Flatulence in Dogs

Flatulence occurs when gas builds up in your dog’s intestinal tract and colon. This is commonly caused by the dog eating something new – either a change in diet, or a food that they weren’t meant to eat. If your dog is eating food they can’t digest like dairy, soybeans, peas, or foods high in fat, they can experience chronic flatulence. Dog farts are typically not concerning, but if your dog’s gas becomes unbearable it may be time to make a change.

What Are Some Causes of Flatulence in Dogs?

Hard-to-digest foods like table scraps or spicy foods can give your dog an upset stomach, which can result in excessive gas or excessively smelly gas. Feeding them food or snacks with low-quality ingredients, fillers, or artificial preservatives can also give your dog gas.

If your dog is fed a high-quality diet and still has excessive gas, your veterinarian can test to see if they have poor digestion. They can also try to identify an intolerance or allergy your dog may have by eliminating ingredients from their diet and reintroducing them again.

Dogs who eat quickly will swallow more air while eating, which also leads to more flatulence.

Which Dogs Are Most at Risk?

If your dog is overweight, obese, or sedentary they are at a higher risk for chronic flatulence, regardless of diet. Short-nosed breeds like Pugs, Boston Terriers, Shih Tzus, and Lhasa Apsos tend to swallow a lot of air when they eat or drink, which causes excessive farting.

Could Flatulence Be a Symptom of Another Health Issue?

Once you’ve ruled out a food intolerance or digestive issue as the cause of your dog’s flatulence, you may need to visit your vet to identify a more serious cause. Persistent dog farts may be a side effect of the following health issues:

• Inflammation of the large intestine or colon (canine colitis)

• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

• Stomach infection

• Intestinal parasites such as worms

• Inflammatory bowel disease

• Inflammation of the pancreas

• Cancer

What Can I Do to Reduce My Dog’s Flatulence?

A healthy and consistent diet is the best way to reduce your dog’s farts.

You can also try the following:

• Don’t give your dog table scraps. Dogs can’t easily digest scraps, including foods high in fats and sugars, which can cause bloating and discomfort.

• Don’t give your dog dairy products. Most dogs are lactose intolerant, which means that milk, cream, or cheese can upset their stomachs.

• Keep your dog out of the trash in your home and outside. Practice the command “leave it” when taking your curious dog on walks.

• Avoid giving your dog fart-inducing foods. Steamed vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts can be healthy for your dog, but also produce more gas.

• Slow down your speed-eater. Divide your dog’s food into smaller portions throughout the day or try a slow-feeding dish to make them slow down.

• Keep your dog active. Make sure they get plenty of exercise and playtime.

• Change your dog’s diet. If you switch your dog to a new food, gradually introduce the food with their current kibble over the course of a week or two.

If those tips don’t work, you may want to feed your dog a mix of dry and wet foods. Make sure they are getting the right amount of protein. You generally want to give your dog more protein than carbohydrates, but too much red meat can also be the cause of especially stinky farts. Introducing a probiotic diet or supplement will aid in healthy digestion. Ask your veterinarian first if you’re considering giving your dog over-the-counter anti-gas medication.

What Are Some General Tips for Choosing a Healthy Dog Food?

Foods with low-quality ingredients can cause gas in dogs, so make sure to look at the ingredients that are used in your dog’s food. Avoid feeding your dog food that contains fermentable fibers such as chicory, inulin, pectins, psyllium, plant gums, oats, barley, beet pulp, fruit, or legumes. High-quality foods will consist of the following:

• One or more animal-based protein sources at the top of the ingredient list

• The words “highly digestible” or “low residue” on the label

• Minimal to no chemical preservatives

When Is It Time to See the Vet?

If your dog still has excessive gas after you’ve changed their diet, it may be time to visit your vet. Not only is your dog’s gas uncomfortable for you, but flatulence can also cause your dog physical discomfort. If your dog has a medical problem or food sensitivity, their gas may be accompanied by the following symptoms:

• Weight loss

• Change in appetite

• Vomiting

• Diarrhea

Schedule a visit to your veterinarian if your dog shows any of those symptoms.

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Get to Know Your Dog’s Digestive System

A healthy digestive system is essential to your dog’s well-being. The digestive system serves many important functions: it takes in food, absorbs nutrients, maintains fluid and electrolyte balance, and gets rid of waste.

