Symptoms of Horrible Gas in Dogs

A dog with gas is unpleasant and potentially embarrassing for you, but gas is also uncomfortable for the dog. Gas in dogs can be both a symptom and a cause of more serious problems. Dogs can't talk, so it's often difficult to know when they are not feeling well. However, they do communicate non-verbally, and there are symptoms that may indicate that your dog has horrible gas.

  1. Symptoms of Gas

    • The most easily recognized symptom of a dog with gas is the characteristic smell of the gas that the dog passes. Other symptoms are rumbling noises in the dog's intestines, vomiting, diarrhea, bloating, weight loss and decreased appetite.

    Causes of Gas

    • The primary cause of gas in dogs is an inappropriate diet. Another cause is swallowing air while eating. This can be caused by eating too fast, eating too soon after heavy physical activity or respiratory disorders that make breathing difficult. Breeds with shorter heads also tend to swallow more air while eating. Parasites, bowel diseases, viruses or abnormally high levels of normal intestinal bacteria can also cause gas in dogs, although these are less common causes. The gas also may be a characteristic of the breed, as some breeds tend to have gas more than others.

    How to Treat a Dog with Gas

    • If your dog is severely bloated, vomiting excessively or has uncontrollable diarrhea, take it to a veterinarian as soon as possible. If the gas is merely bothersome to you, you can treat it at home. There are several common medications available to treat gas in dogs, including zinc acetate, bismuth subsalicylate and simethicone. You can also give your dog pancreatic enzyme supplements, yogurt or dry activated charcoal.

    How to Prevent Gas in Dogs

    • Feed your dog a proper diet. Avoid feeding your dog table scraps, fatty or spicy foods, food with a high fiber content, milk, onions, cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli and legumes such as peas, beans and soybeans. Do not feed your dog anything that may be spoiled. Use a garbage receptacle with a secure lid or keep it behind a closed door to prevent your dog from getting into it.

      If your dog eats too fast, place a large rubber ball in the center of its food dish to slow it down. If you have more than one dog, and they are eating fast in competition for food, feed each dog in a separate dish in separate parts of the room. If you need to change the brand of food you feed your dog, make the switch gradually. Mix a little of the new food into the current food. Each day feed your dog a little more of the new food and a little less of the current food until it is eating the new food exclusively. Make sure your dog gets plenty of exercise