Farting Something Nasty

[Guest savvyprchick]

Chase has now been farting something nasty CONSTANTLY for the last month or so. We have not changed foods for six months and he had been on a mixture of Acana (grain-free) chicken and salmon. We thought maybe it was the combination (though he had been on the combination). So we put him on just one at a time (slowly changing over). No dice. Still farting horribly. He's never done this before. Maybe a nasty fart every once in a great while, but not this.

 

Maybe this is related to the fact that he's started peeing in the house (vets can't figure out what is wrong with him) and maybe not. But is there something that could maybe help stop the farts? They are really so bad we want to send him out of the room. And they are constant. Sometimes SBDs and sometimes quite audible.

 

I am willing to change him to a different food, but is there a protein that tends to have less gas than another? Skah needs to stay on the Acana fish because we finally found something that he doesn't have explosive D on. Chase and Lulu did quite well on Premium Edge but we switched because of Skah. That's not grain free, but I'm considering going back. However, I have no idea if this will help or not because he was doing well on the Acana for five months.

 

Any ideas?

[tbhounds]

Really does sound like a food intolerance. Hard to say if it's from a grain or a protein source. Maybe you need to try raw or a food like Honest Kitchen??

[Guest savvyprchick]

Really does sound like a food intolerance. Hard to say if it's from a grain or a protein source. Maybe you need to try raw or a food like Honest Kitchen??

 

Well, it can't be a grain because Acana is grain free. And he's been on both chicken and salmon his whole life, so it would have to be an immediate and random start of a protein insensitivity. I've tried to feed raw before. He refuses. And this dog has no problem not eating for MANY days if he doesn't feel like it/doesn't like his food.

[tbhounds]

Is he getting a different type of treat ??? My hounds will get crazy gasey when they get chicken jerky treats-- needless to say those treats are not welcome in my house.

[Sambuca]

Has he been checked for worms?

[Guest savvyprchick]

Is he getting a different type of treat ??? My hounds will get crazy gasey when they get chicken jerky treats-- needless to say those treats are not welcome in my house.

 

No, our dogs don't get treats too often (yes, we're bad doggie parents). And when one starts having any issues, everyone is cut off treats for weeks. They are more likely to get carrots or ice cubes than anything.

[Batmom]

Round or three of Panacur.

[Guest savvyprchick]

Round or three of Panacur.

 

Really? Worms or something could make him farty? Great idea, thanks!

[Figma]

When our Grey gets gassy, it is usually a food issue. As a matter of fact, my Vet recently suggested we put him on a food with fish and stay away from poultry. Said, even though they may have eaten it for a long time, can still develop a sensitivity to it.

 

Maybe try getting a small bag of Pro Plan Salmon for Sensitive Stomachs and see if that helps.

[Guest savvyprchick]

When our Grey gets gassy, it is usually a food issue. As a matter of fact, my Vet recently suggested we put him on a food with fish and stay away from poultry. Said, even though they may have eaten it for a long time, can still develop a sensitivity to it.

 

Maybe try getting a small bag of Pro Plan Salmon for Sensitive Stomachs and see if that helps.

 

My dogs can't do the corn in ProPlan. It makes them have the Big D. But they have been on solely on salmon (see first post) and that didn't help either.

[4My2Greys]

Try giving him about a tsp of Manuka honey that has 15+ rating for a few days before you feed him. The stuff works wonders for settling tummy troubles among other things.

[Guest HHHounds]

We add a big spoon of plain yogurt to each meal - they love it and it cuts the gassy attacks.

[cleptogrey]

i would try rice and 25% either chopped meat or ground turkey or ground chicken for a week and see if things settle down. my dogs can not tolerate any of the fish based foods, but you said he has been on it for a while. it's possible that he needs a round of flagyl to clear things up. how are his stools? that wasn't mentioned. i would also add probiotics and digestive enzymes to his rice and meat, it can't hurt. forti-flora is excellent, but i have also had success w/ probiotics from the vitamin shoppe. cut out anything except the rice and one souce of protien and see if things clear up, then very slowly add food. if he is still gassy w/ plain rice then call your vet.

[MaryJane]

It could be a bacterial infection in his gut that produces an obnoxious smell. The yogurt might help to get the "good bacteria" back into the system but, it might not be enough. You might need to bring this up to the vet and discuss a culture and sensitivity and if that shows something, do a dose of antibiotics.

 

Did anything happen about a month ago -- like diarrhea, being sick, or maybe boarded/played with other dogs that he could have gotten contact with their poop?

[Guest mcsheltie]

He has been on antibiotics for the peeing issues? Get a good probiotic, I would go to a health food store. Check the label and make sure they guarantee a billion organisms until the expiration date. Yogurt doesn't contain hardly any. You would have to feed a gallon of yogurt to get the amount in a tsp or capsule of a good probiotic. Plus yogurt can give some dogs gas.

