In spite of the fact that dogs have been the companion of man, the dog’s love for smelly things would still be puzzling. Dogs not only have the disgusting habit of eating poop but our furry friends can unerringly find buried rotting animals as well. Would it be surprising if the dog “freshens” the air by letting the anus detonate small bombs? The fart of humans and dogs can clear a room instantly the only difference is that if the smell is discovered coming from the rear end of humans, the “donor” will be embarrassed while dogs will look unconcerned. Fart is not harmful to human health but let’s face it, no one would love to have a pet that fills a room with horrific smell.

Gas, farting or flatulence are one and the same. Flatus that comes out from the anus is a mixture of methane, hydrogen sulfide, nitrogen, carbon dioxide and oxygen. The gas in the intestine is produced through the reaction of bacteria to the process of digesting the swallowed food. Fart develops from swallowed air and from the gas in the blood that seeps into the intestines. The type of food eaten, the amount of air that is swallowed when the dog eats and the interaction of bacteria with the digestive process contributes to the production of gas.

We know how big eaters dogs are. Foods, especially large chunks are gulped down by dogs. The habit of wolves to gulp down the food was passed on to present day dogs. Food in the wild is scarce and out of necessity dogs have to eat fast to prevent more dominant animals from taking away what they are eating. When dogs eat fast significant amount of air is swallowed as well.

The natural process of digesting food and the absorption of nutrients in the digestive tracts also produces gas. An older dog’s intestinal muscular tone is weakened hence farting is rather excessive because more gas is produced. Some types of foods are known to cause flatulence. Cauliflower, beans, dairy products, sweet potatoes are only some of the food that can cause excessive gas production. Commercial dog food with more cereal fillers can cause flatulence.

Excessive farting can be reduced if the dog is given several meals of smaller ration instead of one big meal. To lessen the dog’s flatulence, you can provide the pet with good quality food.

Sarah’s Dogs has more information about why dogs fart and why dogs.pant