Help - My Dog’s Got Gas!

Real life provides me with a never-ending source of pet nutrition topics.

I was in the line at PetSmart tonight and the fellow in front of me was asking the young clerk what could he do for his dog’s gas problem?  I looked at what he was buying… a 40-lb bag of Beneful, rated almost at the very bottom of various pet food lists. Yeah. There’s your problem.

But no, she told him the dog probably has an allergy and steered him to the back of the store to find another grain-based food. I would have been glad to tell him if he’d asked ME, but I don’t believe in interfering with a commercial store’s business and it wasn’t life or death — except maybe for the poor owner — so I didn’t say anything. But I knew I’d be writing about it tonight.

Cats get gas, too, but let me tell you, flatulence in a 10-lb kitty is a lot more tolerable than gas in an 80-lb lab!

So here is how you eliminate gas in dogs (and cats). And remember, this is a Holistic Pet Food blog. “Holistic” looks at the “whole” animal and starts with nutrition and general wellness. There’s no point giving a remedy if the basic diet is all wrong.

Is there soy in your pet’s food? Soybeans comprise up to 25% of some pet foods, since it is a very affordable and renewable source of protein. Yet it is hard to digest for many animals, hence, GAS.

Kathryn Michel, D.V.M., a researcher and nutrition expert in the Department of Clinical Studies at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine in Philadelphia, says, “Changing to a food with less soy or no soy could make a big difference. To determine how much soy a product contains, look at the label. Ingredients positioned near the top of the list comprise the bulk of a product, while those farther down are included in smaller amounts.”

Is there wheat or corn in your pet’s food? These complex carbohydrates are not a dog or cat’s natural food in the wild and they often have trouble digesting them. Many holistic vets feel that simply changing away from foods with corn, wheat, and soy can resolve the gas problem.

Have they been eating table scraps or getting into the garbage? Think about what happens when YOU eat food that is too rich. Believe it or not, leftovers and trash findings just might be out of bounds for them. By the way, if they’re getting into the trash, consider if their pet food is giving them enough protein. It’s well-known that dogs who eat from a kitty’s litterbox is seeking the protein that, um, kitty is passing through her system.

Are you feeding your pet milk products? Just like with humans, many animals are lactose-intolerant. So the cottage cheese, cheese treats, and milk can cause gas. (Yogurt is okay).

Speaking of yogurt, does your pet food have probiotics or digestive aids in it? SOME holistic brands add probiotics. When you see “fermentation products” such as the following found in HealthyPetNet’s Life’s Abundance brand, you know that probiotics have been added to the food. This is so important to me that I only feed my pets holistic foods that ALSO contain the probiotics. It makes a HUGE difference in their bowel health and litter habits.

• Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product
• Lactobacillus Casei Fermentation Product
• Bifido Bacterium Fermentation Product
• Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product
• Aspergillus Oryzae Fermentation Product

Yogurt, by the way, is quite all right. Many yogurts contain digestion-friendly bacteria that can help decrease flatulence, says Ann-si Li, D.V.M., an expert in Oriental veterinary medicine in Oakland, California. She recommends giving 1/4 teaspoon of plain yogurt to cats and small dogs, 1 teaspoon to dogs 15 to 20 pounds and 1 tablespoon to large dogs. Most pets like the taste, so you won’t need to hide it in their food. She notes that even pets that can’t handle lactose can usually enjoy yogurt without any problems.

Have you recently changed their food? Sometimes, simply switching foods too quickly can bring on diarrhea, constipation, or gas. It doesn’t mean the new food is bad. The general rule for switching to a new dry food is to add two new kibbles to the old food, then double each day until your pet has made a complete transition.

Is your pet getting enough exercise? Just like after when a human has surgery and the nurse gets them up to walk around (and that helps get rid of the gas and bloat), walking can help your pet naturally eliminate gas. A sedentary animal might be more prone to getting gas because his sytem just isn’t moving it through.

Does your pet eat too fast? Many times, in a multi-pet household, they compete and eat quickly before the other guy gets it. They gulp air. Slow them down by feeding them in separate places or by placing the food around on the plate so that they have to eat a bit slower.

See, I told you this was a holistic blog! Before we get to remedies, you want to lay a good foundation of nutrition and eating habits and exercise.

Now, remedies.

Activated charcoal. It’s available over the counter in most pharmacies. For small pets, add 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon to their food daily. For larger pets, add 1/2 teaspoon. Beware that this is a very short-term remedy because it also absorbs nutrients.

Anti-gas products available at the vet or pet food store. Again, use for the short-term, only.

If your pet’s gas doesn’t go away, check with the vet. Sometimes they have a digestive problem or even worms or a parasite like giardia.

We love our babies but there’s no point sending your guests running whenever the dog bounds into the party.

Teresa Holladay
The Holistic Pet Food Blog
http://holisticpetfood.wordpress.com

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