It’s no surprise that dogs fart; like in humans, gas can build up in their colons and intestinal tracts. Some breeds, especially those with short noses like Boston terriers and pugs, even tend to fart more than others because they swallow lots of air when they drink and eat. However, when the farting becomes excessive, it’s time to consider other causes.
Your dog might be obese or overweight, so you need to help them make lifestyle changes. Regular chronic or long-term farting accompanied by other symptoms, such as vomiting and diarrhea, can signify an underlying health condition. In this case, you would need to see a veterinarian for professional advice and treatment.
Passing out of gas can sometimes be caused by the food you’re feeding your dog. Therefore, giving them the best dog food to prevent gas should help address it. Understandably, there are a lot of dog food brands and types available in the market. We’ll discuss the qualities of good dog food for gassy dogs and review five of the highly recommended ones.
What To Look for in the Best Dog Food for Gassy Dogs
Below are the top features to keep in mind when shopping for food for your gassy dog. Of course, these aren’t rules written in stone; you still need to find the right balance. Nonetheless, they will help you narrow down your choices. These are also some of the things we considered while choosing the dog food products to include in this list.
Specific Labels
Undigested and poorly digested food can cause excessive farting because once it reaches the dog’s large intestine, it gets broken down by gas-producing bacteria. That’s why dog food with a Highly-Digestible label is ideal for gassy dogs.
Some dogs also fart excessively because you’re feeding them food with one or two main ingredients they’re allergic to. Farting due to an allergic reaction is usually accompanied by scratching. In this case, your best options are products with Limited Ingredient and For Sensitive Stomach, For Sensitive Skin, or For Sensitive Dogs labels.
Meanwhile, if your dog is allergic to grain, you can consider feeding them with Grain-Free dog food. You probably have heard about the concerns surrounding grain-free diets causing DCM or dilated cardiomyopathy in dogs.
That said, there is still no solid proof of whether the zero to low grain content puts the dog at high risk of developing the condition. Experts hypothesize that it’s usually because of the too low protein level and lack of enough taurine in the diet. Fortunately, some manufacturers ensure they formulate their products with balanced nutrition, even without grains.
Most dogs who developed the condition also had one common denominator: consuming boutique, exotic, grain-free dog food. Meaning, the product has exotic ingredients or those that haven’t been well-tested, such as bison and kangaroo meat. It is also best to avoid grain-free dog food products manufactured by brands that FDA linked to DCM.
Complete and/or Balanced Formula
Digestive or stomach sensitivity, which can cause flatulence, often results from a nutritional deficiency. Thus, look for complete and/or balanced dog food. It is formulated with the right amount of essential nutrients for overall health and wellness, including healthy digestion.
Fat, Fiber, and Protein Content
Protein is an essential nutrient that ensures your dog builds strong muscles and has sufficient energy throughout the day. However, excess meat might not be completely digested by your dog, leading to gas-producing gut bacteria consuming it. This then leads to stinky gas production. Always opt for dog food products that use high-quality protein sources.
Meanwhile, fiber helps with digestive health. However, the same gut bacteria love fiber, so they would also feed on the excess fiber in your dog’s intestine. Of course, it doesn’t mean you need to stay away from fiber-rich food items.
Look for dog food with protein and fiber levels ranging from 21% to 24% and 2% to 4%, respectively. This way, you give your dogs the needed nutrients without overdoing it. High-fat food is also the hardest to digest, so dog food containing less than 20% fat is ideal.
Prebiotics and/or Probiotics
Nowadays, you’ll find several pet supplements that include prebiotics and probiotics. From the term biotics, these are products meant to help keep a good balance of your dog’s gut microbiota. These healthy bacteria can compete with the gas-producing bacteria, minimizing or eliminating farting.
Prebiotics and probiotics also help promote digestion and overall gut health for better nutrient absorption. As such, they help boost your dog’s immune system, which can limit or prevent allergic reactions. That said, you might not need to purchase these supplements because some dog food products already include these in the recipe.
Best Dog Food To Prevent Gas: Brief Reviews
1. Hill’s Prescription Diet Digestive Care Dry Dog Food
Hill’s is one of the most popular brands that produce the highest-quality dog food and treats. They have a research facility and team of dedicated researchers, nutritionists, and veterinarians. They offer several dog food lines, and the Prescription Diet is formulated for specific dietary needs.
Aptly named, the chicken-flavored Digestive Care Dry Dog Food is for dogs of all sizes, breeds, and ages experiencing gut issues, including gas or flatulence. It has Amazon’s Choice rating and is available in three different bag sizes: 8.5, 17.6, and 27.5 pounds.
