Can your dog clear a room in 30 seconds flat? How many times have you been relaxing, watching T.V. or talking with some friends when suddenly your dog breaks wind? Dog gas is probably one of the worst smells out there, unless of course your dog happens to like rolling in something dead, like my frequently pungent pooch, Sadie does.
How do you get rid of, or at least make it so your dog doesn’t pass gas as often? First, you’ll want to take a look at the food your dog is eating. There’s a good chance your dog’s diet is not agreeing with his stomach. Dog gas is caused when bacteria in the digestive tract break down food items producing gas. Here are some major gas causing ingredients to watch out for in your dog’s food.
Grains and starchy foods – Dogs cannot digest grains very easily, if the food you’re feeding your dog is high in corn, wheat, or potatoes (These ingredients make up the bulk of what’s in most commercial dog foods.) your dog will likely have gas. These ingredients give your dog the feeling of being full, but often lead to a gas problem when the food doesn’t get broken down completely while in the stomach. Once the undigested food moves into the large intestine it quickly ferments, which produces several types of gas: carbon dioxide, methane, hydrogen and hydrogen sulfide, or the odor you smell when your dog farts.
Lack of enzymes – Enzymes help break down and digest food in your dog’s stomach. Your dog will naturally have some enzymes, but he doesn’t produce a lot of amylase enzymes, which are responsible for breaking down grains and carbohydrates. This is because your dog was never meant to eat a lot of grains and carbohydrates. Most supermarket dog foods, both canned and kibble don’t contain enzymes because they were destroyed during the cooking process.
Food Allergies – Many dog foods are high in ingredients, which are known to cause allergies in many dogs, for example, wheat and soy. Just like people, some dogs are even lactose intolerant.
Table Scraps – A lot of human foods do not break down well in your dog’s stomach.
Feeding a high quality food with chicken, lamb, or fish listed among the top ingredients can lead to a more comfortable pet with less frequent gas. Another benefit of exceptional quality kibble will become apparent in your backyard. Your dog will be able to digest a high quality kibble better, which means smaller poop that doesn’t smell quite as bad. The contents of your dog’s poop can be an excellent indicator for just how healthy your dog is. A good diet will produce fewer by-products because your dog can digest more of his food leaving less mess for you to pick up later.
I feed both of my dogs, Pure Woof Gold. Your dog will love you for feeding him/her a tasty food, that will cause fewer bellyaches with less dog gas.