Does your Dalmatian constantly clear the room? A few pops here and there are to be expected, but excessive flatulence (farting) can be a real issue and may indicate that something is not right.
I’ll explain everything owners need to know in order to solve this smelly problem, and ensure their Dalmatian is happy and healthy.
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3 Reasons Why Your Dalmatian Farts So Much
Many owners assume farting is a breed trait, but that’s not the case. Farting or excessive farting is nearly always caused by something, and in most cases, signifies an issue. Let’s run through them below.
A diet that is being poorly digested will be the main cause of most Dalmatians excessive farting issues. Other reasons can be that too much air is consumed when eating, and underlying health issues.
1. Diet & Food
The biggest culprit for excessive flatulence (smelly or not) is the diet. Certain types of foods and ingredients included in dog food or treats, may not be agreeing very well with his digestive system.
Sometimes it’s the fact that the ingredients are low-quality and other times, it can be just because your Dalmatian doesn’t digest them very well.
Common foods and ingredients that are known to cause digestive issues:
- Soybeans, peas or beans (very popular in dog foods)
- Milk and dairy products (very popular in food and treats)
- Fermentable fibers (lactulose, oat bran, or psyllium)
- Chicken, pork or beef (considered common allergens)
- Spicy foods
- Food additives
- Rotton or spoiled foods
It could be that the current dog food you are using contains one or more of the items above. It’s very likely.
● Chicken and beef are widely used yet they are actually common allergens, this means many dogs will not be able to digest them well, despite being in most dog foods. You could try opting for a dog food kibble that uses salmon, duck, or turkey as the main protein source. In general, these digest much easier than chicken or beef.
● Have you recently switched foods? Dalmatians, just like any dog, can take time adjusting to new diets and excessive flatulence can be caused by such a change. If you’ve changed foods and the flatulence hasn’t stopped, it could be an indication that this food isn’t working well, or it just contains some of the culprit ingredients listed above.
● Dogs are lactose intolerant (some more than others). Once a puppy has been weaned off its mother’s milk, their body will naturally stop producing an enzyme called lactase.
Lactase is responsible for breaking down lactose, which is the natural sugar found in milk and other dairy items.
So as puppies become adults, their bodies become less able to properly digest dairy. This results in upset stomachs, diarrhea and you guessed it, smelly farts! Lactose intolerance in dogs
The reason why it’s always recommended to use a “premium” dog food brand is that they contain fewer additives, preservatives, and controversial items. Cheap dog food brands often fill their foods out with less desirable ingredients.
This is how they are able to keep the costs low, but for our dogs, it means more upset stomachs. Opt for premium brands like Orijen, Acana, or Taste of The Wild.
2. Aerophagia (swallowing too much air when eating)
Aerophagia is a condition that can happen in both dogs and humans. It’s when too much air is ingested and this typically happens when eating, or throughout the day for other reasons (covered below).
Swallowing too much air doesn’t sound like a big deal, but it can actually cause some serious health issues; Bloat and Gastric Torsion (GDV) being the worst.
Too much air can cause many issues for the stomach and can even change the layout of the abdomen. Flatulence is just one of many negative symptoms of Aerophagia.
When swallowing too much air can happen:
- Anxious or stressed dogs tend to ingest too much air throughout the day or when eating
- When eating from a bowl that is too low down
- Feeding shortly after exercising
- Eating too fast
- Eating fermentable foods that produce a lot of gas as they break down
- Underlying respiratory disease
As you can see there are many reasons why your Dalmatian may be ingesting too much air. After speaking to many Dalmatian owners, they all had the same advice, which I will run through in the next section.
3. Underlying Health Issues
According to Vet West Animal Hospital, there can be a handful of health problems that can be causing excessive flatulence in your Dalmatian.
