How To Treat Chronic Flatulence In Pets
While it is normal for pets to release gas from time to time, excessive tooting might indicate an underlying health problem. If you realize that your pet is releasing chronic stinky gas, you should consider visiting the vet to check whether the pet has an underlying health condition.
Diseases that cause excessive gases
There are certain illness such as inflammatory bowel disease and exocrine pancreatic insufficiency that can lead to excessive gas build-up in pets. Since the amount of gas that dogs or cats produce is often variable, you need to consult your vet if there’s an increase in frequency or you see symptoms that show the pet might be uncomfortable and bloated.
Pet’s eating habits
Besides the onset of diseases, the diet you feed your pet as well as the pet’s eating habits can cause excessive gas for your pets. Drinking water hurriedly or swallowing water when eating can cause the build up of excessive gas inside the gastrointestinal tract. Consuming legumes such as peas, beans and soybeans can also cause excessive gas.
If this is the case, you need to consider adjusting your pet’s diet. Some of the simple ways to eliminate excessive gas include feeding your pet a highly digestible nutrition, removing diets that include lactose and legumes, and preventing swallowing excessive air by feeding the pet small meals. Nonetheless, it’s important to consult the vet before you change your pet’s diet routine.
And though we all love our furry friends, excessive flatulence can be extremely annoying. Cats and dogs are lactose intolerant and when you feed them dairy products, they are likely to experience excessive flatulence and stomach upset. But if your pet consumes a premium nutrition and still experiences flatulence, the pet may have poor digestion.
Risk factors of excessive tooting
Sedentary, obese and overweight dogs have a higher risk for developing chronic flatulence. Dogs that eat hurriedly or swallow air when eating are also likely to experience chronic flatulence. The common signs of excessive tooting include mild stomach discomfort, bloating or abdominal distention, rumbling of the abdomen, and expulsion of odor from the anus. And if your dog has poor digestion, clinical symptoms might include vomiting, diarrhea, weight loose and loose stools.
Treatment
Treatment options are based on clinical signs and the pets medical history. As mentioned earlier, chronic flatulence is caused by respiratory disease, diets rich in dairy products, food additives, spicy foods, compulsive eating and respiratory disease.
Conclusion
If your pets have chronic flatulence and adjusting their diet doesn’t seem to help, you should consult a vet to recommend appropriate lifestyle and dietary change.
References: Modern Dog Magazine, Vetwest, Webmd
