What Can I Give My Dog for Gas? Causes & Remedies
Gas in dogs is comparatively common and if usually not a significant issue even though it’s unpleasant and could be embarrassing for those who have guests over plus they mistakenly think you cut the cheese in spite of you insisting that it wasn’t you.
However, gas in dogs is definitely an indicator of the more severe underlying issue so it’s important to address if it’s a chronic issue or something like that that suddenly started happening.
So if you’re wondering, “what can I give my dog for gas?”, below you’ll discover the potential causes of why your pet has gas and just what that you can do about this.
Causes for Gas in Dogs
There are wide-ranging causes of why a dog could be experiencing gas. It ranges from totally normal to serious reason to be concerned.
Much from the gas that dogs and humans alike experience happens throughout the digestion process, when hydrogen sulfide gas is produced as food gets divided in the digestive tract. This is the gas that will get released as flatulence.
A large amount of dogs have a tendency to eat really fast, which means they end up swallowing a bunch of air along the way. This is especially true for dogs which have shorter snouts, like French bulldogs, Boston terriers, pugs, along with other breeds.
Some gas is common, just like it is in humans, if your dog is continually farting particularly bad smelling gas, then some thing serious might be at the root of the issue. If your dog is simply recently having bad gas out of the blue or maybe it’s combined with frequent diarrhea or blood in the stool, it may be a sign of something more serious.
Getting An Evaluation from the Veterinarian
Your veterinarian may check for the following underlying causes if your dog has frequent gas:
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
- Intestinal parasites
- Canine colitis
- Pancreatitis
- Cancer
These are the health issues that may lead to gas in dogs. As you can see, you will find relatively harmless causes of gas in dogs but there are more serious ones as well therefore if your dog has bad gas without warning, then you should get your dog directly into begin to see the veterinarian to be the safe side.
Some of those conditions will have treatments that may lessen the gas that the dog is experiencing.
Making Changes to Your Dog’s Diet
Abrupt changes for your dog’s diet can lead to increased gas as your dog’s digestive system adjusts towards the new diet. When changing your dog’s diet, easing them into it and slowly changing to a new pet food will likely lead to less gas than should you just changed it with no transition period.
On the other hand, in case your dog continues to be on a single diet for some time and is having strong gas, then it might be since the food you’re providing them with doesn’t go well with their digestive tract. In this case, you can try transitioning your pet to a different food.
Individual dogs have specific reactions to certain brands of pet food and the ingredients within them. That’s why it can take some experimenting to locate a pet food that matches well with your dog’s digestive system.
When shopping for dog food, look for items that contain high-quality meats yet have low amounts of protein and are low in fiber. Dog foods that fit this criteria might be called dog food for “sensitive stomachs”.
Avoid Giving Your Dog Table Scraps
If you give your pet table scraps without considering human foods are appropriate for dogs to eat, you could be unwittingly give your pet unhealthy or even dangerous food that they shouldn’t be eating.
The foods that people as humans eat often cause digestive issues in dogs, including gas. Most of the foods we eat are extremely high in fat, fiber, and sugar for dogs. Also, most dogs are lactose intolerant so any dairy will likely upset your dog’s stomach.
Don’t Enable your Dog Eat Things They Shouldn’t
Dogs are very curious creatures and they'll get into almost anything that you allow them to. Keeping the dog from the trash is essential since there are a variety of toxic things they could eat or choke on.
One of the easiest things you can do to make sure that your pet can’t enter into the garbage can is to place your rubbish bin in a cabinet.
If you don’t have a tall cabinet in your house that may fit a trash can, you can test obtaining a rubbish bin with a tighter fitting lid and/or a mechanism that's harder for the dog to spread out. simplehuman sells high-quality trash cans that have foot-operated pedals that lots of dogs can’t enter into, as it’s hard for them to press the pedal and surf the garbage simultaneously.
If you'll need more, you can pair that with an external latching system, something like Munchkin Xtraguard Dual Action Multi Use Latches. These are designed for keeping kids from things like cabinets but could work for dogs too.
You may also try something like the iTouchless 4 Gallon Pearl White Sensor Trash Can or the STERILITE 12.6 Gallon Locking Lid Board Kitchen Wastebasket. It might take some experimentation to locate a solution that keeps your pet from the trash.
There may be other conditions in your house you need to take action to, like keeping your dog from the cat’s cat litter box.
You could also have to keep the dog from picking up or eating harmful things they find on the floor when you are for walks.
Eliminate Foods that Cause Gas in your Dog
Chronic gas and flatulence are often due to a diet that is poorly digested from your dog. Foods which are hard to digest can differ slightly from dog to dog but there are several common foods that trigger excess gas in dogs.
Some from the foods that are prone to cause gastrointestinal upset in dogs and lead to gas include dairy, spicy food, food high in fat, beans, soybeans, peas, and more. You can avoid most of these foods by only giving your dog their pet food and never table scraps.
Your dog might be allergic to a certain ingredient in their pet food, then you can try another dog food brand to ascertain if switching helps or perhaps your veterinarian might help determine exactly what ingredient your pet is allergic to so that you can avoid dog food brands containing that ingredient.
Have Your Dog Eat Slower
One thing you can try if, like many dogs, your pet scarfs down their food as quickly as possible, would be to split up their meals into smaller portions throughout the day. This will help your pet to prevent swallowing so much air that will get released as gas.
Make Sure Your pet Gets Lots of Exercise
Your dog should get a lot of exercise and playtime, especially if you possess a puppy or younger dog. Exercise is good for digestion, so it should help with flatulence.
Dogs who are more sedentary will generally have more flatulence. Exercising will be the flatulence and can make your dog healthier and happier overall.
What to Give Your Dog for Gas
If your pet has bad gas, one of the first things you can do is try a new make of dog food. Your dog food product aimed at dogs with sensitive stomachs is a great starting point. Some like Purina’s Pro Plan Sensitive Skin and Sensitive Stomach Dry Pet food.
If your dog has chronic gas or has had a sudden start of increased gas, it’s a good idea to get your dog to your veterinarian to eliminate anything serious.
Your veterinarian might prescribe an antacid or perhaps a medication such as simethicone.
You can also consider using a probiotic product for dogs, such as BlueBiology Canine Probiotic.
Conclusion
Some quantity of gas in dogs is perfectly natural. It’s when the gas is particularly strong and chronic when your dog’s quality of life could be suffering or when there might be a far more serious underlying ailment.
For less serious gas, you can try a brand new pet food, preferably one formulated for dogs with sensitive stomachs and try probiotics for dogs. Stop feeding your pet table scraps if that’s something you do.
If your pet has chronic gas, you need to get your pet into the vet to ascertain if there are any health problems that need to be addressed and explore treatment options for gas or any conditions your pet might have.