How to Help Your Gassy Dog: Massage Techniques and Prevention
Gas is a normal part of digestion, but excessive gas can make your dog uncomfortable. Here’s how to help your dog pass gas, prevent buildup, and when to seek veterinary attention:
How to Massage Gas Out of Your Dog
- Rollover: Gently encourage your dog to lie on their back, exposing their belly.
- Locate the Problem: Feel for any hardened areas in the abdomen, especially near the hips.
- Gentle Massage: Use light pressure and circular motions, or long downward strokes, focusing on the affected areas.
- Watch for Relaxation: If your dog relaxes and seems more comfortable, you’re doing it right. If the hardness persists, it might indicate a more serious issue.
Preventing Gas Buildup
- Slow Down Eating: Use slow-feeder bowls or puzzle toys to prevent your dog from gulping food and air.
- Smaller, Frequent Meals: Break up daily food intake into smaller portions.
- High-Quality Diet: Choose dog food with easily digestible ingredients. Avoid table scraps, high-fiber foods, and ingredients known to cause gas (beans, dairy for some dogs).
- Regular Exercise: Physical activity aids digestion.
- Probiotics: Ask your vet about probiotic supplements to improve gut health.
When to See the Vet
Consult your vet if your dog’s gas is accompanied by:
- Severe bloating
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Loss of appetite
- Lethargy
- Painful abdomen
Important Note: While massage can provide relief, it’s crucial to address the underlying cause of excessive gas.
Key Takeaways
- Gas is normal, but excessive gas can be a sign of dietary or health issues.
- Gentle massage can help your dog pass gas and relieve discomfort.
- Preventative measures like diet adjustments and exercise are essential.
- Seek veterinary advice if gas is severe or accompanied by other symptoms.
By following these tips, you can help your furry friend feel better and keep their digestive system happy!
What is a Passing Gas?
Passing gas, scientifically known as flatulence, is the result of a buildup of gas in your dog’s intestines. Usually, gas is produced during digestion & gets trapped in the digestive tract, which is then released through the anus or the mouth.
Gas production is a normal body function that does not cause panic unless any of the symptoms mentioned below accompanies it.
How is Gas Caused in Dogs?
The production of gas is expected in your dog’s body & is just like the production of sweat, poop, etc. If you have recently noticed that your dog’s farts have become smelly or excessive, they cause concern.
Until then, do not worry about gas, which is naturally produced in your dog’s stomach. There are various causes for gas production, which are listed below.
Indigestion
Also described as ‘inhalation of food,’ devouring food without proper chewing causes food to go through the digestive tract without getting fully digested. When this undigested food reacts with the bacteria present in the intestine, it causes gas production in your pet’s stomach.
Indigestion can also be an inherent trait that needs to be noticed by you & required tests need to be run to ensure that a solution to the problem is found in the form of medication or any alternative provided by your vet.
Excessive Inhalation of Air
If your dog is used to eating rapidly, it ingests food faster, but the amount of air that enters your pet’s mouth is also more significant when compared to thoroughly chewing food. The air that has entered is in the form of gas that is trapped with no exit, except in the form of flatulence.
Changes in Diet
Introducing new food items that may be difficult to digest, explicitly referring to foods including milk products, beans & highly fatty foods, can be the cause of gas production.
However, it isn’t easy to pinpoint one food to be the cause of gas & professional vets can only do this after running tests.
Ingestion of Spicy Food
Spicy food causes irritation to the inner lining of your dog’s stomach. The capsaicin in spicy food can cause diarrhea, vomiting, and gas.
Other symptoms of feeding your spicy dog food are loss of appetite, dehydration & lethargy.
Quality of Dog Food
Ensure that the dog food you feed your dog is of high quality. It is important to avoid feeding it any substandard quality food that provides low nutritional value, which defeats the purpose of feeding it.
Feeding Right after Strenuous Activity
If you feed your dog immediately after high-intensity activities like exercising, it will likely inhale a lot of air as it would be panting.
What are the Symptoms of Gas in a Dog?
Bloating
An expansion in the stomach & intestines due to gas is called bloating, scientifically termed Stomach distension in normal conditions.
At this stage, it is not threatening to your dog’s life. However, it is termed Gastric dilatation-volvulus when the bloated parts begin to twist & pose a severe threat to your dog’s life.
Foul-Smelling Farts
If you notice a change in the odor of your dog’s farts, it may be an indication of a gassy digestive system.
Abdominal Discomfort
Inflammation & irritation of the stomach and intestines causes discomfort to the dog. Immediate notice should be taken & proper medical care should be provided to deal with the problem. Audible rumbles from the stomach may also accompany this.
