help for dog "farts"

scintillady · 01-02-2008, 09:30 PM

Is there anything I can do short of changing my dog Ruby's diet to cut down on gas? We have been through many different diets since I rescued her, and I finally have one that is maintaining her weight at a good level without leaving her too hungry, but not causing her to have diarrhea or vomiting. So I don't really want to go back to the drawing board with the diet. Her only problem is that she can actually clear a room when she passes gas, which is not all the time, but too often for me. I had a product that I used to give my other dog, Susie, to help with the problem. She didn't have nearly the amount of gas Ruby does. It was a tiny bottle of drops that you could put on their food or give them directly. You only had to give a couple of drops at a time. I got it at a store that is closed now and can't seem to find it anywhere else. If it is no longer available, can you give dogs something like "Beano" that humans take for gas? Any other suggestions? Life with Ruby would be just about perfect if it weren't for this problem.

lovemygreys · 01-02-2008, 10:57 PM

You can try soaking her food with a good amount of water. That seems to help one of our greys that gets gassy from time to time. Ultimately, if the gas is *that* bad, I'd want to eventually look at the food. A food that agrees with a dog's system shouldn't make them terribly gassy.

007Dogs · 01-02-2008, 11:53 PM

We use to feed the dogs a Charcoal biscuit every evening to cut gas. But they to have proven impossiable to find anymore. Mother Hubbard still puts them in there assorted bags, but you can't buy just the charcoals separate. We use to get 20 lb boxes.

rustysdad · 01-03-2008, 12:12 AM

Processed foods and stressful environments deprive dogs and the rest of us of these valuable organisms and nutrients we need to metabolize.

The mechanisms are not completely understood, but probiotics act as regulators of the intestinal microflora, as a source of digestive enzymes, and as a positive stimulant to the immune system. Endogenous microflora play an intrinsic role in your dog’s digestive issues: gas, bloat, bad breath, inflammatory bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, constipation, diarrhea, vomiting, stool eating, chronic skin problems and allergies. it can take 10 to 14 days for probiotics to fully activate in your dog’s system. More concentrated forms begin working within a few hours. My guess is pro-biotics will solve your problem or at the very least will improve over all health.

Shaina · 01-03-2008, 12:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rustysdad

The mechanisms are not completely understood, but probiotics act as regulators of the intestinal microflora, as a source of digestive enzymes, and as a positive stimulant to the immune system. Endogenous microflora play an intrinsic role in your dog’s digestive issues: gas, bloat, bad breath, inflammatory bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, constipation, diarrhea, vomiting, stool eating, chronic skin problems and allergies. it can take 10 to 14 days for probiotics to fully activate in your dog’s system. More concentrated forms begin working within a few hours. My guess is pro-biotics will solve your problem or at the very least will improve over all health.

Translation: adding a bit of plain yogurt (one source of probiotics, if L. acidophilus is included) to your dogs meals might help.

I add one tablespoon plain Dannon yogurt to each meal for my 50lb dog. Hasn't caused a weight gain problem, and she no longer clears a room (and she was deadly before). It probably doesn't work for every dog, but if it works for yours it's a cheap, easy fix that's readily available.

rustysdad · 01-03-2008, 07:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shaina

Translation: adding a bit of plain yogurt (one source of probiotics, if L. acidophilus is included) to your dogs meals might help.

I add one tablespoon plain Dannon yogurt to each meal for my 50lb dog. Hasn't caused a weight gain problem, and she no longer clears a room (and she was deadly before). It probably doesn't work for every dog, but if it works for yours it's a cheap, easy fix that's readily available.

If the yogurt works that is great, but the problem is that not all the bacteria that is desireable survives the stomic acids.No one probiotic species is the best for every requirement or need and it can take 10 to 14 days for probiotics to fully activate in your dog’s system.Lactobacillus acidophilus, meaing "acid lover"Is a lactic acid-producing bacteria that lives in the stomach. It prefers acid and will secrete enough of its own acid to maintain a pH that is uncomfortable for many opportunistic pathogens. Other probiotics prefer the less acidic environs of the large intestine, and will successfully pass through the stomach and continue to the colon. There are always some probiotic microorganisms that succumb to the extreme conditions in the stomach, and that is why initial doses should be higher.

scintillady · 01-03-2008, 09:43 PM

I went to my local health food co-op to look for charcoal that I could put in my homemade dog biscuits, and they had bulk, by the pound, dog biscuits. I bought a few of the charcoal ones to try, so we'll see. The only problem I see with them is that they have wheat flour in them, and I never give Ruby wheat, so the benefits may cancel each other out. I am going to look on the web for food grade charcoal powder or capsules and incorporate it into my own homemade dog biscuits. It's worth a try.

rustysdad · 01-03-2008, 10:20 PM

You are right dogs and more so cats do not tolerate grains very well, and more grains and carbohydrates lead to weight gain and some other not so good health issues. Charcoal does help detoxify some of the intestinal gas but it also can absorb nutrients as well, robbing your dog of vitamins and minerals. Digestive enzymes taken before eating will help the digestive track digest and absorb maximum nutrition. Exercise will help move the gas as well and maybe stimulate a bowel movement that will lessen the gas. My bet is the dog can benefit from the lost enzymes from processed food.

Mdawn · 01-03-2008, 10:32 PM

My Mastiff has the potential to have lethal gas. I mean it was BAD!! I just give him a few tablespoons of plain yogurt everyday and it's a lot better. He still has gas but it doesn't run us out of the room anymore. Also, when we brought him home, the breeder was feeding a Diamond brand and I just don't think that it agreed with him. A food change and the yogurt took care of the problem for us.

LMH · 01-03-2008, 11:04 PM

I also have a mastiff that was flamable with his gas. He sleeps in the kitchen and we could smell it all the way in out bedroom. there are two products that have worked well for him.One of them i am using now is by Naturvet labeled enzymes and probiotics.It's powder form. It takes about 2 weeks to notice. Maybe give a little less than what is recommended cuz too much could cause loose stool.But it has helped sooo much. the other one i used was -I think fresh scent , i had a pic of a cartoon dog and some flowers. First i tried yogurt but apparently it wasn't strong enough for his gas cuz it didn't really work.

Mdawn · 01-03-2008, 11:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LMH

I also have a mastiff that was flamable with his gas. He sleeps in the kitchen and we could smell it all the way in out bedroom.

Yep, that describes Mastiff gas!! It's bad!

Also, I noticed with mine that he's sensitive to ANY changes in his diet. If he eats one thing that isn't in the norm for him, he gets gas. His stool doesn't get "loose" really, but he'll have to go poo more often as well.