It’s an innocent moment at first…
But then, your dog releases a silent but deadly gas attack.
In this situation, you don’t know if you should laugh or feel displeased…
Moreover, it lets you think about what caused that stinky fart in the first place.
Continue reading to discover.
- 9 reasons why your dog farts so much and stinks.
- What kinds of human foods can cause flatulence in dogs.
- How to change your dog’s diet properly and prevent stinky farts.
- And many more…
Table of contents
Why does my dog fart so much and stink?
Your dog farts so much and stinks due to eating fatty food, garbage, spoiled food, or dairy products. It can also be due to a sudden change in their diet or poor nutrition. Sometimes it’s due to coprophagia and eating table scraps. Other times it’s from an underlying medical condition.
9 reasons why your dog farts so much and stinks
#1: Garbage gut
In the wild, your dog’s ancestors hunted for their food. That’s why you can say that dogs are good at foraging…
Now, that trait has been passed down to your pooch…
They might not need it anymore. That’s because you already provide the best food you can give them.
Despite that, it comes useful when the attractive smell of the garbage draws them in.
In the trash, numerous delicacies invite your dog.
There, some wrappers still have traces of food in them.
If you have a habit of not throwing food wrappers in your trash, this can still happen.
Once in the garbage, everything in there develops a smell…
That odor still calls on your dog.
Now, if your fur baby eats anything from the garbage…
Oof…
Get ready for some poof…
There’s a term for this, and it’s called garbage gut.
Aside from being a natural forager, there are other reasons why dogs eat garbage. Those are:
- Hunger.
- Poor nutrition.
- A habit from puppyhood.
- A fondness of a texture from the trash.
Warning: Bad gas isn’t the only effect of the garbage gut.
Your pup might go through a lot of painful experiences if they eat food from the trash.
That’s because many bacteria thrive in the trash. Those could inhabit your pup’s intestines and cause detrimental effects.
Your dog might experience the following:
- Shock.
- Seizures.
- Weakness.
- Depression.
- Dehydration.
- Abdominal pain.
- Loss of appetite.
- Swelling in the abdomen.
- Vomiting with or without blood.
- Panting without physical exertion.
#2: They’re lactose intolerant
The main sugar found in a mammal’s milk is lactose.
Then, to break that lactose down here comes lactase. It’s an enzyme that’s primarily present in puppyhood.
Still, lactase isn’t present in large amounts in a puppy’s body.
That’s why it helps that their mother dog’s milk only has about 3% of lactose concentration.
Then, when your dog starts eating food, their lactase activity decreases.
The exact number is by 10%, research says.
With that, your adult dog has developed lactose intolerance.
Now, their tummies can’t bear any dairy products.
Did you know? A cow’s milk has a 5% concentration of lactose.
It’s a higher concentration than what your pup was used to. Then, add their lactase deficiency to the equation…
It causes chaos to brew on your dog’s stomach…
So, if your pooch has gotten their paws on anything that’s dairy, that’ll explain the stinky farts.
And that won’t be the end of it.
AKC gives us more of what to expect if lactose intolerant dog eats something they’re not supposed to:
- Bloating.
- Diarrhea.
- Vomiting.
- Loose stools.
- Abdominal pain.
- Lack of appetite.
With that, recall if you’ve recently given Fido any of the following:
- Butter.
- Cheese.
- Ice cream.
- Whipped cream.
- Yogurt (large amount).
If you fed them any of those, that explains the stinky fart your dog has released.
Read also: My Dog Has Bad Gas, What Can I Give Him? 9 Tips
#3: Food poisoning
The garbage isn’t the only source of bad food to look out for…
There are more on the list that can lead to your dog’s stinky gas…
An example is when the predator in your dog gets triggered.
With that, they might have eaten the remains of a dead animal….
It doesn’t matter where they found it. The rotting animal causes your dog to have a rotten-smelling fart, too.
Other times, you might be the one that gave Fido something from the list I mentioned.
I’m talking about recalled dog foods and treats.
There are still many around in circulation, according to PetMD.
Another one is expired dog food. Such can also cause flatulence in dogs.
Then, the last one is raw food. Those include meat and eggs.
Although dogs can handle a little bit of that, it’s still unsafe to feed them raw food.
For example, raw eggs contain salmonella.
According to statistics, 1 in 20,000 eggs is contaminated with that bacteria.
When your pooch catches that one in thousands, they’ll release bad gas.
They’ll also experience fever, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Moreover, uncooked food can do the same thing.
That’s why you should be careful of what you’re feeding to your pup.
As much as possible, double-check everything before giving it to Fido.
Continue reading: 11 Reasons Why Your Dog Suddenly Has Bad Gas + 5 Tips
#4: Sudden change in their diet
Switching your dog’s diet isn’t as easy as you think…
Sure, Fido might eat anything that you give them…
However, there might be consequences to suddenly doing so.
One of which is stinky farts from your pooch.
So, if you’re currently making Fido undergo a diet change, this might happen.
It’ll help to take it down a notch for a while.
If this isn’t the cause of your dog’s situation, still stay a while.
I’ll proceed to tell you how to change your dog’s diet the proper way.
Such a careful transition is necessary.
That’s because abrupt changes in your dog’s diet can cause gastrointestinal upset.
According to AKC, that includes bad gas and the following:
- Diarrhea.
- Vomiting.
- Decreased appetite.
To avoid that, you must gradually introduce them to the new diet.
The recommended period for this is a week.
Here’s how you can do it…
Transitioning your dog to a new diet
Day 1 to 2: Introduce the new diet by 25%. Then, retain 75% of the old diet.
