Farty Hound!

[Guest greyhoundsuk]

Hi - anyone know a cure for farting? My girl has a diet of dry kibble mixed with offal from the butchers. Does anyone know anything that could help with the smells? I am planning to change her dry food soon as it is a bit high in protein and is not specifically for hounds but just wondered if anyone had any suggestions.

 

Thanks

[KF_in_Georgia]

Some people swear by a tablespoon of yogurt added to a meal once a day. Dogs will happily eat plain, unflavored yogurt.

 

But be careful with this if your dog hasn't been getting dairy products to date. Some dogs are lactose-intolerant, so go slowly.

[ramonaghan]

Yep, yogurt has always worked here.

[Guest greyhoundsuk]

Thanks - I do give her this sometimes. Will keep trying it.

[Houndtime]

A probiotic could help too.

[RaineysMom]

Ours get yogurt every single day and we are constantly being bombarded by the WORST farts ever (from both)....

[Guest xengab]

If your hound is farting from yogurt, then its most likely lactose intolerant.

 

We were told by our rescue group you can get dog probiotics that work well and don't cause the farts.

 

Not sure if my houndie is lactose intolerant, might try him soon on a day we intend to be out hiking..LOL Since at the moment all burps and farts have to be done by me (or so it seems).

[cleptogrey]

cut down on food? that works in my house. also if the farts are enough to clear a room it might be intolerance to the type/blend of food. probiotics instead of yogurt, fortiflora by purina is a good one.

[greysmom]

Excess gas is caused by some sort of upset in the GI tract, it doesn't always have one cause or the same cause for each dog.

 

It could be your dog needs to have some more "good bugs" in her system, which is why probiotics work sometimes.

 

It could be simply too much food, and her system is being overloaded and working too hard.

 

It could be the protein level is too high and she needs a food with a lower protein level - usually around 20% protein is fine unless your dog is particularly active or doing performance sports.

 

It could be she has an intolerance to one of the ingredients in her food - try a food with a unique protein source like fish or venison, and/or a different carb source like sweet potatoes or peas instead of corn and rice.

 

It could be the "offal" is just too rich for her, or she is eating too much.

 

If she has diarrhea or loose stools along with the gas it could also mean your dog needs to be wormed.

[Guest greyhoundsuk]

Thank you for your helpful answers. She is wormed each month but I am changing her food as I do think the food she is on at the moment is too high in protein and ash. It is more for working dogs. I am getting some food specially formulated for greys from the greyhound trust. It's 19% protein as opposed to 28% in her present food. The new food also contains green lip mussel and fish oil. I'm hoping she will be much better on it as at the moment her stomach gurgles and she can clear a room! She was on royal canin before and was fine but this is just too expensive at the moment. Until we get the new food (on order) I am adding some yoghurt to see how that goes and have stopped the offal to see the difference.

[turbotaina]

Chris raises good points. Every dog is different. Personally, I prefer a higher protein content - at least 25%. My old boy was on a food that was 42% and he maintained good muscle tone, etc.

 

Also - how is her temperament? I find dogs that are nervous tend to fart more. I've got one who's a regular farter (every time he stretches, he lets 'em rip, though he's doing better with a different food I changed to) and one who only farts when he's nervous.

Edited August 28, 2015 by turbotaina

[cleptogrey]

I agree with the 24_5percent protein level,14percent fat gurgling is somethng that often points to signs of tummy upset. Most likely she is also sneaking some grass. Let her tummy rest,white rice and boiled chop meat,a 3 to 1ratio.

Then try a lower protien food. Do I smell an IAMS green bag conversation brewing?

Edited August 28, 2015 by cleptogrey

[kudzu]

Probiotics can help a lot in some cases. Also, kibbles with lower carbs or sometimes just a different source of carbohydrates. My hounds are the gassiest on kibbles that use rice as the primary carb source.

 

ETA: 19% protein is lower than I want for my hounds. Mine are doing well on 24% protein / 20% fat.

Edited August 28, 2015 by kudzu

[brandimom]

a gh friend of ours had a gh that was very gassy. She was feeding the dog two meals per day. She is now feeding three meals a day with the same amount of kibble split into three meals - gas is gone

[BluegrassGrey]

Grain-free kibble has changed our lives!