If your dog farts a lot, it's almost always due to air that has entered the gastrointestinal tract - either because the dog swallows air while eating, or because the bacteria in the gut produce gas as the food is digested. The amount and the smell are closely linked to what the dog eats, how quickly it eats it, and how well its digestion handles the individual ingredients. The good news, therefore, is that in most cases you can noticeably reduce the farting by adjusting the meals and the feeding routine rather than treating it as a sign of illness.
A certain amount of air from the gut is perfectly normal and healthy - it's a sign that digestion is working. It's only when the farting becomes frequent, very foul-smelling or accompanied by loose stools, vomiting or discomfort that there's reason to look more closely at the cause. Below we go through the typical explanations and what you can do about each of them.
Is your dog eating too fast?
One of the most overlooked causes of gas in the gut is simply the pace at the bowl. A dog that throws itself at its meal and gulps down large mouthfuls without chewing also swallows large amounts of air at the same time. That air has to come out again, and some of it finds its way through the gut. This is seen especially in dogs that eat very eagerly, in dogs in multi-dog households where there's competition for the food, and in dogs that are only fed once a day and are therefore very hungry.
You can often ease the problem by dividing the daily ration into two smaller meals rather than one large one, so the dog isn't quite as starved when it eats. A bowl that forces the dog to eat more slowly, or spreading the food out over a larger area, also helps slow the eating pace. A setup where the dog has to lick and work for its food can both lower the pace and create calm around the meal, and here THE LICKING MAT is a simple way to make eating slower.
How the composition of the meal affects gas in the gut
What the dog eats is the single factor that matters most for both the amount and the smell of gas in the gut. When the gut bacteria break down certain nutrients, gas is produced as a completely natural by-product. The harder a meal is to digest, and the more fillers and superfluous carbohydrates it contains, the more work the bacteria have to do - and the more gas is created along the way.
Meals with a high proportion of carefully selected, fresh ingredients and human-grade ingredients typically put less strain on digestion, because the dog absorbs more of what it eats and leaves less behind for fermentation in the large intestine. This is one of the reasons why many people experience fewer and less powerful farts when they switch to high-quality meals. In ESSENTIAL FOODS' range you'll find our prepared meals gathered under the meals landing page, where you can see how the individual menus are composed according to taste, nutritional profile and needs.
Which foods cause the most gas in dogs?
Some ingredients are more gas-forming than others. Legumes, certain vegetables such as cabbage and broccoli, dairy products and a large proportion of grains and fillers are among those that most often set off gas. Many adult dogs also tolerate dairy products poorly, because they have trouble breaking down milk sugar, and the result is both gas and loose stools.
Leftovers from the dinner table are a frequent but often overlooked culprit. Fatty food, spicy dishes and human food in general easily disturb digestion and can cause heavy gas. Some of the things we eat are also directly harmful to dogs, and it's worth having an overview of this. Read more in the guides what dogs are allowed to eat and what my dog must not eat, so you know what can safely go in the bowl and what should stay on the table.
Change food gradually to avoid gas and loose stools
A sudden switch from one meal to another is a classic reason why a dog suddenly farts more. The gut's bacterial flora is used to the previous composition, and when it has to handle new ingredients from one day to the next, upset arises in the form of gas and often also softer stools. This doesn't mean the new meal is wrong - only that the transition went too fast.
The solution is to transition gradually over a period of about a week, where you mix a little more of the new meal into the old one day by day. That way the gut flora has time to adapt. We've gathered a step-by-step approach in the guide how to change dog food, which makes the transition as gentle as possible on the stomach.
When a sensitive stomach is the cause
Some dogs have a more sensitive digestion than others and easily react with gas, rumbling in the stomach and loose stools to ingredients that other dogs tolerate fine. Here it's about finding meals with a simple, easily digestible composition and keeping an eye on whether certain ingredients recur when the symptoms flare up.
For dogs with a sensitive stomach, we've gathered relevant meals in the sensitive stomach collection, where the focus is on ingredients that are gentle on digestion. If you want to understand what lies behind a delicate stomach, and how best to help it, you can dive into delicate or sensitive stomach and the in-depth guide best dog food for delicate stomachs. For some dogs a grain-free meal can be an advantage if fillers and grains turn out to disturb digestion - but this is individual and should be assessed based on your particular dog's reaction.
Do the dog's breed and age matter?
Short-nosed breeds such as bulldogs, pugs and boxers often swallow more air while they eat and breathe, precisely because of their facial shape. This makes them more prone to gas in the gut, without anything necessarily being wrong. It's worth being aware of if your dog belongs to one of these breeds, so you don't worry unnecessarily.
Age also plays a role. Puppies have a digestion that is still developing, and in senior dogs digestion can become less efficient over the years. In both cases it's extra important that the meals match the life stage precisely, so the gut isn't strained unnecessarily. If you're getting a new puppy, you'll find advice directly from ESSENTIAL FOODS in our puppy universe, which gathers meals and knowledge for the finest beginning.
When should you contact the vet?
Gas in the gut is harmless in the vast majority of cases and can be improved by adjusting meals and routines. But if the farting suddenly becomes heavy and persistent, or if it's accompanied by persistent loose stools, vomiting, a bloated or hard stomach, reduced appetite, weight loss or signs of discomfort and pain, you should contact your vet. A sudden and persistent change is always worth having examined, so underlying causes can be ruled out.
If, on the other hand, it's about finding the right meals for your particular dog's digestion, taste and life stage, ESSENTIAL FOODS' nutrition advisors are ready to help you by phone, chat or email. They can guide you in choosing between our meals and in how best to organise the feeding, so your dog gets a calm stomach and an everyday life where gas in the gut is no longer an issue.