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Gas

Pug Gas and Farts

Overview

Pug gas, Pug farts...Pug flatulence- to be technical- is very common with this dog breed.  Flatulence is the expulsion through the rectum of a mixture of gases that are byproducts of the digestion process of mammals and other animals... 

And it can be a very overpowering smell!

When a Pug passing gas in the car, you can feel as if you are going to pass out, even with the windows open! So, let's take a look at this topic.  

While the Pug is known for passing gas (or farting), there are some things that an owner can do to keep this down to a minimum. This includes what you feed your dog, how you feed him or her and some other helpful elements.
While Pug farts are common and, well, expected... many owners believe that there is just nothing that can be done about it. But there are some changes that one can make that perhaps can help either eliminate the problem...Or at least minimize the issue.
 
It is a good idea to try more than 1 of these suggestions if your Pug has an excessive gas problem....In fact, if possible, try them all. None will do any harm....The only thing that can happen is that your home, car, furniture, and more will not have that "wonderful" smell....And of course, you will not be bombarded with that surprise that your dog gives to you at random!
Pug dog with gas
Pug dog with gas

What Causes Pug Gas and How to Fix This

#1 Eating Much Too Fast. One element that may cause Pug farts is if the puppy or dog eats too quickly. This causes burps and gassy problems as well, since air is gulped down along with the food. 

It is quite normal for dogs to wolf down their food as if they were never going to be able to have dinner again. 

This can be fixed much easier than you may think. It simply involves changing your dog's food dish.
When dogs are allowed to eat from a "normal" dish or bowl, they can suck down food very fast....This means that they are swallowing air along with the food...And that air eventually passes through the body and comes out as gas. 
There are 2 tips to help with this: 

1- Obtain a bowl designed to promote slow eating. These are dog food bowls with permanent obtrusion which gently yet effectively force a dog to eat around them, which aids in slower eating. There is a reduction of air that is swallowed... and food is ingested, and therefore digested, at a slow rate.

2- Keeping your Pug's bowl and adding an element called a portion pacer. It is a safe stainless steel orb that sits in the bowl, and similar to the above method, keeps a dog from gulping his food down. It can help a dog eat 4 to 8 times slower.

Read more about choosing the best bowls for a Pug dog.

Also, more frequent yet smaller meals can help. If you normally feed your Pug once per day, try switching to twice per day (making sure that the actual amount does not increase). While some adult dogs can do fine with one main meal per day, plus snacks, some Pugs do better with 2 or even 3 smaller meals.There are a few elements to consider here. 
#2 The Food that A Pug is Eating.

An ingredient in a mix may be causing excess gas. Some of the top culprits are:

Corn - Corn seems to make Pug farting worse. After all, humans bodies have a difficult time digesting this, and so do dogs. It can help to eliminate this from your Pug's diet.
Certain Meats - Each Pug is very unique when it comes to gas problems. Therefore, one owner may find great relief when switching from chicken to lamb as the main meat in their dog's diet...

Another may find that changing from lamb to chicken does the trick. 

The main element to remember is that making a dietary change of your dog's main meat source often helps.

Liver treats - From a poll of Pug owners, it appears that liver treats trigger farting more than any other dog treats. 

Many have found that the gas is greatly reduced when they offer raw baby carrot sticks as an alternative doggie treat.  
Broccoli - This is a good food choice for dogs; it offers vitamins A and C, folic acid, fiber, calcium, magnesium and potassium. Yet, it may cause a dog to become gassy. If your Pug is having gas problems and this has been an ingredient in his food, try removing this from meals and snack.

There are other good vegetable options, such as peas, carrots and potatoes. Read more: Best foods for Pugs.
#3 An Imbalance in the Digestive Tract. There A dog's digestive system (and human's for that matter) have both 'good' and 'bad' bacteria. Sometimes, if this is thrown off balance, it can cause all sorts of issues including excessive gas, constipation, diarrhea and/or general stomach upset. 

There are healthy and safe probiotic canine supplements that help with gas and the wide range of stomach issues. 

Two of the most effective ones (and made in the USA) are:
Did you find this article helpful? If so, you'll really love The GIANT Book of Pug Care.
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