Review
This dog food has a high protein content of around 26.8% and contains corn and gluten. Even so, these are balanced out with the ActivBiome+ Ingredient Technology, the brand’s proprietary blend of prebiotics.
This blend helps quickly activate the gut’s normal microbiota for improved gut health and stool quality. It is also clinically proven to help soothe and calm your dog’s digestive system. Combined with the electrolyte and vitamin B included in the formula, this dog food is indeed suitable for diarrheic dogs.
The Hill’s Prescription Diet Digestive Care Dry Dog Food is fortified with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals for immune support. On top of that, it is also formulated to support cardiovascular and kidney health. In fact, the brand claims it helps prevent or minimize calcium oxalate and struvite formation, crystals commonly known for causing kidney stones and UTIs.
Packaging-wise, this dog food comes in a resealable, Ziploc-type bag for easy and safe storage. You will also find that it’s available in two kibble sizes: small and regular. One thing to make a note of is that you would need a prescription from your vet before purchasing this dog food.
Pros:
- Highly digestible
- Veterinarian-approved formula
- Proprietary prebiotic blend
- Low fat and palatable
- Made in the USA
- Comes in a resealable, Ziploc-type bag
Cons:
- Requires prescription
- Expensive
2. Hill’s Science Diet Adult Dry Dog Food
Another excellent dog food for gassy dogs comes from Hill’s Science Diet line. It includes dog food products with biology-based nutrition, which means they’re formulated for specific dog sizes, ages, and growth and development needs. This specific dog food is for small breeds of dogs ages one to six. There’s also one for puppies and ages seven and up.
Review
The Hill’s Science Diet Adult Dry Dog Food is available in 4.5- and 15.5-pound bags. You can choose between two flavors: Lamb and Brown Rice or Chicken and Rice.
The lamb recipe is ideal for those who want to add variety to their dog’s diet or have dogs allergic to chicken. On the other hand, the chicken recipe is an excellent go-to option since it’s a kind of meat that most dogs love.
Whatever recipe you choose for your dog, both the lamb and chicken ingredients have been carefully sourced. After all, Hill’s has trusted suppliers and farmers around the globe. The dog food also has a good blend of vitamin E and Omega-6 fatty acids for better coat and skin health as well as immune system support.
Each kibble has an approximate size of 4.5 x 7.5 millimeters, so it’s easy to chew into smaller bits. Thus, your dog’s tiny stomach can also easily digest them. Not only that, but the primary carbohydrate sources included are brown rice and brewers rice. Both are easily digestible.
Additionally, the Hill’s Science Diet Adult Dry Dog Food is free from artificial preservatives, flavors, and colors. Do note, however, that it contains wheat and corn. Make sure your dog isn’t allergic to any of them before deciding to purchase it.
Pros:
- High-quality protein sources
- All-natural ingredients
- Promotes overall health and wellness
- Easily digestible
- Veterinarian recommended
- Made in the USA
- Comes in a resealable, Ziploc-type bag
Cons:
- Not for mid-sized and large breeds
- Contains corn and wheat
- Age-specific formula
3. Pedigree Complete Nutrition Adult Dry Dog Food
Pedigree is a worldwide brand dedicated to ensuring dogs have a good life by offering various dog food products. They have wet and dry varieties for adults and puppies available in several flavors. They also categorized their dog food based on special needs, such as oral care, weight, and skin and coat health.
The Complete Nutrition Adult Dry Dog Food is formulated for large breeds of dogs and is available in 3.5- and 18-pound bags. As the name suggests, it provides your adult dog with balanced and complete nutrition. The roasted chicken, vegetables, and rice flavor combination also stay true to its complete label.
Review
One of the most recognizable features of this Pedigree dry dog food is that it doesn’t contain high fructose corn syrup. It is a type of sweetener that can cause stinky flatulence, bloating, diarrhea, and stomach cramps, especially for those with fructose intolerance.
Normally, fructose gets completely absorbed in the small intestine. If your dog has fructose intolerance, this substance doesn’t get fully absorbed. The unabsorbed fructose then travels to the colon, where it is fermented by gut bacteria. As you can guess, this results in methane and hydrogen gas production.
Zinc sulfate is another vital component that makes the Pedigree Complete Nutrition Adult Dry Dog Food a good choice. It is a compound that helps prevent zinc deficiency. Zinc is essential because it plays a significant role in producing digestive enzymes and reducing the production of stinky gas.
Pedigree also included a unique blend of fiber for healthy digestion, vitamin E for immune support, and vitamin B-complex and Omega-6 fatty acid for healthier skin and coat. Remember not to feed it to dogs allergic to gluten, wheat, soybean, and corn. Also, unlike the last two options, it doesn’t come in a Ziploc-type bag. You will have to fold and secure it tightly to prevent contamination.
