Gas in Dogs ~ Pawprints and Purrs, Inc.

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Any health care links located here are NOT to replace a veterinarian visit; please take your dog to a vet immediately at any sign of odd behavior or any symptoms of illness or injury. Call your vet and describe your dog's symptoms with any of your concerns about the dog's well-being. Your veterinarian may discover changes in your dog's health that you have overlooked. It is always better to err on the side of caution.

Gas in Dogs

All mammals produce intestinal gas, and dogs are no exception. Compared to cows, which produce upward of 60 quarts of gas a day, dogs are relatively modest in their output. What they lack in quantity, they make up in pungency - their gas is unusually smelly. Even a small dog can clear a large room, and bigger dogs, especially those who are real food hounds, can be downright unpleasant to be around.

Part of the reason humans notice dogs' gas so much is that dogs haven't been taught to hold it in. They don't leave the room to pass it.

Protein In, Smells Out

The intestinal tract is filled with bacteria that help process foods and aid in digestion, as part of their natural metabolism, which gives intestinal gas its unpleasant smell. The more protein there is in the diet, the stronger the smell.

Cows and other herbivores produce a lot of gas, but there isn't enough meat-based protein in their diets to create large amounts of sulfur gases. Dogs eat a lot of protein - quite a bit more than most people. They don't necessarily have a lot of gas, but when they do, it's powerful stuff.

It's not only protein that contributes to high-octane gas - it's also the type of protein. Many commercial dog foods get their protein from animal by-products - feathers or ground-up bone, for example. These ingredients are harder for dogs to digest than protein that comes from whole foods - such as chicken meat or eggs. The harder the body has to work to process protein, the more flatulent a dog is going to be.

Food Allergies and Sensitivities

A surprising number of dogs are sensitive to ingredients in their food. Milk is a common ingredient in dog food, but many dogs have a condition that makes it difficult for them to digest it. This condition, called lactose intolerance, can make dogs extremely gassy.

Food allergies are another problem. Dogs who are allergic to ingredients such as soy or wheat aren't able to digest their food efficiently and tend to be gassy. They often get diarrhea, as well.

One way to tell if your dog is sensitive to something in his diet is to write down every single thing he's had to eat within the 24 hours preceding the gassy episodes. Sometimes something as simple as switching to a different brand of treats will make intestinal gas a little less unpleasant. Your veterinarian may recommend putting your dog on a diet called an elimination diet. He'll be given a hypoallergenic food containing ingredients he's never had before. If the gas goes away, you'll know that something in his food was causing it.

Breed Specific

Many German Shepherds have a hereditary condition in which they don't produce enough digestive enzymes. This doesn't necessarily affect their overall nutrition, but it can result in foul-smelling gas. Other gassy breeds include Boxers, Bulldogs, and Pugs. These dogs have short, flat faces, and short respiratory tracts. They gasp quite a bit and tend to swallow air when they eat, which can result in extra gas.

Now That You Understand ...

Switch to a premium food. Sometimes just switching from a low-cost dog food to a premium brand such as Innova will reduce gas. Read labels before you make the change. What you're looking for is a food that lists whole ingredients such as chicken, beef, lamb, and egg at the top of the ingredient list. If you see the word by-product, you'll know the food is going to be more difficult to digest.

Experiment with flavors. Every dog reacts differently to different foods. If you notice the gas is increasing when your dog eats beef and potato based food, switch to one with lamb or rice, or even one containing venison or rabbit and potato.

Ask your veterinarian about lower-protein foods. Since it's mainly protein that makes a dog's gas so smelly, you may want to switch to a lower-protein food, especially if your dog has been eating a high-performance chow. Some foods supply more protein than dogs need. You can cut back without compromising good nutrition. Protein is a key ingredient in every diet, so talk to your veterinarian before making the change.

If you decide to change foods, do it gradually. Dogs who are suddenly switched from one food to another tend to get diarrhea. You can make the transition more comfortable - and less gassy - by adding a little bit of the new food to your dog's usual diet for a few days. Each day gradually increase the amount of new food while cutting back on the original. You'll know in a month if switching food is going to help.

Take human foods off the menu. Dogs will eat just about anything, but their bodies aren't designed to handle most of the foods that people eat. Table scraps are often the culprit. If you're slipping your dog bologna or cheese or ice cream, that may be what's causing the problem.

Get rid of the rawhides. Dogs love these tough, chewy little treats, but rawhides don't always love them back. They're very high in protein, and dogs who eat a lot of them tend to get gassy - not just because of the protein, but because they swallow buckets of air while chewing them. Give your dog some other treats for a few weeks and see if the air improves. Or give him larger, tightly tied rawhide bones, which take longer to eat.

Feed your dog more often. Dogs who eat their food all at once tend to have more gas than those who eat smaller amounts more often. Feed your dog two, three, or even four times a day. Your dog will still be eating his usual ration, but spreading out the serving times will help the intestines work more efficiently.

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Resource References:
Dog Care Companions, Jana Murphy & Editors of Pets, Part of the Family; 2000