There are moments when you are all alone with your dog when suddenly a distinctive pungent odor fills the room. It smells as if someone farted, and you know that you didn’t do it.
The only logical explanation is that your dog did it. So, do dogs fart?
The good news is that it was not just your imagination. Your dog was the one that emitted the foul smelling gas. It is only normal for dogs to be flatulent. There are dog breeds that tend to be gassier than other breeds.
It is normal for dogs to fart, and there are various reasons why they do so, such as high-fat diets and swallowing too much air.
Dogs fart in a silent manner, but there are dogs that pass gas, and they can be amusing to watch.
What Do Dog Farts Smell Bad?
The main reason behind the bad smell of dog farts is bacterial fermentation caused by foods that are hard to digest in the dog’s stomach.
It is also not a surprise to find out that the biggest culprit for the bacterial fermentation is beans. Other types of food that can also cause it are peas, oats, and soybeans.
Smaller dog breeds have a more pungent smell than larger breeds because they have smaller digestive tracts and bacterial fermentation is more concentrated.
That’s why the fart they give out is worse.
How to Control Dog Farts
There are things you can do to control farts of your pet. The first one is to avoid buying dog foods that contain corn, soy, or wheat.
These are foods that dogs find difficult to digest. Instead, you should give choose dog food that has high-digestible proteins.
You should also control yourself from giving your leftovers to your dog. No matter how cute your dog begs for food, you should not feed it scraps from the table.
Most food humans eat is not easy for your pet to digest. If you feed your dog food from the dinner table, bacterial fermentation can become worse, and it will not be good for you and your canine friend.
If your dog keeps on farting, you can try some home remedies to get rid of it.
Herbs such as thyme, peppermint, cayenne, and fennel have relaxing properties that can soothe the stomach muscles. The herbs can help reduce the amount of gas buildup in the intestinal tract.
You can also give your dog some probiotic supplements.
Exercise also plays a role in controlling your dog’s farting. There are instances in which the dog only needs to take a walk in order to digest food properly and avoid bacterial fermentation in the stomach from happening.
Cause of Concerns about Dog Farts
Your dog farting should not be a cause for concern. However, there are cases in which persistent farting is a symptom of a more serious condition such as liver disease or pancreatitis.
In such cases, farting non-stop is also accompanied by vomiting, diarrhea, or loss of appetite.
At the end of the day, farting should not make you love your dog less. It is a natural phenomenon that can’t be avoided.
After the smell is gone, your dog will still be there to love and be loyal to you until the end.