 

If the antibiotics have caused a "bad" bacteria overgrowth you may need a round of Flagyl to clear it up. If you haven't wormed in a while use Panacur. The two can be given together to give a double punch to giardia.

 

ETA: If his stools are fine I wouldn't mess with his food until I tried the above ideas. Changing food will just upset his gut more.

Edited February 28, 2011 by mcsheltie

[IndyandHollyluv]

Y'know, I would tinker with the food first before getting all crazy! Sometimes the answer to our problems is quite simple.

 

I was feeding a 50/50 mix of TOTW Pacific Stream and Pinnacle

Trout and Sweet Potato to my hounds. While two of the dogs were fine with the mix, something was ailing my almost 10 yr old boy. He was burping, had miserable soft, bloody stools, and rank gas.

 

He seems to have a very sensitive gut. When I ran out of the above foods, I switched back to Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Stomach and recently added Blue Basics Salmon and Potato (a limited ingredient food). The gnarly gas, burping, and soft-serve stools stopped. Buh-bye.

 

Every dog is different, but I suspect for my boy the grain-free kibble is too rich (or whatever) for him. I don't believe it was the Pinnacle, a limited ingredient food (which I am going to try to reintroduce again).

 

I didn't have to put him on antibiotics, buy special food, etc. Just read a lot of labels and started over from the beginning with him. Also fyi, I don't feed any wheat, corn, soy, or dairy.

 

Poor Chase. I'm sure all that gas is very painful. Poor you for having to smell it.

Edited February 28, 2011 by IndyandHollyluv

[Guest savvyprchick]

i would try rice and 25% either chopped meat or ground turkey or ground chicken for a week and see if things settle down. my dogs can not tolerate any of the fish based foods, but you said he has been on it for a while. it's possible that he needs a round of flagyl to clear things up. how are his stools? that wasn't mentioned. i would also add probiotics and digestive enzymes to his rice and meat, it can't hurt. forti-flora is excellent, but i have also had success w/ probiotics from the vitamin shoppe. cut out anything except the rice and one souce of protien and see if things clear up, then very slowly add food. if he is still gassy w/ plain rice then call your vet.

 

Stools are just fine!

 

It could be a bacterial infection in his gut that produces an obnoxious smell. The yogurt might help to get the "good bacteria" back into the system but, it might not be enough. You might need to bring this up to the vet and discuss a culture and sensitivity and if that shows something, do a dose of antibiotics.

 

Did anything happen about a month ago -- like diarrhea, being sick, or maybe boarded/played with other dogs that he could have gotten contact with their poop?

 

He just came off 2 weeks of antibiotics for a possible UTI that they couldn't find on culture. However, he was gassy before he started the antibiotics and continues to be now three days after them.

 

Y'know, I would tinker with the food first before getting all crazy! Sometimes the answer to our problems is quite simple.

 

I was feeding a 50/50 mix of TOTW Pacific Stream and Pinnacle

Trout and Sweet Potato to my hounds. While two of the dogs were fine with the mix, something was ailing my almost 10 yr old boy. He was burping, had miserable soft, bloody stools, and rank gas.

 

He seems to have a very sensitive gut. When I ran out of the above foods, I switched back to Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Stomach and recently added Blue Basics Salmon and Potato (a limited ingredient food). The gnarly gas, burping, and soft-serve stools stopped. Buh-bye.

 

Every dog is different, but I suspect for my boy the grain-free kibble is too rich (or whatever) for him. I don't believe it was the Pinnacle, a limited ingredient food (which I am going to try to reintroduce again).

 

I didn't have to put him on antibiotics, buy special food, etc. Just read a lot of labels and started over from the beginning with him. Also fyi, I don't feed any wheat, corn, soy, or dairy.

 

Poor Chase. I'm sure all that gas is very painful. Poor you for having to smell it.

 

The thing is he's never had sensitivity to anything before. And he's been on this food for 6+ months with NO problems. His skin and coat have just become wonderfully soft and silky on it.

[Guest greytma]

When we first had Basil our 2nd greyhound we could not believe the methane cloud he produced----

but we were advised to try probiotic yogurt

Now

Our greys have a tablespoon of probiotic plain yogurt every morning, it certainly works for them.

 

I understand from both reading about greyhounds and talking to different greyhound rescues smelly farts are something greyhounds are notorious for.

[Guest BlueCrab]

I'm following this thread with particular interest...we've had a pretty serious gas attack in our household, too, for probably the last two months on and off. No change in food (Canidae dry) and it seems to be both dogs. Tried yogurt in the past, that makes it much worse.