Pros:
- All-natural flavor
- Gas-reducing ingredients
- No sugar and high fructose syrup
- Promotes overall health and wellness
- Made in the USA
Cons:
- Contains corn, gluten, soybean, and wheat
- Not for small and mid-sized breeds
- Formulated for adult dogs only
4. Wellness Simple Limited Ingredient Dry Dog Food Salmon and Potato Recipe
Established by a team of veterinarians, animal nutrition experts, and scientists in 1990, Wellness has come a long way in the pet industry. What makes them a reliable brand is that they formulate extraordinary cat and dog food recipes without compromising nutrition.
Wellness’ Simple Limited Ingredient Grain-Free line of dog food is ideal for dogs experiencing gassiness but have grain and other food allergies. These dog food varieties contain one animal protein source and a short list of additional ingredients. The Salmon and Potato Recipe is made for all dog breed sizes and ages.
Review
Salmon is a type of fish that’s not only rich in protein but also omega fatty acids, minerals, and vitamins, ensuring your dog’s overall health and wellness. The primary carbohydrate source, potato, is also easily digestible to prevent bloating and gassiness.
This Amazon’s Choice-rated Wellness Dog Food also contains the natural prebiotic chicory root for a healthier digestive system. It’s also fortified with probiotics, specifically lactic-acid microorganisms, to help improve your gassy dog’s digestive health.
The manufacturer included flaxseed, which is beneficial for healthy digestion and constipation prevention. Plus, it is a good source of Omega-3 fatty acids to ensure your dog has healthy skin and coat. It also helps reduce your dog’s risk of heart diseases, such as DCM, which is currently associated with grain-free dog food.
In addition, this dog food has taurine and glucosamine to further lower their risk for cardiovascular diseases. One potential issue is that your dog might not like the salmon flavor and smell. That is especially true if they are used to eating poultry meat-flavored dog food.
Pros:
- Wholesome, carefully selected ingredients
- All-natural formula
- No GMO and fillers
- Free from common food allergens
- Formulated for digestive system and heart health
- Made in the USA
- Comes in a resealable, Ziploc-type bag
Cons:
- Not available in small packages
- Some dogs might not like the flavor and smell
5. Wellness CORE Bowl Boosters Digestive Health
Another entry from the Wellness brand is their Digestive Health CORE Bowl Boosters. It isn’t dog food per se, but a meal topper or nutritional booster. Regardless, we had to include it because we understand the challenges of feeding picky eaters.
This formula will ensure your puppy and adult or senior dog finishes their meal. At the same time, it will also improve their digestive health without completely changing the food they’re used to. All you have to do is add the correct number of cups, as per packaging instructions, to the dry or wet dog food your fur baby loves.
Review
The Digestive Health Bowl Booster is available in three different bag sizes and two recipes: chicken and brown rice and whitefish and brown rice. It is fortified with live microorganisms or probiotics and prebiotic fibers for enhanced gut and overall health support.
It contains three essential digestive enzymes: alpha-amylase, cellulase, and protease. These enzymes work together to easily and quickly break down consumed food. Wellness also fortified it with Omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals your dog needs for enhanced immunity and healthier skin and coat.
Pet parents who have small breeds of dogs, like a chihuahua, might find the kibble sizes too big. We suggest soaking the bowl booster in warm water before adding it to their usual dog food. Also, we don’t advise adding it to your dog’s meals daily. It’s important that you watch your dog’s weight to prevent unhealthy weight gain and obesity.
Pros:
- Easily digestible
- All-natural formula
- Gut-health-specific ingredients
- Promotes overall health and wellness
- Formulated for all ages and breed sizes
- Comes in a resealable, Ziploc-type bag
Cons:
- Kibble size might be too big for tiny breeds
- Not for daily consumption
What Dog Food Is Best for a Gassy Dog?
There is no single formula worthy of being called the best dog food to prevent gas because some dogs require special diets. That said, we highly recommend Hill’s Science Diet Dry Dog Food for healthy but gassy small dogs. The Pedigree recipe is perfect for healthy but gassy large dogs.
Pick the Wellness Simple Limited Ingredient Dry Dog Food for dogs with hypersensitivity or allergic conditions. Just make sure you choose the variety suited for your dog’s age and size.
Also, slowly transition your dog to the new diet by following the manufacturer’s guide. Otherwise, you can add the Wellness Digestive Care meal topper once a week to your dog’s food to help slowly reduce gassiness.
Lastly, make sure you visit your veterinarian if your dog has other symptoms or you see no improvement with the gassiness. They might need prescription dog food, like the Hill’s Prescription Diet Digestive Care, other treatment regimens, and diagnostic tests.
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