I was going to use the word “fart,” but the internet police might have objections to that in a title. Or perhaps I could have been posh and used the word “flatulence”…
Whatever you call it, dogs sometimes produce the most disgusting smells. Silent but deadly, or loud and proud, they’re no laughing matter – especially if you have non-doggy visitors.
At Rally class last week, the gorgeous Ruby, a bulldog, was producing some eye-watering, gag-inducing smells. We had to have a “no-breathing” zone around her.
All mammals produce digestive gas.
But how much is normal and what can you do about it?
Overweight, obese and sedentary dogs fart more than active, normal weight dogs. Some breeds fart more than others, especially bulldogs, pugs and boxers. Why? Because these flat-nosed breeds have to take in more air when eating and drinking – and what goes in must come out. Dogs that bolt their food can have a similar problem.
But as well as having to void air that is swallowed, the act of digestion in the gut also creates gases that need to be expelled.
Diet is the most common cause. Flatulence can become a significant problem with diets that are poorly digested, or are high in carbohydrates, because these can both cause fermentation in the gut, resulting in very smelly farts.
Common human foods that cause flatulence include soybeans (soya thickeners are found in many dog foods), bread, beans, spicy food, sugary food, high fat diets, fruit, and milk products. Be careful what table scraps you feed your pooch. Tiny amounts may be fine, but larger amounts can have you reaching for the air freshener later on.
A sudden change in diet can cause excessive flatulence, as can dogs scavenging things they shouldn’t when out and about, such as poo, trash and spoiled food.
Some dogs have food intolerance to particular elements of the diet and food allergies are not uncommon. If you suspect that might be the case with your dog, please consult your vet so they can do the appropriate tests. You should only try altering your dog’s diet under vet supervision – please don’t try this yourself.
Excessive farts can also be caused by illness and diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease, bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine, irritable bowel syndrome, parasites, pancreatic disease and tumours. In these cases, the excessive farts are usually accompanied by other symptoms, such as diarrhoea, lethargy or weight change.
So if your dog is contributing to global warming from their farts, what can you do about it?
If your dog is otherwise healthy, change him to a higher quality diet. Usually the fewer ingredients the better. Just make sure you make any change gradually, over 5 days, or the change may cause even more farts…
More exercise can help – research has shown that dogs who exercise more have less gas. Make sure your dog gets a good walk and run every day.
You could try giving your dog activated charcoal treats – many people find they can really help in some dogs.
And obviously, if you think your dog may have an underlying allergy or medical cause, please consult your vet.
Keep training!
Carol