Doggie flatulance?

Question

I have a female rottweiler who is 7 years old. She has a terrible gas problem are there any suggestions. She is fed IAMS for older dogs.

Answer 1

Hello, I thought these might be helpful:) Goodluck!

What do I do about my dog's embarrassing gas problem?
Dear Rebecca Ann,

My dog is totally housetrained, but he has an even more embarrassing problem - he is always passing gas! What do you suggest I do to help him? I am planning on having guests come over for a party and I sure don't want this to happen while everyone is here. He will clear the room!

Robyn
Cherry Hill, NJ


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Hi Robyn,

Whew! What Is That Smell?

Do YOU "blame" it on the dog?

How many times have you and your dog been relaxing around the house when all of a sudden, a most awful smell arises from your dog's nether regions? Dog flatulence has got to be, by far, the worst smell. It ranks right up there with the delightful scent of something dead that he's rolled in.

What Is Your Dog Eating?
Your dog's diet has a lot to do with the frequent passing of gas. What you are feeding her? Does she get food from the dinner table? Some people foods don't always digest the best in the canine system, and can cause some serious smelling vapors, just like in humans. Some dogs are also lactose intolerant, resulting in some majorly noxious fumes after consuming dairy.

Spend Some Extra Cash, Cuts Down On the Smell Of Gas
Most supermarket brands of dog food are made up mostly of corn products for fillers. This gives your dog the feeling of being full, but also can add to a foul gas problem, and in some sensitive dogs, severe allergies. Feeding a better grade of food, with the top ingredients listed as chicken, lamb, or beef, can not only mean a happier pet, but a less odiferous one as well. High quality dog food will also cut down on the amount of waste product, meaning less poop for you to scoop, and less smelly ones too. As gross as it sounds, the contents of your dog's bowel movements can determine how healthy your pet is. A high quality diet results in less end product, because more of the meal is actually digested, leaving less mess later.

Supplementing His Diet
If upgrading your dog's diet doesn't seem to be helping, it may be time to check out some other solutions. A teaspoon of low-fat yogurt with each meal will reduce internal gas, thanks to the live bacterial cultures in yogurt.

When All Else Fails, Ask Your Vet
It may be time for a check-up. Going to the vet for check-ups are a must anyway. Your dog's anal glands may be the culprit of rear-end woes. Impacted anal glands cause noxious odors and discomfort. It is a good idea to have them checked every time you are at the vet's, just in case, or your groomer will be able to help also. If the glands seem to be a frequent problem, have either your vet or your groomer instruct you in expressing the glands at home on your own.

Sharing in your love of animals,

Rebecca Ann


If you have any more questions about your dog,
please feel free to contact me!

Rebecca Ann
Domestic Animal Behavioral Specialist
About Rebecca
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Tip 79 - Flatulence in dogs - dog farting - treating dog farts

Although most dogs seem to enjoy the smell of a human flatus or fart, the reverse is rarely true. Dogs suffering from excessive flatulence (farting) can quickly pollute the air quality in a room. Although not harmful to human health, the smell is often horrific and can it create some embarrassing moments, especially when guests are around.

The most common causes of bad flatulence in dogs include;

Eating too fast - When the dog eats too fast, swallowed air (aerophagia) makes it to the intestines very quickly and in a more concentrated quantity.
The natural processes of producing the gas through food digestion and absorption within the digestive and eliminatory tracts.
Eating foods that are known to cause flatulence (beans, cauliflower etc).
Eating a poor quality dog food.
Tips that can help diminish the severity of dog flatulence:

Instead of feeding your dog 1 or 2 portions of food per day, divide the daily ration into smaller portions and feed the dog more frequently.
Sometimes dogs eat too quickly because they fear their food will be taken away, so feed your dog in a quiet comfortable area.
Exercise the dog more frequently to stimulate its intestines.
Choose a premium brand of dog food that is highly digestible.
There are products on the market that can can be added to dog food in order to reduce farting but these should only be used after consulting your veterinarian. Activated charcoal is often used in this regard and it does absorb the bad smelling gasses that cause bad flatulence. It must be used with caution and only occasionally however, since it can also rob the dog's body of the nutrients it is getting from its food.

