Dog farts. They’re part and parcel of owning a dog, a fact of life that no one really likes but that everyone accepts. Whether loud or silent, these farts are as much a part of a dog’s existence as barking or getting the zoomies.
There are, however, those dogs who fart more than are really conscionable. As unpleasant as this might make your life, though, it’s something that might actually be worse for your dog. In fact, gas in dogs can be signs of real problems. As a pet owner, you’ll need to learn when to pay attention to your dog’s gas and how to solve your dog’s flatulence issues.
Article Summary
Why Do Dogs Fart?
Your dog farts because of gas the forms in his or her stomach. This flatulence is expressed in the traditionally foul-smelling farts that are usually accompanied by some kind of sound.
Every dog’s digestive system is a little different, so some dogs are more frequent farters than their companions. There are many possible reasons why a dog might have gas build-up, so it’s always a good idea to keep an eye on your dog if he or she is getting particularly gassy.
Causes of Dog Farts
Now that you know why dogs fart in general, you can figure out why your loving pooch is so gas-prone. There are several reasons to look through before you can get to the root of the matter.
Dog Breeds and Farting
Yes, certain dog breeds actually fart more than others. Dogs who have flat faces – pugs and bulldogs, for example – are typically more prone to farting. They are dogs who take in much more air whenever they drink or eat, which in turn leads to them expelling more air throughout the day.
Eating Human Food Can Lead To Gas In dogs
Your dog loves human food. Why wouldn’t he or she? It’s new, it’s different, and it tastes great. Alas, many human foods are also prone to providing plenty of extra ammunition for your dog’s farts.
It’s fine to give your dog a bit of human food here or there, but you really shouldn’t give him or her very much. Doing so will not only make your dog far gassier, but it will also wreak havoc on your dog’s GI tract. As such, you should choose not to give your dog table scraps at all if you can’t stop yourself from giving your dog scraps on a regular basis.
Food Problems
When most people think about problems that dogs can have with their food, they think about allergies. While the itchiness that comes from an allergy is bad, that’s not the same thing that happens with an intolerance. When your dog can’t tolerate a specific kind of ingredient, he or she won’t be able to digest that ingredient properly – which is why limited-ingredient diets have become popular. This, in turn, is going to lead to multiple types of stomach problems, including issues with your dog’s stool and problems that can ultimately express themselves as more gas.
As a note, you really should avoid giving your dog any kind of dairy when possible. Dogs might love cheese, but dogs can’t produce the enzyme that’s necessary to break down the lactose in cheese. This, in turn, will end up giving your dog some significant stomach problems that will also make him or her uncomfortably gassy.
The Wrong Dog Food
Unfortunately, there are good dog foods and bad dog foods. The latter category tends to be more about filling the dog up than meeting its nutritional needs, which usually means putting in a ton of different filler ingredients. These ingredients can end up causing intolerances in your dog, which can, in turn, end up causing the same kind of problems as any other food intolerance.
Corn and soy are very common fillers, as is the bonding agent carrageenan. All of these ingredients have the potential the make your dog gassy, which means more farting and a less pleasant digestive experience for your dog. The good news is that there are plenty of dog foods for sensitive stomaches that avoid all of these ingredients, which will mean that your dog should be less gassy.
Changes in Diet
Be careful before you switch over to that new dog food, though. In many cases, a quick switch can also be very hard on your dog’s stomach. It’s not that the new ingredients are bad, but rather that the shock to your dog’s system can manifest itself in GI issues. If you are giving your dog a new food, you should introduce it very slowly so that you don’t end up with a dog who has a sick stomach.
How do you give your dog new food without making him or her gassy? The easiest way is probably to mix the new and old food together. You’ll slowly add in more of the new food and less of the old food until you get to an entirely full bowl of just the new mixture. This not only helps your dog’s stomach, but it can help your dog learn to enjoy the new food.
Fast Eating
One of the big problems that dogs bring on themselves is eating too fast. Dogs love to eat, so it makes sense that they would go after their food as quickly as they can. When they do so, though, they take in a lot of air. This, in turn, helps the gas to build up more quickly and thus makes them fart more. The best way to deal with this kind of problem is to either portion your dog’s food out slowly or to buy a special bowl that does the job for you.
Helping Your Dog to Be Less Gassy
As you can see, the reasons that your dog farts aren’t always that easy to figure out. With that said, though, there are steps you can take to make your dog fart less. You might not get a fart-free dog, but you should get one that’s a little less stinky.
Pick a New Dog Food
Yes, moving to new dog food can make your dog fart more in the short term. Over the long term, though, this might be the change that has the greatest impact on most dogs. If you can make the change correctly, you’ll end up making sure that your dog’s stomach is more settled and that he or she is much less gassy.
Take some time to look at the ingredients in the dog food that you’re choosing. Avoid those that have fillers and non-natural ingredients in favor of those that are largely natural and full of the things that dogs can digest easily. The fewer ingredients that are in the food, the easier it is going to be for your dog to digest.
If you’re already feeding your dog something that should be wholesome, you might need to talk to your dog’s vet and get an allergy panel run. Doing so could help you to figure out if there’s something in your dog’s food that could be causing problems.
Exercise Your Dog More Frequently
Active dogs fart less than dogs who are sedentary. If your dog spends most of his or her time on the couch, you’ll want to get him out and running around a little more often. Even a long walk every day can have a huge impact on the amount of flatulence that your dog produces.
Choose Beneficial Supplements
Finally, you’ll want to choose items to supplement your dog’s food that can help with his or her digestion. Pumpkin, for example, can help your dog’s stomach, as activated charcoal. Some ingredients like probiotics can help your dog to break down food more easily, while other supplements might help to reduce your dog’s overall gas production. It’s never a bad idea to look into products and ingredients that can make your dog’s stomach just a bit less prone to getting unsettled.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is it normal for dogs to fart a lot?
It’s certainly very normal for dogs to fart. It’s also very normal for certain breeds like pugs and bulldogs to fart a lot. What’s not normal is if your dog starts to fart much more frequently than he or she has in the past. If your dog is a frequent farter now and has always been so, though, you might just have a dog that farts quite a bit.
2. Why does my dog fart so much and stink?
It might be a good idea to look at your dog’s food if he or she has recently started farting quite a bit. Your dog might have an intolerance to something in his or her food, which in turn could make your dog become more flatulent. Unfortunately, though, some dogs are just going to have smelly flatulence naturally. As tough as this might be for your nose, it’s just a part of owning a dog.
3. How do I get rid of my dog’s bad gas?
The most common way to get rid of your dog’s bad gas is to switch to dog food that has a limited number of ingredients and does not have any fillers. Another good way to get your dog to stop farting so often is to take him or her out to exercise more often, which can eliminate some of that gas build-up if he or she is frequently very sedentary.
4. What can you give a dog who has gas?
One great thing to give a gassy dog is pumpkin. Another good choice is dog food that’s low in fillers. If you’re specifically dealing with the smell of the gas, though, you might want to think about giving your dog some kind of activated charcoal dog treat after meals.
