Why Is My Dog So Gassy? Common Causes of Digestive Issues
Dietary Sensitivities or Food Intolerances: Like humans, food intolerances also occur in dogs. The most common food allergens for dogs are chicken, beef, soy, corn and wheat. Digestive disturbances that accompany food intolerances may include diarrhoea, vomiting and gas as well as red, itchy skin.
Gut Bacteria Imbalance: Your dog's gut is home to trillions of bacteria that help digest food, produce nutrients and even strengthen the immune system. If the balance between good and bad bacteria is disrupted it can lead to excessive gas, bloating, and other digestive issues. This is known as dysbiosis and can be caused by numerous factors including diet, gut infections, antibiotics, stress and parasites.
Poor-Quality Food: Low-quality diets filled with fillers and hard-to-digest ingredients can be a major cause of gas and stomach upset.
Spoiled food: Spoiled food or food contaminated with bacteria can cause gastrointestinal distress leading to gas and other digestive symptoms like vomiting and diarrhoea.
A sudden change in diet: Rapidly changing from one diet that your dog has been fed for a while to a new one often causes digestive upset including gas. Your dog's digestive system needs time to adjust and acclimate to the new diet so all food changes should be made gradually over 7-10 days.
Eating Too Quickly: If your dog inhales their food in seconds, they're likely swallowing excess air, which can build up in their digestive system and cause gas. Slow feeding tools like puzzle feeders and snuffle mats can help to mitigate this.
Underlying Health Issues: Persistent gas can sometimes be an indication that there are more serious underlying health conditions at play such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), intestinal parasites or pancreatic issues.
What Your Dog's Gas Could Be Telling You
The type and frequency of your dog's gas may give you clues about their digestive health:
- Smelly, Frequent Gas: Often a sign of poor digestion or food intolerance.
- Gas with diarrhoea: Could indicate a sensitive stomach or a reaction to something they ate.
- Gas with vomiting: May suggest a food intolerance or a more serious underlying health condition.
How to Fix Your Dog's Digestion
Switch to a High-Quality, Sensitive Diet
Diet plays a critical role in your dog's digestive health. Switching to a formula designed for sensitive tummies can work wonders.
Pro Plan Sensitive Skin and Stomach is a high quality, scientifically developed diet specifically created for dogs with digestive and skin sensitivities.
Key Benefits:
- Avoids common food allergens: Made with salmon and mackerel, by excluding the most common food triggers it is the perfect option for dogs with food intolerances.
- Easily digestible protein: Salmon and mackerel are highly digestible making it easy for your dog to absorb essential nutrients and it's gentle on the stomach.
- Rich in omega-3 fatty acids: Helps reduce inflammation, nourish the skin, and support a shiny, healthy coat.
- Prebiotic fibres: Includes beet pulp and chicory to promote the growth of beneficial gut bacteria and improve digestion.
- Dual action formula: Targets both skin and stomach sensitivities in one convenient recipe.
- Caters for all sizes and life stages: The range includes a kibble option for small and toy breeds, medium and large breeds and even puppies.