It also covers a lot of area. The digestive tract includes the oral cavity (salivary glands, tongue, teeth), esophagus, stomach, small and large intestine, liver, pancreas, rectum, and anus.

The canine digestive system isn’t the most glamorous topic, but understanding how it works puts you in a better position to determine if your dog is sick and needs to be seen by a vet. It can also guide you in making decisions that will enhance their health.

Here are 7 interesting facts about your dog's gastrointestinal tract and health!

1. Dogs Get Heartburn, Too

Dogs can get indigestion and heartburn just like humans.

In the fasted state, stomach acids are very similar in people and dogs. After eating, however, dogs produce more acid than we do.

Our similarities mean that dogs and people benefit from the same antacids. But before giving your dog an over-the-counter antacid, talk to your veterinarian. You will want to be sure you aren’t risking any potential drug interactions or side effects.

Veterinarians can also provide you with important usage guidance for antacids to ensure you are not putting your pet’s health at risk.

But more stomach acid doesn’t translate to letting your dog eat potentially contaminated foods. Dogs are no less sensitive to food poisoning (bacterial contamination) than are people. The practice of feeding raw meat to dogs carries a demonstrated risk of food poisoning.

2. Food Moves Through a Dog's GI Tract Three Times as Fast

Dogs have a small intestine that occupies about 25% of the total gastrointestinal volume, which is consistent with other omnivores, including people. The small intestine of a cat, a true carnivore, occupies only 15%.

On average, food moves through the canine stomach a bit slower than ours, but food movement through the intestines is a little faster. Gastrointestinal transit time is six to eight hours for dogs, while in people it’s between 20 and 30 hours.

3. Dogs Can’t Chew Side to Side

You’ve probably noticed that your dog can’t chew side to side. The dog’s jaw only allows for up and down motion when chewing, whereas people have side-to-side movement that allows more grinding of food.

The difference probably has to do with our historical diets. The wolf-like ancestors of dogs ate mostly meat that could be easily ripped and swallowed, but people also relied on gathering or farming plant material that required more chewing.

4. Most Dogs Can Digest and Absorb Carbs

But modern dogs are considered omnivores, just like we are. They originally ate a carnivorous diet in the wild, but since they have been domesticated, adaptions have been made that allow them to digest and utilize plant-based nutrients.

True carnivores, like cats, have a higher nutritional requirement for taurine, arachidonic acid and certain vitamins, which are available in animal fat and protein sources.

Omnivores don’t have a higher requirement for these and create their own arachidonic acid from vegetable oils. Most normal dogs have no difficulty digesting and absorbing carbohydrates. So, there is no benefit to feeding grain-free diets to normal dogs.

5. Cholesterol Doesn’t Impact a Dog’s Health

Your doctor may advise you to lower your cholesterol level, but you won’t hear the same concerns echoed at the vet’s office. Cholesterol does not have the same effect on your dog’s heart, and their digestive systems are designed to accommodate animal fat.

Dogs also don’t have the same issues with colon cancer, so the idea that eating foods high in soluble fiber or low in saturated or trans-fats will provide any health benefit is really unknown at this point.

Vets say one of the keys to health is keeping your dog at a healthy weight. Obesity is related to exacerbation of many health problems in dogs and is a vet’s number one battle. If it’s any one thing that we can do, it’s talk to our vets about how to curb obesity.

6. Diarrhea and Vomiting May Be Bigger Problems Than You Thought

Gastrointestinal diseases account for about 10% of veterinary visits. Diarrhea is one of the most frequent clinical signs. Abnormal stool may also be a first symptom of a more systemic disease process, such as kidney, liver, and some endocrine disorders.

Vomiting is also a common symptom. An acute bout may resolve itself over a day or two—vets will often recommend a short, 12-hour period of fasting to “rest” the GI tract, followed by a bland diet of chicken and rice. But when the clinical signs continue or are especially severe, testing is often recommended to attempt to find out what may be causing the distress.

Imbalances with other organs, such as the kidneys, can also cause gastrointestinal signs. It is important to see your vet to determine the best treatment for your dog.

7. Your Dog’s Poop Tells a Lot About Their Health

You can learn a lot about your dog’s health by studying her poop (an unpleasant, but necessary task).

