You’ve probably heard about a dog that can clear a room with his particular pong – in fact you might even own one! But what causes canine flatulence, and is it ever cause for alarm? Petplan vet Brian Faulkner has the answers on this embarrassing, and smelly, issue.
How Do I Help My Gassy Pooch?
If you find that your friend is far more gassy than usual, or if their farts are especially stinky, it may be time to consider changing your dogs’ diet.
Many common dog foods can contain various kinds of ingredients. From wheat to eggs and legumes these foods have a wide variety of both healthy and less-healthy ingredients.
Just like us, dogs can have an intolerance to certain foods. If a pup that is sensitive to lactose gets into some leftover nachos the cheese could cause him to be bloated and gassy for the rest of the evening.
One of the most important things you can do is to make sure that your pet is not getting fed food from your table. Human food often triggers gas in dogs, the occasional morsel is okay but be sure that the food they are getting is safe.
Besides monitoring any table scrap snacks, you could also check out the ingredients in whatever dry or wet kibble you normally give your dog. It may take trying a few different foods to find one that is easier on your dog’s tummy.
Another great way to help ease your dogs’ gas is to take them out for some exercise. The movement will help your dog better digest his food, and even if that doesn’t make it go away at least Rover is passing wind away from the sofa.
Exercise will also help ease any discomfort if your dog is feeling bloated or heavy. If you suspect that your pets’ gas is caused by them eating too fast you may want to work to slow them down.
One way to slow your dog down at dinner time is to get them a slow feeder bowl. These bowls are designed with small crevices and obstructions that are meant to slow your dog’s eating.
Another tactic is to find a bowl that is 2 or 3 times larger than their current bowl then flip their bowl upside in the middle of the larger bowl. Fill the outside gap with food. This mimics the slow feeders and will force your pup to take smaller bites.
Farts can be sooo scary for dogs sometimes
Have you ever noticed that when your dog farts, he’ll jump up and just stare at his butt totally confused — and even a little spooked — by the gas that just came out?
It seems hard to believe that your pup can actually be caught off-guard by a totally normal bodily function that happens to him on the regular, but here we are. Another day, another fart that’s totally bamboozled your dog.
We spoke with Dr. Sara Ochoa, a small- and exotic-animal veterinarian in Texas and a veterinary consultant for doglab.com, to find out why dogs get scared of their own farts.
And there are a few reasons why your pup’s own flatulence might spook him.
Why does my dog fart so much?
It’s actually pretty natural for dogs to fart a bunch.
“Some dogs will fart every day, [and] other dogs will never fart,” Dr. Ochoa said. “I find dogs who snore also fart a lot.”
But if you noticed your pup’s farting a little too frequently, it’s probably related to what he ate. If he’s eaten something nasty or you recently changed his diet, his gastrointestinal (GI) system may need to adjust by releasing a bunch of gas.
FAQ
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