Excessive gas production (Flatulence)

Imagine everyone is gathered together for a relaxing evening of snacks and television when gradually there is no way to avoid or ignore the odours being emitted by the otherwise happy family dog. Jokes abound, but really a solution to this problem is wanted, especially if it is ongoing.{{more}}

The Science of Flatulence

Flatulence comes from an excess of gases in the intestinal tract. These gases may represent air that has been swallowed, gas produced in the biochemical process of digestion, gas diffusion from the bloodstream, or gases produced by the bacteria that populate the intestinal tract. Over 99 per cent of the gases that pass from the intestinal tract are odourless; the gases with objectionable odours are typically those containing hydrogen sulfide.

Flatulence is a normal biological function. A surprising amount of air is swallowed with the simple act of eating, and if this is not burped out, it must exit through the other end. The amount of air swallowed tends to be increased when dogs feel they must eat quickly, or in brachycephalic breeds, as they tend to breathe more by mouth rather than by nose. Swallowed air tends not to have objectionable odour.

The really stinky gases are produced by colon (large intestine) bacteria. Dietary fibre in pet food is not readily digestible by the pet’s own enzyme systems, but is readily digested by the gas-producing bacteria of the colon. As these fibres are broken down, gases are produced. A diet heavy in fibre tends to favour these gas-producing organisms. The more supportive the intestinal environment, the more bacteria there will be and ultimately more gas will be produced.

What to do about it

The following are easy changes that can be made in your management of the pet:

o Feed smaller meals several times daily, instead of one larger daily meal.

o Feed a mixture of dry and canned foods.

o Discourage rapid eating by placing an over-turned small bowl inside the pet’s regular food bowl. This prevents the pet from taking such a large mouthful.

o Avoid soy and peas in the diet.

o Avoid any treats containing milk, cheese or other forms of lactose.

o Avoid fresh or dried fruit treats.

o Change to a high digestibility/low residue diet. Ideally, rice would be the diet’s carbohydrate source.

o If possible, walk the dog within 30 minutes of eating, so as to encourage passing gases outside.

Changing to a low residue diet means that most of the nutrients of the food are digested and absorbed by the pet before they reach the colon where the gas-forming bacteria are. This means there will be less food for the gas-forming organisms, which will ultimately mean fewer gas-forming organisms and less gas formed.

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