There are a variety of causes for abnormal stool. Most episodes of acute onset diarrhea are typically self-limiting within a few days, as dietary indiscretions are a frequent cause.

Parasites, bacteria, and viruses may also cause diarrhea. Depending on the underlying cause, the animal may or may not need appropriate treatment for the infectious agent. If diarrhea persists for several days, and/or there is blood in the stool, the animal should be examined by a veterinarian who can determine the most appropriate course of treatment.

On the other hand, if your dog isn’t pooping and is straining to defecate, they may be constipated, which if prolonged, may cause serious health issues.

One important takeaway is to contact your vet if you notice anything suspicious. Even short episodes of diarrhea or constipation that occur periodically, especially in combination with other signs, like weight loss and loss of appetite, may indicate a more complicated disease process.

Another key point is that you regularly monitor your dog’s poop habits. It is important for the owner to daily monitor how often the animal defecates and the consistency of the stool. There is some variation between animals and also variation from day-to-day, with some animals having consistently softer stools or harder stools than others. But generally, with time, the owners should be able to establish what’s normal for their animal.

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Food Allergies in Dogs: Symptoms and Treatment

Dogs, like people, can have allergies to certain foods. In fact, food allergies are one of the most common allergic reactions known to affect our canine friends. When your dog is allergic to a particular food, their immune system responds to the food as it might respond to an infection or bee sting, producing antibodies that in turn cause the symptoms associated with the allergic response.

We all know dogs are “garbage guts” and will eat, well, a wide range of stuff. Sometimes it’s hard to distinguish a little upset stomach from an allergic reaction to food. When symptoms such as diarrhea persist, allergies may be the cause. These symptoms usually take time to develop, since your dog’s immune response takes time to produce the antibodies that cause the allergic response.

Symptoms of Food Allergies in Dogs

The most common symptoms of a food allergy are:

• Itching

• Hair loss

• Skin infection

Less common symptoms include:

• Vomiting

• Diarrhea

• Weight loss

• Lethargy

• Hyperactivity

Sometimes, dogs show more aggression because of their discomfort.

The most common foods that cause canine food allergies are proteins such as lamb, beef, chicken, and eggs. In addition, some dogs can be allergic to soy or gluten, which is found in wheat and similar grains. Some dogs may be allergic to preservatives or other food additives, as well.

When a dog eats a food they are allergic to, a vicious cycle occurs: they eat, their body produces an allergic reaction, and they become symptomatic, i.e., they itch, has diarrhea, or may vomit—which is why it is so important to identify the food for which they are having the reaction to. Frustrating, right?

Diagnosing Food Allergies in Dogs

If your veterinarian suspects your dog of having a food allergy, they will perform a thorough physical exam and take a detailed history of your dog’s food intake and activities. In addition, your veterinarian may recommend routine diagnostics to rule out other causes of your dog’s symptoms.

Your veterinarian will likely recommend a strict hypoallergenic diet trial for at least 2–3 months to see if it alleviates your dog’s symptoms. The suggested diet cannot contain any ingredients your dog has been recently eating; there are several specifically designed diets to help prevent food allergies. During the food trial, it is critical that your dog does not get any treats or supplements unless approved by your veterinarian.

Treatment for Dogs With Food Allergies

The best treatment for food allergies is avoidance. Once you’ve identified the food your four-legged friend is allergic to, you will be able to avoid it in the future and help your dog live an allergy-free life. Unfortunately, there is no way to prevent your dog from developing food allergies.

If you have questions about canine food allergies, please talk with your veterinarian—the best resource when it comes to the health and well-being of your best friend.

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Excessive Shedding and How to Stop or Minimize It

Dogs naturally lose old or damaged hair by shedding. Although shedding is a normal process for dogs, the amount and frequency of hair that is shed often depends upon their health and breed type. It can also depend on the season-many dogs develop thick coats in the winter that are then shed in the spring. Dogs who are always kept indoors, however, are prone to smaller fluctuations in coat thickness and tend to shed fairly evenly all year.

How Can I Minimize My Dog's Shedding?

While you cannot stop a healthy dog from normal shedding, you can reduce the amount of hair in your home by brushing your dog regularly. Your veterinarian or groomer should be able to recommend a specific type of brush or comb that will work best for your dog’s hair type.

