Everybody likes a bulldog because of their innocent-looking sweet eyes and friendly personalities. However, behind those innocent eyes there is a dark secret. You might have heard that bulldogs tend to fart… a lot. Sadly, this is true, these cute bulldogs are known to carry a foul-smelling gas along with them that can easily clear the whole room within a matter of seconds.
Do bulldogs fart? And do bulldogs fart more than other dogs?
Bulldogs have a sensitive digestive system and this makes them fart more than other dog breeds. Because of their sensitive stomachs, bulldogs cannot digest their food as well as other dogs. They also tend to scarf down their food very quickly, along with air, which causes the flatulence.
Are bulldog farts loud?
We have already stated that bulldogs do fart and pass gas. Whatever you might refer to this act as, bulldog farts can come in all varieties: they can be silent but lethal, excessively loud plus stinky, and even in sync with a sneeze.
Do bulldog farts smell?
Bulldogs do fart a lot. While several farts can seem to be rather funny, it can soon become a matter of concern once it becomes an ongoing problem. The smell can be so much that it can force you to leave the room and it can also make the bulldog rather uncomfortable. At times the odor is so strong that you might believe that something is wrong with the health of your bulldog.
Why do bulldogs fart so much?
As mentioned earlier, bulldogs have extremely sensitive digestive systems. Additionally, they are endowed with flat faces with short noses making it quite difficult for them to consume food easily. If they eat food too quickly, they can end up with excess air within their intestines. Certain varieties of food items might also result in excessive gas if the pooch has a difficult time digesting it properly. We recommend only feeding your bulldog high-quality vet-approved food which can reduce some of the gassiness. Additional factors contributing to bulldog flatulence are:
1. Too many carbohydrates
Many commercial and processed dog food items are full of carbohydrates. Moreover, our diets also include lots of carbohydrates, unless you’re on a low-carb diet. We recommend not sharing table scraps or human snacks with your bulldog as they might have a hard timing digesting them.
2. Food items which are full of fat or fiber
Although fatty foods are not carbohydrates, they too can contribute to intestinal gas, so it’s best not to feed your bulldog too much of this. This will also help to keep your dog’s heart healthy.
3. Fermentable food items
Cauliflower, cabbage, beans, and broccoli are a few food items that happen to be fermentable in nature.
4. Dairy products
Like humans, some dogs are intolerant to the lactose contained in milk. Even though the stomachs of some pooches might be able to handle dairy food items, it still might result in gas.
5. Spicy food
Spicy food is not good for your bulldog in general, let alone a cause for flatulence, so it’s best to avoid feeding your dog nay spicy food in general.
6. Spoiled food items
Never provide your pet with any spoiled food items. Make sure to always check the expiration date on all the prepared food items before feeding them to your dog.
7. Poor quality dog food
Like humans, our furry friends should never be provided with low-quality foods. In addition to causing gas, low-quality foods can also negatively impact the health and life expectancy of your bulldog.
8. Food which cannot be tolerated by their stomach
Bulldogs have sensitive stomachs, and you’ll start to see what foods your can and cannot easily digest. This might require a bit of trial and error, but once you know what your dog can eat well without problems, make sure to swap out foods that might cause flatulence. Here’s a great post on foods that buldogs should avoid at all costs.
9. Lack of exercise and obesity
Bulldogs that are obese will be at a greater risk of farting from time to time. It is important to maintain their proper weight which will be helpful to their health too. Keep them active and feed them well!
10. Swallowing of air (Aerophagia)
Because of their flat face, bulldogs often tend to swallow air while they are ingesting their food items. This might cause gas in the long run.
11. Medical causes of gas in your bulldog
If you suspect your dog’s gas is being caused by a medical issue, contact your primary vet right away. Some causes might include:
• Parasites
• Inflammation of the intestine because of the presence of a virus
• Unusual functioning of the pancreas
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Neoplasia which is a surplus development of tissue in the bowels which can be either malignant or benign
How to reduce your bulldog’s flatulence?
As mentioned earlier, despite being cute furry friends, these bulldogs can often prove to be rude roommates because of foul-smelling farts. You as a bulldog owner are on the front lines of these gas attacks. Luckily, we have some tips for reducing your bulldog’s gassiness:
1. Make some modifications in his diet
Using the guide above, you can determine which foods you should avoid to best reduce the chance of flatulence. Slow feed food bowls are also great and can reduce the speed of your dog’s food consumption, making him/her less likely to fart.
