Why does my dog fart so much?

If you’re a dog owner you know that feeling all too well. You’re sat on the couch relaxing, maybe watching TV. Maybe you’ve got visitors.

And then you notice a foul smell spreading it’s way across the room. Yes, your dog has farted again!

Of course, the fact that your dog farts a lot is handy in one way. It gives you someone else to blame for your own farts!

But some dogs fart more than others, and some stink more than others too.

Which begs the question – why does your dog fart so much?

My dog farts a lot

Farting is natural and normal. There are several different reasons why your dog may fart a lot though:

• Your dog swallows air and doesn’t burp it back up. If this happens, your dog has to get rid of that air somehow. The most common time for your dog to swallow air is when eating. If you’ve ever watched your dog gulping down their food, you’ll know why! While this is a major cause of dog farts, it’s lucky that these farts tend not to smell much. Some dogs with flat, snub noses such as bulldogs and boxers have a natural tendency to swallow air even when just breathing.
• The bacteria in your dog’s intestines can also cause gas, which of course results in farts. These bacteria are there to serve a purpose though. They help your dog’s digestive system work better.
• Lack of exercise and being overweight can also be a cause of dog farts.
• Some dogs are also lactose intolerant. This can be a big source of smelly dog farts!

Reducing how often your dog farts

If your dog farts too much, there are some steps you can take to reduce the number of farts.

Watch their diet

What you feed your dog can be a major reason why they fart so much. If you give your dog a lot of treats and a wide variety of dog foods, this can cause a lot of flatulence.

So if your dog tends to fart a lot, try making them stick to a plain diet with one type of food for a while.

And if your dog’s farts smell bad, the reason is often because of their diet. Low quality dog foods often contain ingredients that can increase farting. So try and only give your dog the best quality food you can afford.

Even if you stick to one type of food, some of the ingredients in dog food can still cause excessive farting. Culprits include cabbage, peas, beans, cauliflower and broccoli. So you might want to avoid giving your dog foods with these ingredients if they have a farting problem.

Smaller portions

Feeding your dog small portions more often can also help. If you give your dog fewer, larger portions they’re more likely to gulp the food down. This increases the chances of them swallowing air.

Probiotics

You may have seen a lot of stories in the news over the last few years about probiotics and good bacteria. Just as they help balance the bacteria in our intestines, they do the same for dogs too. They help to improve the efficiency of your dog’s digestive system and reduce gas.

Exercise

Making sure your dog gets plenty of exercise is another good way to reduce your dog’s farting. Exercise stimulates your dog’s intestines. And if your dog does fart, it’s better they do it outside rather than in the enclosed spaces of your house!

So take your dog for lots of nice walks, and play lots of games with them too.

Avoid dairy products

Dairy products can be a source of dog farting. This is especially true if your dog is lactose intolerant. So you can try avoiding dairy products such as cheese and milk. The one exception to this is yogurt which contains good bacteria. This can help to reduce any gas.

Summary

If you find yourself asking, “Why does my dog fart so much?” then relax – farting is natural for dogs. But if your dog farts too much for your liking, you can follow the advice in this article to try and reduce it.

One final word of advice is that if you think your dog’s farting is excessive you should consult your vet. Excessive farting can be a sign of illness such as liver disease or a food allergy. You should definitely consult your vet it your dog vomits, refuses to eat or suffers diarrhea.