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Why Is My Great Dane So Gassy?

Have you noticed that your Great Dane is unusually gassy and wondered what’s going on? For better or for worse, this is something that many Great Dane family’s experience so you’re not alone!

Great Danes are prone to increased flatulence as a deep-chested breed, however, it can be further exacerbated by an improper diet, eating too fast, and a variety of medical conditions.

While gas may seem like just a stinky situation, there are scenarios where it could lead to more sever medical situations as well. Let’s take a deeper look at the most common sources of gas, as well as methods for treating.

Top Reasons for Great Dane Gas

While there are quite a large number of potential sources of gas, it generally boils down to just a few. These are some of the most common things to look for in your Great Dane that may be making them very gassy.

Once you figure out the cause, you can easily start to change their lifestyle to help decrease the amount of gas that they are producing. 

Diet Related Issues

Food is the main cause for most cases of gas. Low quality foods, or sometimes even just single ingredients can be enough to upset their stomach.

Just like us humans, an upset stomach often leads to gas!

If this is what is causing your Great Dane to have gas, then try switching their food to a better diet may be the best cure for this gas. While you do not have to cook for your dog each day, there are many great options of food available for you to buy for your Great Dane to treat their gas!

In the event that known good quality foods still lead to issues, you can try foods with different protein sources to see if that is the source. While protein sources aren’t a leading cause for food allergies, it’s certainly a possibility.

You can also work with your veterinarian to help determine if your Great Dane has allergies to any foods. If this is the case, you’ll want to ensure that any foods you select going forward do not contain the item(s) that they’re allergic to.

Eating too fast

Ever try chugging water or eating really fast and find that you burp not soon thereafter? Well, this happens because you’re swallowing air when you’re going that fast!

What you may not have connected is that the same swallowed air can also escape though other outlets as well… Yes, that’s right – in the form of flatulence!

The same can also happen to your Great Dane when they try to eat their food extremely quickly. This is most commonly seen in puppies and young Great Danes, but it’s certainly possible for older dogs as well.

When your Great Dane is eating very fast, they will also be swallowing air. This air has to get out of your Great Danes stomach and intestines. This is either done when your dog passes gas or burps!

Medical Issues

There are some medical issues that can cause your Great Dane to have gas. One of the most common ones that can result in excessive flatulence is Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)

In general, any disturbance in the normal flora (good bacteria) of your Great Dane’s intestinal tract can cause your Great Dane to have gas.

Treating Great Dane Gas

The goods news is that you don’t have to live with this stinky situation forever!

While it’s usually impossible to completely eliminate gas, you should be able to see drastic reductions to it by using these methods.

CONSIDER A DIET CHANGE

Most of your dog’s Gas issues are related to what they are eating.  If you are feeding a low-quality diet, your Great Dane will be gassier. 

You want the first ingredient to be a whole protein, not a protein meal or other grain. Lower-quality foods tend to have more fillers and preservatives that will cause your Great Dane to be gassy. 

When looking for new food, look for one with low fiber and lower fat. The more protein that your Great Dane receives, the less likely they will be to pass gas.

When changing your Great Dane’s diet, it is best to do so slowly. The sudden change in diet can also cause GI issues and cause them to fart. 

Try A Busy Bowl

If your Great Dane has gas because they are eating too fast, a busy bowl will help slow them down while eating.

These bowls essentially create a maze that forces your dog to navigate the pieces of food through it in order to eat them!

These are effective for even the fastest and most enthusiastic of eaters. Better yet, it’s a quick and cheap solution that can be leveraged for as long as need be.

Outward Hound Slow Feeder Dog Bowl

Outward Hound uniquely designed its slow feed dog bowls feature meal-lengthening ridges to help slow down your dog’s eating time by 10X!

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Feeding Small Frequent Meals

Feeding your Great Dane small frequent meals (2-3) instead of a single giant one each day will help your dog’s stomach be able to digest their food without having an excessive gas build-up. 

This also helps decrease the amount of gas that they intake when they are eating.