What Would Make a Dog Shed Excessively?

What seems like excessive shedding can be normal for some dogs, but it can also be the result of stress, poor nutrition, or a medical problem. Your veterinarian can best determine if your dog’s hair loss is part of the normal shedding process or is a symptom of an underlying disorder. Excessive shedding can sometimes be prevented through proper nutrition. Quality pet-food manufacturers work hard to include the right amount of nutrients so that supplements are not needed, but dogs with allergies and/or sensitivities still might need to experiment with different brands and formulations to discover which food works best for them. We recommend that you consult your veterinarian for advice on what foods will best suit your dog.

Excessive hair loss or bald patches may be due to one of the following:

• Parasites (fleas, lice or mites)

• Fungal or bacterial infections

• Inhalant or food-related allergies

• Kidney, liver, thyroid or adrenal disease (including Cushing’s)

• Pregnancy or lactation

• Certain medications

• Self-induced trauma due to licking

• Cancer

• Immune disease

• Sunburn

• Contact with irritating or caustic substances

When Is it Time to See the Vet?

If you notice any of the following conditions, or if your dog’s initial skin problem persists for more than a week, consult with your veterinarian for treatment.

• Skin irritation, including redness, bumps, rashes or scabs

• Open sores of any kind

• Bald spots or thinning of coat

• Dull, dry hair that pulls out easily

• Scratching

• Constant foot licking or face rubbing

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What Pet Owners Should Know About Food Allergies

You've heard it before. Limited Ingredient Diets. Grain-Free. Allergen-Free. Animal byproduct free. The majority of these companies suggest that these dog food formulas may be helpful for pets with allergies. How true are these claims, though?

As it turns out, food allergies are not as common as many pet food companies and websites may like for you to think. And while food allergies are one possible cause for your dog’s itchy skin, ear infections, or your cat’s diarrhea—there are many more likely causes which may have nothing to do with the food

What is a food allergy?

Food allergies occur when an animal’s immune system misidentifies a protein from an ingredient in their food as an invader rather than a food item and mounts an immune response. The end result of this response can be itchy skin or ear and skin infections in some pets, while it may cause vomiting or diarrhea in others. Some unlucky pets will have both skin and gastrointestinal symptoms. However, food allergies have to be distinguished from numerous other more common causes of these issues.

What are other causes of gastrointestinal signs in dogs and cats?

There are dozens of causes of gastrointestinal issues in dogs and cats – parasites, viruses, bacterial infections, pancreatitis, eating something they shouldn’t, and many others. For pets that have symptoms only on certain diets, it could be due to a food allergy, but it could also be due to an intolerance. For instance, the food may have too much fat, too much or too little fiber, or have other properties or ingredients that don’t agree with that particular pet but aren’t due to an allergy. An appointment with your veterinarian will help narrow down the issue(s) at hand.

What are other causes of itching, and skin and ear infections?

The most common cause of itching, skin infections, and ear infections in both dogs and cats are fleas, allergies to fleas, and environmental allergies – dust mites, pollen, grasses. Both flea allergies and environmental allergies are MUCH more common in pets than food allergies but flea, environmental, and food allergies can all have similar symptoms.

Diagnosis of food allergies

One of the most frustrating things about food allergies is that there really isn’t an easy test. While many tests – using blood, saliva, and even hair – that can be performed by your veterinarian or purchased by a pet owner online (and even sometimes shockingly, through a Groupon!) advertise that they can diagnose food allergies or “sensitivities”, there is no proof that they work. None of the currently available tests have been shown to be accurate – that non-allergic dogs test negative and allergic dogs (and only allergic dogs) test positive. In fact, multiple studies have shown that these kinds of tests are not very helpful in diagnosing food allergies, despite their widespread use for this purpose. Research results presented at a veterinary dermatology conference even showed that some tests “diagnosed” plain water and stuffed animal “fur” as having food allergies.

