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The major reason for flatulence in dogs and cats is something is indigestible in their diet. Many of the commercial pet foods rely on corn and wheat to provide the protein component. Unfortunately, some pets have difficulty digesting these foods. Just as in humans, when food remains undigested in the intestine it becomes a breeding ground for bad bacteria. This bacterium causes your pet to have gas and sometimes abdominal pain also. Even though occasional gas is normal, holistic vets feel it is an important sign that your pet's diet and general health may not be at the optimum level.
In the wild, animals instinctively eat herbs that can assist their digestive systems to function optimally. If you have ever seen your pet eating grass, you know that he/she is trying to help their digestive system. Though some vets will tell you dogs just like the taste of grass. Greens, fruits, vegetables and berries have been a part of the canine diet for centuries so it is natural that they would enjoy consuming grass. If your grass is chemically treated you don't want your pet eating it.
As far as helping with digestive problems, other than grass our pets don't have access to the variety of herbs available to their wild counterparts and therefore can't heal themselves. There are though some simple changes you can make in your pet's diet to try to remedy this problem.
Try giving your pet yogurt - Vets first choice for curing flatulence in dogs is to change their food. They usually recommend switching to a raw food diet or using a pet food with all natural ingredients. But when you do this, the balance of bacteria in your pet's intestine may change causing more gas. Adding a little plain live culture yogurt to the food will reduce gas by introducing more good bacteria to the digestive tract. You need to do this for several days. Give one to two teaspoons of yogurt to pets under 15 pounds and up to three tablespoons a day to dogs over 80 pounds.
Try giving your pet a yogurt substitute - Some pets just like people are lactose intolerant and yogurt will give them diarrhea. In this case, you can give them an acidophilus supplement which will help his/her body produce good bacteria in their intestines. Pets over 15 pounds can take the recommended human dose. Smaller pets can take half of the human dose. Additionally, there are natural supplements specially formulated for pets to help boost the good bacteria in their digestive system. They contain herbs such as licorice, slippery elm and marshmallow. The natural supplements will also help their digestive system break down proteins, carbohydrates, fats and fiber.
Try activated charcoal - You can find activated charcoal in both health food stores and drugstores. Activated charcoal actually absorbs gas in the digestive tract. You can give pets under 15 pounds, one quarter of the dosage on the label, pets 15 to 50 pounds should take a half dose and pets over 50 pounds can take the full amount..
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Want more natural remedies for dog gas see our post at Naturesway4Pets on Flatulence in Dogs and Cats. The Naturesway4Pets website was developed to help people learn more about natural options for pet care.
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