part of life with pooches.
For more tips on caring for your dog click here to head over to our advice page.