The “gold standard” or best method that we currently have, for diagnosing food allergies is the dietary elimination trial. This means feeding your pet a diet purchased through a veterinarian or carefully made at home that contains only a few ingredients (typically one protein and one carbohydrate plus necessary fats, vitamins, and minerals) that your pet has never been fed before or that are hydrolyzed (where the proteins are broken down into very small pieces that can hide from the immune system) or purified to remove the parts that are likely to cause allergies. This diet is then fed as the only food or flavored thing to go into your pet's mouth for a minimum of a month or more, depending on your pet's medical history and issues. If your pet’s signs dramatically improve during the trial, then to confirm a food allergy, your pet then has to go back to the old diet again. A quick relapse is suggestive of an allergy to an ingredient in the old diet. You then go back to the test diet until things get better again before trying one ingredient from the old diet at a time until you identify the specific foods that trigger the problem. Many people switch diets and their pets’ signs improve, but they never re-challenge, so we can’t know if it was coincidence or the diet that actually helped the pet! We see this commonly when the seasons change – pet owners assume it was the diet that caused the improvement in their pet’s allergies when actually it is because seasonal allergens – such as certain pollens – are much reduced.

The “allergy diet” myth

There are no diets that are completely “hypoallergenic”, meaning that they will not cause allergies. The closest we have to this kind of a diet are the hydrolyzed diets that can be purchased through veterinarians. Dogs and cats can be allergic to pretty much any protein or carbohydrate ingredient that can be found in pet food. Feeding a diet with duck, kangaroo, lamb, or venison doesn’t prevent food allergies, it just makes it likely that if your pet develops one, it will be to that protein instead of something more common like pork or chicken. Likewise, there is no evidence that continually changing (rotating) diet ingredients prevents food allergies, but it definitely can limit diet choices to try to diagnose them (since every ingredient your pet has eaten before is no longer available to be used in a dietary elimination trial).

What foods are associated with the most allergies in pets?

While the overall percentage of dogs and cats that have food allergies is low, there are some ingredients that are associated with more of the confirmed cases than others. The most commonly reported food allergies in dogs and cats are chicken, beef, dairy, and egg (and fish for cats). There is nothing particularly special about these ingredients other than they have been the most common ingredients in pet foods for the past few decades, so both cats and dogs often have been exposed to them a lot. What surprises many pet owners is that grains are actually uncommon causes of food allergies – most pets are allergic to animal proteins! Yes, the occasional pet is allergic to a specific grain, or even another plant-sourced ingredient such as potato, or even carrot, but this is less common than an allergy to an animal protein. Unfortunately, this information doesn’t prevent hundreds of companies from advertising their grain-free diets as being good for pets with allergies. Many companies also advertise gluten-free diets for pets. Gluten allergies seem to be extremely rare in pets, having been clearly documented only in Irish Setter dogs, possibly in Border Terrier dogs, and never in cats.

Do I have to use a diet from my vet for a diet trial?

Many companies make over-the-counter diets that they market as being good for dogs with allergies, but they often don’t live up to the hype. Many of these so-called “limited ingredient diets” contain more than 1 protein and 1 carbohydrate source. They may contain fruits and vegetables, alfalfa, kelp, or other ingredients that could interfere with a diet trial. Even those that only have 1 protein and 1 carbohydrate as well as the necessary vitamins and minerals listed on the bag may still contaminated with other ingredients. Several studies recently have shown that large proportions of over-the-counter diets contain ingredients (admittedly sometimes in very small amounts) not listed on the label, likely due at least in part to the common industry practice of running one diet after another in the same manufacturing line at the factory, without a thorough cleaning in between (this is like human foods that are labeled as being made in a factory that also processes nuts – even though they don’t contain nuts, they could have nut residues). Because of the high risk of contamination for over-the-counter diets, we strongly recommend using a veterinary diet for your dietary elimination trial (either novel ingredient or hydrolyzed, depending on the individual pet) or a carefully prepared home-cooked diet designed by a board-certified veterinary nutritionist. The best diets for a food trial have 2-3 ingredients plus fat sources (which are very low risk for allergies) and supplements. Diets for a diet trial should never include fruits and vegetables (unless a vegetable like a potato is one of the 2-3 ingredients), herbs, or ingredients such as kelp because they can make it hard to interpret the results if your pet doesn’t improve on the diet.

If your veterinarian diagnoses a food allergy using a dietary elimination trial with a veterinary diet or home-cooked diet, you may be able to manage your pet afterward with specific over-the-counter diets (once the specific allergen is identified), keeping in mind that you could see a flare-up if you unknowingly purchase a contaminated bag.

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