Day 3 to 4: Increase their new diet amount by 50%. Then, the other 50% is for their old meal.
Day 5 to 6: Start getting your dog accustomed by upping the new diet to 75% of their meal’s amount. On the other hand, their old diet gets to be 25%.
Day 7: You can fully give your dog their new diet.
Note: After day 7, continue to monitor your canine’s response to their new diet plan.
That’s because some dogs have sensitive stomachs.
If your dog is one of them, they need a longer transition period.
It’ll also help if you ask their vet’s advice regarding this new journey.
#5: Fatty foods
Fats are an important part of life.
That’s because it’s a great source of energy.
Moreover, it’s an essential part of your dog’s diet.
Despite that, a fatty diet isn’t always good.
That’s why vets only recommend about 10% to 15% of fats in an adult dog’s diet.
If more are provided in their diet, then that can cause flatulence in your canine.
With that, you must keep fatty foods in moderation in your dog’s diet.
Note how much you feed these foods to your pooch:
- Pork.
- Beef.
- Hot dogs.
- Fried chicken.
- Peanut butter.
Now, how exactly does this make your dog gassy?
It’s from the process of digestion.
How fat is digested
It’s normal for both humans and dogs to fart.
That’s because when food is broken down in the stomach, a waste product is made.
It’s called hydrogen sulfide, more commonly known as sulfur.
That’s why it’s normal for farts to occur after every meal.
Now, these fatty foods slow down the digestion process. With that, they’re left to ferment in your dog’s stomach.
That fermentation creates an unpleasant odor.
But that’s only the first reason…
Something else happens when the fat’s turn to be digested.
You see, fats contain sulfur. Then, that contributes to your dog’s already-smelly fart due to the fermentation.
Moreover, it increases the existing amount of sulfur in your dog’s stomach.
Now, that’s why fatty foods highly contribute to giving your dog bad gas.
So, stray away from those fats to save yourself from Fido’s stinky farts.
You might also like: 5x Why Your Dog’s Farts Smell Like Rotten Eggs & Sulfur
#6: Poor nutrition
As you assessed, everything seems fine in your dog’s diet.
They’re fed on a regular schedule. And you’re sure that not many fatty foods are present.
Then, you also don’t feed them dairy at all.
But you’re still attacked by these stinky farts that Fluffer releases from here and there.
What’s up with that?
Unfortunately, your dog’s diet might not be as faultless as you think it is.
How so?
Your dog’s food might contain too many fillers and preservatives.
Those components only aim to make your dog full.
But, it doesn’t really offer any proper nutrition.
With that, your pooch experiences poor nutrition.
Moreover, you get to endure their stinky gas.
There are also many concerning illnesses that can be due to poor nutrition.
AKC says those are:
- Obesity.
- Diabetes.
- Pancreatitis.
- Weakened immune system.
- Poor coat and skin condition.
It also makes your dog almost constantly hungry.
That’s why you might experience sleepless nights. I say so as hunger is one of the reasons why dogs get in the middle of the night.
Moreover, it also causes your canine to beg for more food. If you don’t give them any, they might result in dumpster diving and get garbage gut…
It only becomes a cycle of farts.
#7: Table scraps
More types of foods can cause your dog to be flatulent.
That’s why you must be careful about what you feed your dog.
Moreover, don’t just feed your pooch table scraps.
Yes, those foods might be okay for your dog to ingest.
However, some of those might be hard to digest in your canine’s stomach.
Like fats, those foods slow down the process of digestion. They stay on your pup’s tummy and ferment in there…
The only way to expel that fermentation is through a fart…
And it’s going to be an unpleasant fart.
So if you want to avoid this from happening, stray your dog away from the following:
- Soybeans.
- Spicy foods.
- Steamed vegetables.
- Beans, especially when uncooked.
#8: Coprophagia
Uh-oh…
That stinky fart is from something gross.
Where’s it from?
It might be from your dog’s poop-eating habits.
Yes, your pooch is capable of doing something foul.
In fact, it’s natural for dogs to eat feces.
A mother dog, or dam, eats poop around her den. She does that to keep her den clean for her litter.
Another natural reason for this behavior is your dog’s fondness for the taste of poop.
Uh-huh, Fido loves how poop tastes…
Moreover, there are other unusual reasons for this behavior.
It might be a habit that they brought from puppyhood.
Sometimes, it’s due to fear. Your pooch is scared of being scolded by you for pooping somewhere…
And so, they try to cover up their tracks by eating their poop.
Other times it might be connected to an issue in their kidney or liver.
Warning: It doesn’t matter if the reason is natural or unusual. Poop-eating shouldn’t be encouraged in your dog. That’s because poop might be contaminated with bacteria. If your pup eats one, it might result in an infection in their stomach or other medical issues.
#9: Underlying medical condition
Farting is normal behavior for dogs.
As I said, you must expect it after every meal.
However, it becomes unhealthy if their farts are constant. Even when a meal has already passed, they continue with their gas attack.
Moreover, there might be other symptoms that your dog experiences.
If there are, this occurrence has just become a real concern.
Take your pooch to the vet if they’re experiencing these other signs:
- Fever.
- Nausea.
- Bloating.
- Vomiting.
- Lethargy.
- Diarrhea.
- Weight loss.
- Bloody stool.
- Restlessness.
- House-soiling.
- Lack of appetite.
- Whining due to pain, mainly in the abdomen.
These are the possible conditions that your pooch might have:
- Intestinal parasites.
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).
- Exocrine pancreatic deficiency (EPI).
- Bloating or gastric dilation-volvulus (GDV).
- Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO).
Remember: Those are only possible reasons for your dog’s stinky farts. The best diagnosis will best come from a professional.