You might have encountered smelly farts multiple times while hanging out with your golden retriever, which made you wonder if it’s normal for your dog to pass a lot of gas.
Golden retrievers like all dogs, experience gas, but whether they fart a lot can vary from dog to dog. Diet, sedentary lifestyle, food allergies and intolerances, consuming human foods, rapid eating, obesity, overeating, and health problems are some factors that cause increased flatulence in golden retrievers.
In this article, we will discuss the reasons which make golden retrievers fart more, what steps we can take to reduce farting in them, and more!
Table of Contents
Reasons Why Golden Retrievers Might Fart A Lot
Although passing wind is normal in dogs, there are a few reasons why your golden retriever might fart more.
1. High-Fiber Foods
Foods rich in fiber, such as certain vegetables and grains, can promote gas production in the digestive tract.
While fiber is important for digestive health, excessive amounts can lead to more flatulence.
RECOMMENDED READING: Should Golden Retrievers Eat Grain-Free?
2. Spoiled Foods
Eating from garbage or food contaminated with bacteria or fungi can cause dog gas.
3. Sudden Dietary Changes
Your golden retriever may be gassy and farting a lot due to abrupt changes to their diet or you didn’t introduce new foods slowly enough.
Quickly switching their food can disrupt the balance of the digestive system and result in flatulence.
RELATED: When Should My Golden Retriever Puppy Switch To Adult Food?
4. Poorly Digested Foods
When a golden retriever eats poorly digestible foodssuch as beans, soybeans, and peas, it can contribute to large amounts of gas.
5. Spicy Food
Spicy foods are difficult for dogs to digest and can cause increased flatulencein dogs.
Also, many spicy food ingredients like chili, garlic, cloves, nutmeg, onion powder, and paprika are highly toxic to dogs.
RECOMMENDED READING: What Human Foods Can Golden Retrievers Eat?
6. Low-Quality Dog Food
Some commercial dog foods contain low-quality ingredients or fillers like wheat, corn, beet pulp, oat bran, and soy which may ferment in the digestive tract, producing gas as a byproduct.
They also contain food additives, animal by-products, and artificial preservatives, which pose potential health risks.
7. Dairy Products
Although certain dogs can tolerate small amounts of dairy, many are lactose intolerant, meaning they lack the enzyme needed to digest lactose, the sugar in milk.
Consuming dairy products can result in GI upset and increased gas production.
RECOMMENDED READING: Can Golden Retrievers Drink Milk?
8. Table Scraps
Human food is fatty and contains a lot of sodium, which can harm your dog’s health.
Feeding table scraps or human food to golden retrievers can introduce ingredients their digestive systems aren’t accustomed to, leading to digestive upset and flatulence.
9. Food Allergies
Dogs can have food intolerances or allergies, which can cause symptoms like itchiness, diarrhea, vomiting, and flatulence.
RELATED: Why Does My Golden Retriever Puppy Have Diarrhea at Night?
The most common food allergen to dogs is a protein such as beef or chicken.
According to research, the most common food allergens in dogs are beef, dairy products, chicken, and wheat.
Identifying the specific allergen can be challenging, but once pinpointed, the solution typically involves switching to a different food for your pup.
10. Eating Too Fast
The most common source of gas in dogs is simply from swallowing too much air. Eating too quickly can contribute to increased flatulence in golden retrievers.
When dogs eat rapidly, they tend to swallow air along with their food, which can lead to excess gas in the digestive tract.
This swallowed air gets expelled from their system by farting.
11. Overeating
Eating too much food, especially in one sitting, can overwhelm a dog’s digestive system and lead to increased gas production.
12. Sedentary Lifestyle
Obese, overweight, and sedentary dogs are at higher risk for developing chronic flatulence, regardless of diet.
A sedentary lifestyle can lead to a slower digestive process contributing to flatulence as food remains in the digestive tract for longer periods, allowing more time for fermentation and gas production.
13. Age
Puppies and older dogs may experience more gas than young adult dogs.
Puppies may experience more flatulence as their digestive systems are still developing while senior dogs might also have increased gas because of slower digestion.
14. Health Issues
Many health issues can lead to excessive farting as a symptom such as:
- Intestinal parasites
- Infections
- Colitis
- Cancer of the bowels
- Pancreatitis
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
- Insufficient production of digestive enzymes by the pancreas
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
- Antibiotic-responsive intestinal disorders
- Viral or bacterial inflammation of the intestines
What Makes Golden Retrievers Farts So Smelly?
There are several factors which make golden retrievers fart so smelly. Here’s why their farts might be particularly smelly.
