Dog Community

anything for reducing flatulence (in dogs!)

Posted : 4/9/2007 8:50:31 AM

This is a serious question - Bugsy has pretty bad allergies and had been doing very well on TWO. I bought the Elk formula because figured Elk was similar to venison and the rest of the formula is the same as the bison which he did great on. We are also in SEVERE pollen at the moment so don't really know if it is just the change of formulas (got him back on OB so we'll see if that helps) but he is suffering terribly with the itchy scratchy's and extreme gas. Back in October our vet said he had never seen a dog so filled with intestinal gas and that it wasn't at all good for him to be that way. He had been doing soo much better but here we are again. Is there anything I can give him to relieve the gas? I feel bad for him (and for all residents/guest/visitors of my house Crying

) I have tried simplifying his diet this weekend to no avail
The change to Elk and the tree pollen explosion happened pretty much simultaneously so hard to tell which one is the problem. It doesn't make a lot of sense that tree pollen would make him fart but he does eat tons of grass and sticks when his allergies are bad seemingly to scratch his insides. Any help you may have is appreciated

This may belong in the nutrition thread so moderator feel free to move it - just want to get some traffic through and see if someone has a good idea

g33

Posted : 4/9/2007 8:51:58 AM

I would suggest adding some probiotics to his diet. You may need pills or it may be as simple as adding some yogurt, but that tends to help with gas.

Michelle

Posted : 4/9/2007 8:54:34 AM

I would imagine it's the food. FWIW, Gracie has some voracious toots on the Natural Balance venison formula . . . and when she ate half of one of DH's deerhide slippers!

kpwlee

Posted : 4/9/2007 8:55:36 AM

he gets yogurt and also some pumpkin, may be something more concentrated - thanks

saveastray:
he didn't have any problem with the NB venison and we actually had a small bag of Elk and I don't remember anything like this - this is like when he has chicken which he is allergic to, I actually emailed TWO to enquire whether there was any chicken or egg potentially in the product because those and turkey are severe allergens for him. I know he is uncomfortable because he can't settle at all - he is extremely tired just bothers me to see him this way.
Plus I have to go away later today and he is with DH who isn't the caretaker I wish he were [&:]

g33

Posted : 4/9/2007 9:45:40 AM

How long has he been on the new food? It might just be the detox period which is usually 4-6 weeks long. If you were going up a few notches in quality, don't discount the impact of detox. If it's possible, I'd give him a few weeks on the new food. (And personally I'd cut out the yogurt, pumpkin, and any other supplements until he can fully adjust to the staple diet. It might just be too much for his system to handle to have all that going on at once.)

mudpuppy

Posted : 4/9/2007 9:51:15 AM

I'd switch foods immediately, back to whatever he was fine on, and give him some antihistamines and some of that anti-gas drug, can't remember the name, they sell for humans. Stressed, gassy danes/dane mixes are in serious danger of bloat/gastric torsion.
You give him pumpkin every day? I don't think that's a good idea, it tends to "cover up" digestive problems.

kpwlee

Posted : 4/9/2007 10:01:33 AM

Thanks Mudpuppy - I've got him back on the Ocean Blue. I only give him the pumpkin when he is having problems (like now)
I have also upped his benadryl and wasn't sure if GASX was OK for him
I've left strict instructions for DH too.