Does Belonging to a Certain Breed Increase Susceptibility to Gas?
Dogs that are not fit tend to suffer from more health issues than fit dogs. If your dog is overweight or obese, it is likely to suffer from excessive gas buildup even while on a well-balanced, high-quality diet.
An immediate action step to take is to prevent your dog from being sedentary by taking walks & playing with your pet.
Breeds with shorter noses take in more air while panting & eating, which may be the cause of excessive farting.
how can i help my dog pass gas massage
If your dog is experiencing excessive gas, there are a few things you can do to help them pass it. One option is to gently massage your dog’s abdomen using circular motions.
This can help to promote the movement of gas through the digestive tract and can make your dog more comfortable. You can also try feeding your dog small, frequent meals instead of one large meal, as this can help to prevent bloating and gas.
Additionally, you can try giving your dog a digestive enzyme supplement or adding a small amount of canned pumpkin to their food, as these can help to improve digestion and reduce gas.
If your dog’s gas persists or if they are experiencing other symptoms, such as vomiting or diarrhea, it is important to consult with your veterinarian for further guidance.
Can the Buildup of Gas be Prevented?
While every dog owner’s priority is to keep their dog healthy, you must be prepared for commonly occurring circumstances such as gas and bloating to relieve your dog of the pain it could be suffering. And hence, the buildup of gas can be prevented.
- Keep track of any changes that you make in your dog’s diet. The introduction of any new substance belonging to any food group must be carefully kept track of & intake should gradually be increased.
- Avoid feeding your dog any scraps of food in a bid to avoid wastage. The food contents need to be carefully examined before feeding it to your dog.
- Check the nutritional content of food before feeding it to your dog. Ensure that it is high quality & not very high in fiber to prevent indigestion as your dog’s digestive system is not adapted to digest it.
- Try feeding your dog small amounts of yogurt, ginger, or edible peppermint after approval from your vet to aid in digestion.
- Avoid fart-inducing foods in your dog’s diet.
- Keep your dog in a healthy state to avoid health issues.
- Train your dog to eat slowly using products designed to help slow their eating pace.
- Regular massages can help ease out the gas in your dog’s stomach while relieving stress & aiding mobility.
How to Massage Gas Out of Dog?
This section focuses on how to ease your dog’s discomfort by massaging your pet’s stomach to get gas out of its stomach.
Get Your Dog to Roll Over
This may not be the best time to give commands to roll over while your dog is experiencing extreme pain on the inside.
It is likely that your dog would already be in a down position as it is in pain. The first step to giving a dog massage is to gently nudge your dog onto its back to lie down on its back with its stomach exposed.
Identify Affected Area
Rub your hand lightly all over the surface of your dog’s abdomen to inspect for any hardening. Use just your palm for the inspection.
Please take notice of any hardened areas on its abdomen, as this is where the gas has built up. Focus on the areas near the hip & hind legs. Massaging those areas can help debloat, get rid of gas & stress, and sleep.
Work on the Spots
Now that the problem area has been identified, use light pressure to massage the area in a particular direction, preferably downwards. Rub the layer underneath the spot. Slightly squeeze the body to relieve your dog & get rid of the gas.
How to Relieve Dog Gas Pain?
Use long strokes slowly to run across the bloated area. Ensure that you do not apply too much pressure. Your aim is not to go in deep but to go in just deep enough to relieve the pain.
The right way to massage is to stroke your dog’s abdomen in any direction, making sure to start at the hardened spot & going outwards.
Ensure that Your Dog is Relaxed
Keep in mind that the objective of the massage is to relieve your dog from the internal pain caused by gas. A clear indicator is your dog’s mood. If your dog is slowly relaxing onto its back, then your pace & strength application is ideal.
Make sure you check your dog for indications of discomfort. The proper massaging technique would cause your dog to lean back very close to you with its eyes almost closed.
If you do not notice softening of the hardened areas, it may be a sign that the issue is more significant than it appears at the surface & medical intervention is required.
Can the Buildup of Gas Lead to Further Issues?
After close monitoring, if the only signs of gas are bloating, smelly farts &/or rumbling from the abdomen, this may be a typical case of gas accumulation that can be relieved through massage.
However, suppose any other signs such as vomiting & diarrhea are identified. In that case, it is advised to rush to your vet immediately as it may lead to an extremely painful and life-threatening situation for your dog.
These symptoms could be an indication of intestinal parasites or inflammatory bowel disease in your dog. By knowing how to massage the gas out of the dog, such issues can be detected at the earliest by tracking related symptoms.
