Why Dog Pass Gas?

Most people have been on the receiving end of a blast from their dog at one time or another. Once in a while your dog may clear a room when he has a gastric eruption. It's perfectly normal for a dog, or any other animal, to pass gas occasionally. But your dog's flatulence is amusing only so often. If you have a dog who has ongoing problems with passing gas you have probably been wondering what causes it.

Just as with humans, your dog has plenty of healthy bacteria in his gastrointestinal tract to help him digest food. If your dog is sick - if his stomach is upset or if this bacteria is out of balance, then it can cause problems with his digestion. This can happen when your dog eats something that disagrees with him.

The most common cause of a dog passing gas is, as you might guess, food-related. If you are feeding your dog a food that is high in plant material, such as grains or soybeans, then your dog may be more likely to produce gas. Grains can include corn, which is a common ingredient in many dog foods. Corn is often used as a lower quality protein in these foods. Dogs fed food with high amounts of corn in them are often very gassy. Soybeans are also found in some foods. Cellulase, an enzyme, can also produce gas. Psyllium, a fiber, can cause gas. Many fiber materials in dog foods can produce gas in dogs. These would also include beet pulp which is sometimes used in lower quality foods.

These ingredients can cause any dog to produce gas. Dogs are carnivores who are able to scavenge and eat some plant matter and other foods in the wild. But, in a steady diet, they may not do well on high amounts of this vegetable matter or be able to digest it without producing a lot of gas.

If your dog is producing gas and the food you're feeding does contain some of these ingredients, or high amounts of these ingredients, try switching to a different food that doesn't contain them.

In some cases a dog may have an allergy to something in the food you're feeding him. In this case even switching foods may not help if you don't know what your dog is allergic to. You will probably need to take your dog to a veterinarian in order to find out what your dog is allergic to so you can determine the best way to feed him. The simplest way to determine your dog's allergy will be for your vet to do a blood test and send it out to a lab for analysis. The lab can pinpoint the things your dog is allergic to so you can avoid them. You may need to find a specialized food for your dog, depending on your dog's allergy.

There is always the possibility that there is something wrong with a particular bag or can of food that you're feeding your dog. This could be a production problem. If your dog is not normally gassy but he is having a problem with one batch of food, keep the bag/can just in case you need to verify the lot number with the company. Watch your dog for any other signs that something may be wrong.

Passing gas is something that all animals do from time to time and it's nothing to be worried about. It's only when your dog has a continuing problem with gas that you should take note. If that is happening then you should, by all means, check what you're feeding your dog and see if you need to change his food.