Dog Farts A Sometimes Silent But Always Deadly Situation

feature 1, allergies, farts, food, nutrition - By Staff Writer on Monday, September 27, 2010 - 12:13

Anyone with a dog, large or small, know that dog farts can clear a room.  It is normal for dogs to pass gas but if your dog is constantly adding fragrance to your room there might be a bigger problem. While this can be a smelly problem for you, gas can be downright uncomfortable for pups.  So, before you put the dog outside or live with the windows open in the winter, do some digging to get to the root of the issue.  Finding the cause will knock out the smell problem in not time.  Below are some common causes for dog farts and how to figure out what is causing your dogs new found smell.

Causes of Farts
Dog flatulence is caused by the buildup of gas in your dogs digestive track.  While your dog could be inhaling air as they gulp down food, which could cause bloatAlso known as gastric dialation-volvulus is the distension or enlargement of the stomach by expanding gas. If it is accompanies by torsion or twisting the stomach becomes blocked and the trauma to the system can be fatal. in some dogs, it is most likely caused by an imbalance in the enzymes and bacteria of a dogs stomach.    An imbalance could be caused by allergies, the inability of your dog to digest certain foods or illnesses and medications.

Speed Eating
If you think your dog is contributing to the buildup of gas by eating quickly and gulping down food, you need to immediately take action.  This behavior can lead to bloat and torsionTorsion means twisted or rotated. of the stomach which can cause death.  Read our article Slowing Down Your Dogs Eating for options on taking the speed out of your dogs meals.  Not only could this help the gas it could save their life.

Illness or Medication
If your dogs farts are coming in conjunction with other symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea this could be a sign of bacterial infections in the stomach or a virus.  You should seek veterinary assistance immediately to make sure your pup is ok.  If your dog has been put on a medication by your vet and you notice a change in eating habits and gas output you should phone your vet and set up an appointment.  Many medications can irritate the stomach and alter the balance of enzymes and bacteria.  Your vet might be able to assist you in getting your dog a new medication with less offensive side effects.

Allergies or Digestion Problems
The biggest culprit of dog farts is food.  Many times dogs will get some table snacks and a few hours later the owner is paying for the pups treat.  If the gas is a new phenomena try to think of what has changed in your dogs diet.  Have you given your pup new treats, table snacks, or did they get in the trash?  If it is yes to any of those you need to fix the problem for your sake and the sake of your dogs.

If the problem is more long standing it could be possible that your dog is unable to digest or is allergic to one of the components of their food.  Try to switch your dogs food to a band that has as few ingredients as possible.  Your vet or holistic pet store owner should be able to offer you support and point you in the right direction.  If that clears the problem you can slowly begin to reintroduce different ingredients until you pinpoint the issue.   If it is a food allergyAlso known as atopy an allergy is a hypersensitive reaction to allergens in a dog's environment or food. When the allergen is ingested the dog will have a immunological response which will vary greatly in degree. you need to be patient as finding the exact cause can take time and trial and error.

If nothing seems to work we recommend you visit your vet to discuss.  They will be able to do more diagnostic tests and if the result is your dog just happens to fart often you can always look on the bright side and blame the dog when you do!