Pet Q & A: Nutritional Help for Pooches Who Pass Gas

I have a problem with my large dogs. They have bad flatulence after meals. I changed their food to a kibble of lamb and rice to lessen their gluten intake, but nothing helps. They get NO table scraps! What can I do?
―MaryLou

Excessive flatulence may be harmless, MaryLou, but it can also be an indication of disease. First, you will want to mention the problem to your veterinarian, who can examine your dogs for intestinal parasites and other potential causes for flatulence. If everything checks out normally, then I suggest you seek out a dog food product that is lower in fiber and/or has a source of fiber that is less likely to cause gas. This may help to reduce the flatulence.

There’s also the possibility that if your dogs are fast eaters, they are swallowing a significant amount of air while eating. If that’s the case, there are several things you can do to help them slow down. You can give them a little bit of food at a time, or feed them smaller meals throughout the day. You can even put bowls of food down in different areas of your house, so that they have to go looking for more food instead of gulping it all down at once.

If nothing else seems to work, ask your veterinarian if an over-the-counter medication can help reduce the flatulence. Good luck!

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