1. Dietary Factors
The food your golden retriever eats can significantly impact the odor of their flatulence.
Diets high in protein, particularly animal proteins, can release sulfur-containing compounds during digestion, contributing to foul-smelling gas.
Additionally, certain ingredients such as meats, eggs, and dairy products can produce stronger-smelling flatulence.
2. Food Allergies And Sensitivities
Some dogs can’t handle certain foods or ingredients well.
For example, some dogs are allergic to specific proteins, which cause inflammation and stinky gas.
Others have difficulty digesting certain ingredients.
For instance, many dogs are lactose intolerant so consuming dairy products can lead to digestive disturbances and smelly farts.
3. Gut Microbiota
The balance of bacteria in a dog’s gut microbiome can influence the odor of their flatulence.
Imbalances or overgrowth of certain types of bacteria can increase smelly gas production during digestion.
4. Digestive Disorders
Underlying digestive issues such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI), or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) can contribute to smelly flatulence in golden retrievers.
5. Foods That Are Difficult To Digest
Dogs need more enzymes to break down certain complex carbohydrates efficiently.
As a result, bacteria in their gut have to work extra hard to break down these foods, which can lead to increased gas production.
Foods such as beans, peas, and fatty cuts of meat are tough for dogs to digest, so they take longer for the gut to process and cause smelly flatulence.
6. Dietary Indiscretion
Ingestion of trash, spoiled food, table scraps, raw meat, or waste from other animalsdifficult for dogs to digest can lead to gastrointestinal upset, vomiting, diarrhea, and foul-smelling gas.
How to Reduce Farting in Golden Retrievers?
There are ways to deal with your golden retriever’s flatulence, which are mentioned below.
1. Increasing Activity
Exercise increases intestinal movement, giving intestinal bacteria less time to produce odors. So, ensure your golden retriever has an active lifestyle.
Take them for daily walks or engage them in active playtime.
Regular physical activity can help improve your dog’s digestion and reduce flatulence.
2. Portion Control
Avoid overfeeding your golden retriever and divide their daily food allowance into several smaller meals throughout the day instead of one large meal.
This can help prevent overeating and reduce the likelihood of excessive gas production.
3. Slow Feeding
Encourage slower eating by using specialized slow feeder bowls or food puzzles in your dog’s daily feeding.
These can help slow down mealtime eventually preventing the amount of air they swallow as they eat and reducing flatulence.
4. High-Quality Diet
Feed your golden retriever a high-quality, balanced diet made from easily digestible ingredients.
Avoid foods with excessive fillers, artificial additives, potential allergens, or ingredients that may be difficult for dogs to digest.
5. Avoid Fart-Inducing Foods
Avoid feeding your golden retriever foods known to cause gas, such asbeans, peas, broccoli, dairy products, and spices.
6. Monitor Treats
Limit the number of treats given to your golden retriever, and choose low-fat, digestible options designed for sensitive stomachs.
The most common ingredients in these treats include ginger, turmeric, and parsley, which are good for your dog.
Some treats may contain ingredients that contribute to gas, so choose wisely.
7. Probiotics and Digestive Enzymes
Consider adding probiotics or digestive enzymes to your dog’s diet to improve their digestion and balance the gut microbiome, both of which can help reduce gas.
8. Change Your Dog’s Diet Slowly
Abruptly changing your golden retrievers’ diet can confuse their digestive system.
So when introducing a new food or making changes to your dog’s diet, do so gradually over 7-10 days.
This way it can be beneficial in reducing farting and minimizing digestive upset.
9. Avoid Table Scraps
Make sure to avoid feeding your golden retriever table scraps or human food.
Many human foods contain ingredients that are difficult for dogs to digest contributing to upset stomach and causing flatulence, among other concerns.
10. Keep Your Dog Out Of the Trash
Eating from the trash can introduce unfamiliar or unhealthy foods into your dog’s diet, leading to digestive upset, diarrhea, and increased gas production.
When to Seek Veterinary Help
Though farting is normal in dogs, if your golden retriever experiences persistent or severe flatulence accompanied by diarrhea, vomiting, loss of appetite, lethargy, or weight loss, consult with your vet to rule out any underlying health conditions.
Conclusion
By implementing the steps and tips discussed in the article, you can help reduce farting and promote better digestive health in your golden retriever.
However, if flatulence persists despite taking these measures and is accompanied by other symptoms, visit a veterinarian for further evaluation to rule out any underlying cause.
You can also check out these articles next:
Do Golden Retrievers Chew A Lot?
Do Golden Retrievers Pant A Lot?
What Fruits Can Golden Retrievers Not Eat? (12 Toxic Fruits)