It should be noted that although bad flatulence can be reduced, all dogs (just like all humans) experience daily flatulence and it should never be your intention to get your dog to stop farting altogether.

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Answer 2

Flatulence is usually related to food that is not being broken down/utilized properly. There's something in her diet she's not digesting well. Is this a recent diet change for your dog? Has the flatulence been there right along?

Often, we (or dogs) will develop an ability to assimilate foods that initially cause flatulence - occasional bean eaters might have problems, but over time you may develop the intestinal capability to break them down.

Looking at the ingredients, I see several that make me wonder exactly how digestible this food is. I'm no vet, but know a little about food. Do you think you might have a problem if the major ingredients of your diet included Corn Meal, Ground Whole Grain Sorghum, and Dried Beet Pulp? I'm sure these are pretty common ingredients in dog food, but do you think these are common things for feral/wild dogs to eat - something they evolved to digest?

They say they have oligosaccharides (fructooligosaccharides) as a fiber source. I don't know if this is the beet pulp, but if I recall correctly, oligosaccharides are one of the things that can be hard to digest. While the fiber may be good for the dog in general, it may be that there's too much for your dog.

Maybe it's the fish meal or fish oil. I know we gave our dog some salmon once and 40 years later I still remember the stench he made out of that.

You could try consulting your vet too.

Answer 3

My dog was a smelly little thing while eating Iams. I changed her food to Solid Gold Dog Food and now she is smell free. The food is more expensive, but she eats less of it, produces less waste, and looks better overall; a nice trade-off.

You could try switching foods as well. I started looking for foods that listed meats as the first ingredients in the ingredient list rather than grains. It could be a food allergy. A lot of dogs are allergic to wheat.

Another recommended solution is to add a teaspoon of low-fat yogurt with each meal. The bacterial cultures in the yogurt reduce internal gases.

Last but not least, If nothing seems to be helping, checking with your vet would be a good idea. Your dog's anal glands may be the reason for the foul odors. Impacted anal glands cause horrible smells and make for an unhappy pooch.

I wish you and your dog the best. I hope this helps.

Answer 4

Usually the food intake is the issue. Sometimes dog foods can be too rich for the aging dogs stomach which will cause irritations. I would suggest lamb and rice dog food. We use Eukanuba Lamb and Rice, which is about the same price. It usually contains a little more fiber which will help in the digestion of the food and help with "air pollution". Plus, make sure you are feeding your dog hard food, not soft. If your dog has bad teeth then you can add some water to hard food to make it a little softer.

Plus: I'm not sure if you are a calprit to this (as I am sometimes) however if you feed your animal any human food, the animal will get "gas" issues. If the issue gets really bad though, I would suggest talking to your vet about the issue.

Answer 5

Exercise helps move gas out of the system. Watch what you feed them, especially diary products from scraps. Raise their food dish to eliminate air digested while eating and give her some yogurt. Yes, yogurt (1tbs).....it has enzymes that helps with digestion and decrease flatulence.

Answer 6

I agree that it could be the diet. I am sorry to say, but Pedigree, Iams, Science Diet and any 'supermarket' brands are really crappy food for your dog! Go to your pet store and pick up a high quality food like Innova or Eagle Pack. It may seem expensive, but your dog will eat less of it, and you'll have way less poop to pick up! I guarantee it!

Answer 7

I have a bulldog who also had bad gas. We were told to take him off all beef based products as they can cause gas in dogs. You could try that. You may also want to call your vet & see if they have any suggestions. Your vet may want to check her over to rule out any physical problems. Good luck.

Answer 8

Make sure the dog is not getting any cheese. Also, check the teeth, if the dog has bad teeth then that is the beginning of bad digestion.

Answer 9

I have 2, 3yr old rotties and they too have gas sometimes..
I just have to watch what I give them to eat (table scraps).
They eat Technical from Royal Canin. If we hold off on the table food and just feed them the Technical, they do not have as much gas.

Answer 10

Try changing her food. She may be having trouble digesting what she's eating now.