Oh, rawhides – they can be your pooch’s favorite treat, but boy, can they cause some stinky gas! It’s enough to make it impossible to stay around them.
While rawhides are delicious chew toys, they can lead to smelly gas, soft stools, vomiting, and diarrhea in dogs. This is because they’re made from the untanned skin of animals, mainly beef hides. But fear not, there are alternatives to rawhides that can help you avoid gas in your furry friend. Consider trying antlers, kongs, and bully sticks instead.
But wait, there’s more to learn about the effects of rawhides. Stay tuned to discover the truth about smelly gas and other potential drawbacks of these popular chew toys.
Does rawhide cause gas in dogs?
Yes. One of the common complaints of dog parents is that rawhides cause gas in their dogs.
They have tried many types of rawhides with their pets because their pooch enjoys a good bite of rawhide all the time.
But once they use rawhides, pet owners have a hard time tolerating their pet’s smelly gas.
The main reason for gas formation after biting a rawhide for so long is that dogs do not digest rawhide well.
They love the taste as it is made from animal hides like beef, buffalo, or pork hides.
Especially dogs with very sensitive stomachs can be victims of the formation of gas after biting rawhides.
Along with gas formation or flatulence, rawhide will cause loose, soft stools.
Of course, there are advantages of rawhides as well as disadvantages. Stay with us to find out more interesting facts about rawhides.
What to do if a rawhide causes gas in your dog?
There are several options you can try if rawhide causes gas in dogs.
1. Try alternatives.
One of the main reasons why doggos enjoy chewing rawhides is that it satisfies their chewing needs. Dogs’ natural instinct is to bite and chew on anything.
If you do not provide him with sufficient things of his own to chew on, your furniture and electric wires will pay the price.
However, you do not have to always give him a rawhide to satisfy his cravings.
Try some alternatives like raw bones from the market.
They are a healthy alternative for your pet than rawhides as they give them calcium. They are hard as well, so it will strengthen their jaws and teeth.
Bully sticks, antlers, and kongs are also some things your dog will enjoy biting.
2. Do not give him rawhides all the time.
A few bites of rawhide will not cause gas in your pet for some time. But if your dog always chews on a rawhide, that can cause him trouble.
Therefore, do not always give him rawhides; give them once in a while. You can always go for alternatives.
What are the other causes of gas in dogs?
You have to remember that there are other ways by which your pooch can get gas; it’s not always rawhide.
Here are 5 common reasons causing gas in dogs.
1. Food allergies and intolerance.
Many dogs are lactose intolerant. Therefore, if you give your dog milk, yogurt, cheese, or any food containing milk, dogs can get gas.
The colon bacteria will ferment the undigested milk, producing gas in the intestines.
Eating quickly and soon after exercise can also cause gas.
2. Swallowing a lot of air.
Is your pooch a quick eater? Some dog breeds are more used to eating quickly.
Mainly brachycephalic breeds are fast eaters. When they eat very quickly, they swallow a lot of air without knowing.
This air accumulated in the stomach, causing gas in your pet.
3. Change of diet.
If you suddenly change your dog’s diet, it can also affect him by causing gas because he is not used to these new ingredients.
4. Food causes gas.
- Milk and dairy products.
- Too much meat.
- Soybeans.
- Peas.
- High-fat diets.
- Spicy food.
- Human food.
5. Diseases causing gas.
- Parasitic infections.
- Food allergies.
- Lactose intolerance.
- Gastroenteritis.
- Intestinal tumors.
Suggested Reading: Why do dogs face Gulping attacks?
What are the best practices to follow to prevent gas in dogs?
Gas in your dog can be due to a simpler reason, or it can be due to a very severe problem in your pooch. Therefore, attending and managing gas in dogs is extremely important.
Here are 5 methods to follow if your pooch has gas.
1. Change of diet.
Diet is the main cause of gas in dogs. Your dog’s diet can either increase gas or decrease gas production in the intestines.
We discussed that excess amounts of meat, soybeans, peas, spicy food previously, and high-fat diets can increase gas production in dogs.
Therefore, simply you can avoid giving your pet high amounts of these food items.
Provide him with highly digestible food, avoiding hard-to-digest food like peas.
Low fiber and low-fat diets will also help him get rid of gas.
As spicy food can cause gas, avoid giving your dog a lot of spicy food. This includes human food as well.
We know it is irresistible when your pooch comes and asks for food when we are eating. But you must remember, dogs cannot digest human food easily.
They contain ingredients that can be allergic or indigestible to dogs.
Therefore, make it a habit not to feed your pooch from your plate. Give him his own meal while you are eating.
Avoid giving dairy-based products a lot as it can cause lactose intolerance, leading to gas formation.
2. Manage the feeding schedule.
As mentioned previously, some dogs eat very quickly and swallow more gas unconsciously. In order to prevent this, divide his meals throughout the day.
Rather than giving him 3 main courses of food, divide and spread out his meals.
Give him small portions of food multiple times a day.
3. Slow-feed dog dish.
This is also a remedy for your fast-eating pet. These dishes are made explicitly for fast-eaters. They have raised central areas, and food is around these areas.
These elevated areas make it harder for your dog to take a lot of food all at once. This prevents swallowing excess gas.
4. Do not allow your dog to pick food from trash.
Dogs’ natural instinct is to smell and hunt food. Therefore, they always sniff around and follow odors. One negative effect of this habit is that they pick leftover food from your trash can.
Food in trash cans can be spoiled and can contain many harmful bacteria. If your dog eats from a trash can, there is a high risk of getting a food allergy or infection leading to the formation of gas.
Therefore, always keep trash cans tightly closed and out of reach from your pooch. If you find him eating from trash, tell him NO and show your disapproval.
5. Take advice from your vet.
It is hard to always guess what causes gas in your pet. Therefore, if you suspect that it is out of an ordinary cause for gas formation in your lovely pooch, it is best that you consult your vet.
He will do necessary checkups and confirm the precise reason for gas in your dog.
Then appropriate medications will be administered.
Things to be aware of.
Let’s discuss some important facts about dogs’ rawhides and gas(flatulence).
Advantages of rawhides;
- It satisfies your dog’s natural instincts to bite.
- Biting makes dogs’s teeth and jaws strong.
- Rawhides are considerably digestible.
- They are freely available in the market.
- It is a tasty treat to your dog and comes in different flavours.
- Durable .
Disadvantages of rawhides.
Can cause gas in dogs.
- If your pet bites a large piece of rawhide: this can be a critical condition. Small parts of rawhides can pass through the esophagus and get digested overtime. However, if your dog swallows a large piece of rawhide, this can get obstructed in his esophagus. This can cause difficulty in breathing and if not immediately addressed,can be life threatening. Therefore, never give a rawhide without your supervision.
- Do not give rawhide to puppies- rawhides can be too hard for puppies to bite. It can damage or break their milk teeth. Other than that they cannot digest rawhides as adult dogs, which will lead to digestive problems.
When to contact your veterinarian?
Following symptoms can be due to obstruction of the esophagus, an infection caused by rawhides, or digestive problems caused by rawhides.
- Gagging.
- Excess gas formation.
- Vomiting, diarrhea.
- Weight Loss.
- Unable to pass feces or straining while defecation.
- Signs of pain.
By the way, here is why does your dog throws up medicine.
Alternatives to rawhides.
- Kongs.
- Antlers.
- Bully sticks.
- Smart bones.
Conclusion.
Rawhides are widely used chew toys. This article addresses the effects of rawhides on causing gas in dogs. Read more to find out about gas in dogs, the advantages and the disadvantages of rawhides.
