# Gas



## Bauer410 (Sep 12, 2015)

Hello,
We've been wrestling with changing foods again and are looking for advice. Bauer is a 1 y/o, intact male who has been on Wellness Core Puppy (birth until about 7-8 mos old), Orijen Six Fish (8-10mos old), and most recently Orijen Adult. His gas has been offensively bad for some time and although he looks pretty healthy (he's a lean 50lbs, could probably use a few more) I wonder if its something Orijen specific that is causing the frequent gas. More recently, we've also noticed he licks himself excessively in his crate at night, which to me might signal some sort of allergy. We have tried using fortiflora, yogurt, pumpkin, etc in addition to his food, with little to no effect on the gas. I've considered trying Acana as well, or potentially going back to Wellness Core (the adult variety). Any advice on where to turn next? 

Thanks


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## gingerling (Jun 20, 2015)

Gas can be caused by a lot of things, from the benign ( gulping food and swallowing air), to the more serious. Whenever that occurs, I suggest calling the vet, especial with a symptom that is new.

You can change foods (I like Annamaet Grain Free) and give smaller portions more frequently (minimizes gulping), and see if that solves the problem.


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## Bauer410 (Sep 12, 2015)

Gingerling said:


> Gas can be caused by a lot of things, from the benign ( gulping food and swallowing air), to the more serious. Whenever that occurs, I suggest calling the vet, especial with a symptom that is new.
> 
> You can change foods (I like Annamaet Grain Free) and give smaller portions more frequently (minimizes gulping), and see if that solves the problem.


I should have mentioned we've had several vet visits since this has started happening and most of the more serious problems have been ruled out. He briefly had giardia around when we switched from 6-fish to Adult, but is since clear. He always seems hungry, but we've worried about overfeeding and upsetting his stomach. We also use a Northmate green feeder to slow him down when he eats.


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## harrigab (Aug 21, 2011)

did you change over gradually when changing his food? ie integrate the last food with the new brand before fully onto the new brand? I used to integrate Elvis's a week prior to the full changeover and his farts could still stink to high heaven, I moved it back a week so he had a fortnight to slowly adjust and the results were a lot more pleasant.


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## Bauer410 (Sep 12, 2015)

harrigab said:


> did you change over gradually when changing his food? ie integrate the last food with the new brand before fully onto the new brand? I used to integrate Elvis's a week prior to the full changeover and his farts could still stink to high heaven, I moved it back a week so he had a fortnight to slowly adjust and the results were a lot more pleasant.


We generally have done it over a period of 5-7 days. At this point, he's been on the Orijen adult for a few months and I would have thought he'd be adjusted by now. When we switch again, I may extend it out to 10-14 days and see if that helps. I think the issue appears to be more related to the food itself


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## gingerling (Jun 20, 2015)

Did you notice the gas at about the same time as the giardia? Sometimes it takes a couple of rounds of antibiotics to treat it effectively. I'm assuming the vet re tested?

Some dogs tolerate certain protein sources better than others, and although the fish formulas are excellent, they might not agree with Bauer's stomach, so the first step might be to stay in the Orijen family and switch to a different protein source. 

If he's always hungry, he's also more likely to gulp...how often do you feed him, is it possible to give smaller portions more frequently?


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## Spy Car (Sep 3, 2014)

While there are some medical conditions (that seem to have been ruled out in this case) the vast majority of gas is a result of dogs being fed carbohydrates, something dogs generally do not digest very well, especially in the unnatural ratios common in modern processed dry kibbles.

Many indigestible fibers ferment in the gut, which produces flatulence.

The same issue is implicated in GVD (bloat/torsion), which is deadly for dogs if not treated in time, and requires major abdominal surgery surgery otherwise. So offensive odors might be the least of ones future problems.

The flatulence that most dog owners accept as "normal" virtually disappears when dogs are fed on meat, bones, and organs, and not fed cereals or other carbohydrates. 

I would read this frequent bad gas as a warning sign that the carbohydrate load (which is too high even in premium kibbles like Orijen) are not working for your Vizsla. 

You can try other solutions, like slow feeders, but ultimately they are unlikely to address the real source of the problem, which is that dogs were not shaped by evolution to eat the heavy amounts of carbohyrates in modern dog kibbles.

Bill


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