Does Your Dog Have a Flatulence Problem?

It is something we humans try not to talk about, but, for dogs, the passing of gas is not embarrassing at all. Your dog will have no qualms about making a foul smell in the house time and time again. However, if your dog seems to be excessively gassy, it may be worth looking into, as there may well be a simple solution to the problem.

Flatulence is caused by an accumulation of gasses in the digestive tract. The normal process of digestion will produce gases but so can infections and diseases, so if your dog is showing any other signs of being unwell, such as vomiting, diarrhoea or weight loss, you should see your vet before taken any further steps.

If the flatulence is not illness related, it could be that your pet is swallowing too much air when it eats. It is possible to reduce the amount of gas produced in this way by slowing down your dog’s eating, either by offering smaller and more frequent portions throughout the day, or by purchasing a specially designed ‘slow-down’ bowl from a pet store.

Another way to tackle to the problem is to change your dog’s diet. If you feed your dog a low-quality economy dog food, it is likely to be full of fillers, which are prone to making dog’s excessively gassy. Instead, try to pick to high quality, natural foods. You could also consider adding some live yoghurt or charcoal to your dog’s diet, substances known to help absorb some of the odour produced during digestion. So, even if you cannot stop your dog breaking wind, it is at least possible to minimise the smell.