2. Provide the bulldog with a canine probiotic
If you find that bulldog’s farts are getting out of hand (or should we say nose?), you should ask your vet for a recommended canine probiotic to give to your pet. Probiotics are responsible for balancing the bacteria in the digestive tract of your dog and this might minimize the gas in the long run. It will be a sensible idea to follow the recommendations of the vet when it comes to the dosage of these probiotics. Take care not to provide your dog with probiotics that are intended for humans.
3. Make use of digestive enzymes or activated charcoal
Discuss with your vet regarding including digestive enzymes in the food of your canine. These enzymes can help to break down the food easily and minimize gas as a result.
Also, talk to your vet about activated charcoal tablets for your furry friend. Activated charcoal can also help to break down food quickly and will reduce the formation of gas consequently.
4. Exercise your bulldog
Make it a point to take your bulldog out for a stroll following a meal or simply allow him to run around. Exercise will help in the movement of bowels so that no excess gas can get trapped within them. According to many vets, dogs that are active are less likely to suffer from the formation of gas. Find out the ideal time that would be best for taking out your dog for a stroll. For instance, taking out your bulldog for a short stroll after a meal might work best for him. Here is a great post on the best times to walk your bulldog.
5. Perform a basic veterinary examination
Take your dog for a medical examination in case he shows any sign of forming excessive gas. The veterinarian will look for any gastrointestinal cause for the condition and for this he will perform a basic examination to verify if there are any intestinal problems.
6. Perform a blood test
The vet might take some blood for testing for certain ailments such as irritable bowel syndrome, exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, or even pancreatitis. He might also examine the blood for the presence of bacteria or any issue with the small intestine. If he finds any proof of irritable bowel syndrome, then he might request to perform additional tests for your pet.
7. Get ultrasounds or x-rays
The vet might need to perform ultrasounds or x-rays for diagnosing any gastrointestinal issue that might be causing the surplus amount of gas. He might specifically want to verify the size of your pooch’s abdomen and make sure that nothing is obstructing his stomach (such as a tumor or foreign object).
8. Examine his feces
If the vet thinks that any infection is the reason behind the formation of an excessive amount of gas, he might require a sample of the dog’s feces. Testing the feces would help to detect the presence of a virus and also identify parasites, which might be the cause of gas.
9. Monitor the flatulence of the animal
Every bulldog will experience gas at any point particularly if they consume something which is not easy to digest. However, if the animal passes gas during the day at regular intervals for several days, it is time for you to take him/her to the vet. Too much flatulence might be an indication that there is an underlying condition that must be treated immediately. Surplus gas might have a foul-smelling odor, or it can even be odorless. It will be essential to inform the vet whether the gas has any odor at all or not.
10. Watch out for any signs of discomfort
If your bulldog is suffering from excessive gas, he might also display indications of discomfort or pain in his abdominal area. You might even notice that his stomach is bloating or appearing bigger due to the excessive amount of gas. Try to listen to the stomach of your dog and if you hear any rumbling or gassy noises coming out from the intestine, it suggests that he has an excessive amount of gas.
11. Pay attention to issues with his digestion
If your dog has any underlying issue regarding digesting food items, he might be suffering from surplus gas or diarrhea. He might also vomit and shed pounds unintentionally since they will not be able to absorb the food properly. He might even stop consuming food items due to that discomfort. If the animal is otherwise okay, try to think whether you have changed his/her diet recently. Certain diet changes do not give enough time to the bacteria within the bowel to adapt, and this can result in flatulence.
If your bulldog is showing any symptoms or trouble in digesting food, contact your vet and seek out professional guidance.
How to reduce the smell of your bulldog’s farts?
At times, farts of your bulldog might be particularly stinky. But why is it so? It could be caused by a modification in their diet or something else which was consumed. Below we have given a list of food items that are known to result in excessive farts, and therefore it will be a good idea to stay from them at all costs.
• Soy
• Beans
• Dairy products like milk, cheese, and yogurt
• Cauliflower
• Inexpensive dog food and treats
• Starch and corn
• Peas, broccoli, and other green veggies
In most cases, there is no reason to worry regarding the farting of your bulldog. This is a breed that is known to have extremely sensitive stomachs and therefore, they are not able to digest food as easily as other breeds. As discussed earlier, the flat face plus nose makes them swallow air while consuming food items. They also tend to eat quite fast which makes them swallow air too. At the end that air comes out in the form of excessive farting.
If you feed your bulldog a well-balanced diet and make sure they get some exercise on a regular basis, farting could reduce significantly. If it does not, then always make it a point to check with your vet to make sure that your furry friend is not suffering from any bigger intestinal problems.
