Although farts are the butt of many jokes, when they happen a lot and especially with other, uncomfortable symptoms, farts are really no laughing matter. Frequent farting in dogs usually means something is amiss somewhere in the body, and it's up to you and your veterinarian to get to the bottom of it.
The Symptoms Of Persistent Gas And Tummy Troubles
Beyond the room-clearing farts, your canine could exhibit a slew of symptoms, some more subtle than others. All of his symptoms are important to note, as gastrointestinal problems in any being can be very difficult, time-consuming, and costly to get to the bottom of.
Take note of the issues you see and be careful not to make dramatic changes to your dog's diet, especially quickly, as switching foods without time for adjustment can cause problems where none others exist. It's also a good idea to cease feeding him any table or people food, if that's something done, to eliminate other possible sources of aggravation.
Why Your Poor Dog May Be Experiencing Excessive Gas
Even if your dog has been a frequent farter since you've known him, as a symptom, gas shouldn't be simply excused as a characteristic of the animal; rather, it should be looked at as a possible symptom of whatever is going on inside him.
Whatever the cause of your dog's symptoms, they have to be investigated. Although an occasional bout of gas might be the result of swallowing air while eating too fast or some other benign reason, if this is happening all the time, your pooch needs professional help.
Taking The Smelly Situation To A Veterinarian
Fortunately, for you, issues of gas, abdominal discomfort, and other gastro-symptoms are familiar to vets; however, that doesn't mean diagnosis will be quick and easy. Your vet will want to know everything you're feeding the dog and if there have been any changes in his eating habits, fecal patterns, behavior, and more. Depending on the severity of symptoms, extensive testing, such as a biopsy or even colonoscopy may be necessary.
Most often, the dog's diet will be changed to something more suitable for digestion challenges and stomach sensitivities. He may also be tested for culpable worms and other parasites. You'll likely be advised to switch your dog to high-quality food that's lower in fat, fiber, and other ingredients that can aggravate the intestinal tract, too. Hopefully, a change of foods is all it takes to stop the symptoms, but if not, your pooch may require numerous procedures that rule out different conditions, one by one.
Your dog looks to you for everything, from love and affection to a warm and cozy bed to great-tasting, healthy food, but it can be hard when he looks to you for medical help. Pay close attention to his symptoms and form a team with the vet, so that together you can find out what's going on and bring your dog (and you) some much-needed relief.
For more information, reach out to a clinic such as Pittsburgh Spay & Vaccination Clinic.
Share18 November 2019
When I moved into the town I'm living in now, there was a large population of stray cats. Unfortunately, that population kept growing in rapid numbers because none of the cats had been fixed. I knew that wasn't a healthy situation, so I reached out to a local shelter and a veterinarian to launch a trap-alter-release program. Within about a year, we had the entire population altered and released back to their environments. The logistics were significant, but not overwhelming. That's why I built this site. My goal is to teach others how to launch a similar program in their own neighborhood to help keep the stray cats healthier and safer.