Some of the following health issues which cause flatulence:
● Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
● Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)
● Tumors
● Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
● Intestinal parasites
● Enteritis
● Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI)
There’s no way that you’ll be able to determine whether or not your Dalmatian has any of these health issues other than scheduling an exam with your veterinarian.
If you are unsure or see some of the common accompanying symptoms that go along with each health issue, visiting your veterinarian should be your priority.
For the majority of Dalmatians, it’s either going to be due to their diet, or ingesting too much air, but health issues should never be overlooked.
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3 Ways To Stop Your Dalmatian Farting So Much
Assuming you’ve ruled out health issues, you can try the following tips to help resolve your Dalmatian’s excessive flatulence.
By making the following changes one at a time and through the process of elimination, hopefully, you’ll be able to pinpoint what caused the flatulence in the first place.
1. Raise his food bowl up
The first and most immediate thing you can try is to raise his food bowl up off the ground. This is what many other owners have suggested and it has worked for them.
You can either buy specially made raised food bowls like this one, or you could put his dinner bowl on the second step of your stairs, or even put a few books underneath his food bowl.
By raising his food bowl up from the ground his posture will be significantly improved and this helps to ingest a lot LESS air when eating. This will help to avoid “bloat” and excessive gas within his stomach.
The following diagram explains where the ideal eating height is.
By making this change first you should see pretty quick results. But if you don’t, it’s likely that something else is the cause.
On a side note: I would consider investing in a raised food bowl and using it regardless of whether it helped reduce flatulence or not. There are many good reasons why your dog should be eating at a raised level. Here’s an article about that if you’re interested.
2. Consider changing dog foods
Before actually making a change, it’s best to first take a look at the ingredients.
It’s likely that you’re already using a premium brand, but you may still be surprised to see milk proteins and items labeled as dairy in the food. You may also be using dog food that get’s the majority of its protein from Chicken or Beef.
Try opting a dog food that’s made for dogs with sensitive stomachs and one that gets its main protein source from either Salmon, Duck or Turkey (all of which are not common allergens) Purina Pro Plan Focus could be a great option for your Dalmatian.
Consider removing his treats as you introduce the new dog food, as this will give you a more accurate and fair result.
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3. Ensure your dalmatian is stress-free and receives his exercise
Considering that a root cause of Aerophagia is stress and anxiety, reevaluating your Dalmatian’s daily routine is a smart move.
Dalmatians need A LOT of daily exercise. 1-2 hours of intensive exercise is the minimum for Dalmatians. It’s also important for your Dal to receive adequate mental stimulation (exercise) as well as his physical needs.
Mental stimulation can come in the form of routine training, socializing with other dogs regularly, and playing with interactive dog toys.
The reason physical and mental exercise is included here is that they are both fundamental to the health of Dalmatians. And without enough of either one, will lead to an under-stimulated dog, and this will cause stress and anxiety.
Recommended: Best Ways To Exercise Your Dalmatian
Are Charcoal Biscuits Any Good?
Veterinarians often recommend charcoal biscuits for dogs that are particularly gassy.
Activated charcoal has many possible health benefits and is usually composed of natural items such as bamboo, coconut shells, and wood. Charcoal works to absorb excess gas in the intestines and it also has many detoxifying properties.
Although veterinarians often recommend charcoal biscuits, they should not be considered a permanent fix and are only suitable as a temporary solution.
It’s important to find out why your Dalmatian has excess gas, and address the root cause.
Important Tip: It’s crucial to only use activated charcoal DOG biscuits that are made for dogs. Activated charcoal made for humans is not suitable.
Before trying activated charcoal biscuits, it’s important to speak to your veterinarian first.
This is original content produced and published by The Puppy Mag | www.thepuppymag.com
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Last Thoughts
If your Dalmatian has excessive gas it’s important to address the issue and find out the root cause.
When there are multiple causes to a problem, it can be quite hard to pinpoint what’s actually causing it, so the process of elimination is key.
By following the tips above in the order shown, you stand a great chance at solving your gassy Dal.