Small meals are also recommended in dogs who are prone to bloat. If your Great Dane has had bloat, your vet may have recommended that they eat small meals every day.

You can take a look at our Great Dane feeding chart to get an idea of how to distribute their meals based on their age.

Probiotics

If your Great Dane has gas because of IBS, giving them probiotics every day will help.

This helps replace the bad bacteria in their intestines and promotes greater overall health. These bacteria do not produce as much gas as some of the bad bacteria that can easily overgrow in your Great Dane’s intestines.

If you’re looking for a great probiotic, the one linked below is sure to help!

Purina FortiFlora Probiotics

Fort flora is a nutritional supplement that been formulated using a special strain of probiotic that has been proven to promote intestinal health and balance. It contains a guaranteed amount of live active cultures to ensure its effectiveness!

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Gas X!

If your Great Dane has a lot of gas, they can actually take Gas-X! 

Just like in people, this helps decrease the gas formation in your Great Dane’s stomach and intestines. The recommended dosage of Gas-X that you can give your dog is 1 Extra Strength tablet per day. 

Gas-X Extra Strength Softgel

Gas-X Extra Strength softgels offer fast relief of gas pressure, bloating, and discomfort!


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Avoid Foods that Cause Gas

Whether it be through testing or anecdotal evidence, you’ll probably notice over time that certain foods lead to more gas than others. Certain human food such as broccoli and cauliflower can cause your Great Dane to have gas. 

The same food that causes people to have a gas can cause gas in your Great Dane. It is best to avoid these foods in your Great Dane’s diet.

This may mean avoiding sharing meal scraps or being more watchful of food leftovers to ensure that your Dane doesn’t accidentally get ahold of them 😉

Take your dog for a walk!

Giving your Great Dane extra time to play outside can help decrease the amount of gas build-up they have or at least give them extra time to release this smell gas outside. 

Basic movement from running and playing is a great way to help stimulate the GI tract.

This will help move any small amount of gas through their intestines without it building up and causing your Great Dane to be gassy. 

See your vet

If you have tried all home remedies for relieving gas and your Great Dane still has a lot of gas, it is best that your Great Dane sees your vet. 

They can examine your dog, run blood work, and fecal checks to make sure that there are no underlying medical reasons that your Great Dane may have gas.  

Do Great Danes fart a lot?

Great Danes do tend to be very gassy. Sorry, but it’s true!

Any dog with a deep chest has the potential to be very gassy. If you do have a Great Dane or looking into getting one, be prepared for your fair share of flatulence.

Unfortunately, their large size also means larger farts. If your Great Dane does fart, you will be sure to smell this very soon after. 

Should I be concerned about my dog’s gas?

Gas is usually nothing to worry about, but there are sometimes when you should worry. Other than the horrible smell that you have to endure, usually, this is just your dog’s way of releasing excessive gas from their intestines.

However, many of the issues that cause your dog to have a gas can lead to your dog developing bloat. The medical term for bloat is Gastric Dilatation and Volvulus (GDV). 

This is a life-threatening condition in which the stomach fills with air (dilation) and/or twist upon itself (volvulus). Unfortunately, bloat is commonly seen in large breed deep-chested dogs such Great Danes.

One of the most common signs that you will see in a Great Dane who has bloat is a swollen and tense stomach. If this happens, you should take your Great Dane to a vet right away as this condition requires vet care in all cases. 

Unlike the general treatments of gas described above, there is no successful at-home treatment for bloat. You must immediately go to the vet if you suspect that your Great Dane has bloat.

Final Gassy Thoughts

If your Great Dane is passing a lot of gas, you may want to investigate why they are suddenly starting to smell you out of the room. There are a few different issues. 

The main issue they are farting is usually due to their diet, but there are a few medical issues that they may have. If you can’t figure out why your Great Dane is farting, it may be best to see your vet.

They can run bloodwork and examine your dog to make sure that their gas is not due to a medical issue. Once you have figured out the cause, you can start to look for a solution. 

Many times, gas issues can quickly and easily be solved with a change of food to a sensitive stomach diet. These are usually bland and easy for your Great Dane to digest.

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