[Guest mcsheltie]

I'm following this thread with particular interest...we've had a pretty serious gas attack in our household, too, for probably the last two months on and off. No change in food (Canidae dry) and it seems to be both dogs. Tried yogurt in the past, that makes it much worse.

You may not have changed the food, but that doesn't mean Canidae didn't. They can change the food 30% and not have disclose it. If they make a "major" change they have six months to change the bags. They reformulated their food several years ago and did no advertising to let people know. People noticed when their dogs got diarrhea. They lost a lot of business.

 

Your dogs may have picked up worms or giardia when they were out and about too.

[IndyandHollyluv]

This may not be Chase's problem at all (and I am no expert) but keep in mind that sometimes it may take awhile for a particular food or ingredient to become problematic.

 

As we know, certain foods may give us humans hives or digestive woes (e.g., dairy, gluten-based) - and they don't call it "irritable bowel" for nothing! For example, if wheat is ingested day after day after day, for some humans or animals, it can cause an inflammatory process of some sort like, gut or sinus problems, whatever. If the food is too rich? Perhaps pancreatitis.

 

So just because your pup has been eating the same food with no apparent ill-effects doesn't mean there hasn't been sort of "cumulative" effect or load factor.

 

BTW, my first hound had hook, tape, and round worms (in that order) but no gas problem. Then he was dx'd with giardia but no gas problem - just milkshake squirts for poo.

 

I still would reconsider his food. Try a limited ingredient kibble, skip any grain-free products for awhile.

 

Good luck!

Edited March 1, 2011 by IndyandHollyluv

[cleptogrey]

I'm following this thread with particular interest...we've had a pretty serious gas attack in our household, too, for probably the last two months on and off. No change in food (Canidae dry) and it seems to be both dogs. Tried yogurt in the past, that makes it much worse.

You may not have changed the food, but that doesn't mean Canidae didn't. They can change the food 30% and not have disclose it. If they make a "major" change they have six months to change the bags. They reformulated their food several years ago and did no advertising to let people know. People noticed when their dogs got diarrhea. They lost a lot of business.

 

Your dogs may have picked up worms or giardia when they were out and about too.

 

i agree, sound logical to me. so, what's wrong w/ rice???? also, just talk to your vet he might have a few tricks up his sleeve.

[TwiggysMom]

As with Sambuca and Batmom, my first thought was worms. You can buy Panacur inexpensively over the counter.

 

Mcsheltie is absolutely right too, the same brand can and often does make a change in their formula. I'm one of those who was feeding Canidae 2-3 years ago when they changed their formula. My girl is pretty iron-stomached, but between her and the foster it was me or the food - I switched their food.

[gracegirl]

I'm following this thread with particular interest...we've had a pretty serious gas attack in our household, too, for probably the last two months on and off. No change in food (Canidae dry) and it seems to be both dogs. Tried yogurt in the past, that makes it much worse.

You may not have changed the food, but that doesn't mean Canidae didn't. They can change the food 30% and not have disclose it. If they make a "major" change they have six months to change the bags. They reformulated their food several years ago and did no advertising to let people know. People noticed when their dogs got diarrhea. They lost a lot of business.

 

Your dogs may have picked up worms or giardia when they were out and about too.

 

Canidae lost my business when they did this a few years ago. Bummer they changed it, because I was very happy with it before the change.

 

Jen, I hope you can figure out Chase's issues. I keep my pups on interceptor year round for the non-heartworm worm prevention. I also occasionally dose with panacur...just to kill off any nasties. Try panacur, if you have not already, first.

 

I have no advide on the gas issues, but recently (as in today) got a Dx on Fenway's mysetry pee problems. He bagan peeing in the house about a month ago. After today's ultrasound, we've discovered it's due to kidney damage. The rest of his lab work was all within normal ranges, but it's my understanding that BUN, creatinin, etc don't start to show levels outside of the ranges until over 75% of kidney function has been lost. I'm going to attempt to control this with diet, but have much more research to do before determining which diet to put him on.

 

Good luck, and keep us posted. I also bet that probiotics can't / won't hurt.

[Guest avadogner]

My hounds are on Blue Buffalo Salmon Grain Free and whenever they have had a round of toxic gas, it has always been due to tapeworm infestation. Doing a couple rounds of Pancacur knocks it out everytime. We have neighbors behind us who do care care for their dogs very well and we get water runoff from their yard so we end up with Tapeworm in our grass which the dogs occasionally eat. We've tried to help out the dogs and called our city's animal control office to see if someone could help these poor dogs. But they said we needed multiple complaints to do anything. Their home ended up forclosed upon and they are now gone. You can check their poo for shed worms. Take a specimen to your vet to be sure.

I hope your air gets easier to breath ASAP!

-ava and augie's mum

ps. Having our hounds on Grain free and eliminating chicken from their diet has improved their gas.