anyone know what causes this?

[glenn57]

i have an 11 1/2 year old lab. i have pretty much retired him from hunting, his hearing and site is not what it use to be. the issue is the last8-10 months hes been passing a lot of gas and man does it reek. does anyone know why? he is feed pedegree senior dog food with no table scraps. any thoughts would be appreciated.

[FCspringer]

Well the food you are saying you use, I would try some different. It is most likely a diet problem. And don't be feeding the table scraps.

[Bowfin]

Tried Pedigree with my lab and had the same problem - I stopped feeding Pedigree to her and the problem improved. Her gas level is back to the normal - for a lab.

[JPSavage]

I can't help but respond to the dog food issue.....VERY FEW dry food formulations are as good as supplementing with proteins such as meat scraps,cheese,eggs,etc...Avoid starches like noodles,potatoes,etc...Most vegetables are fine except onions.....Think of it like this ,what do fox,coyotes,wolves,etc eat in the wild?...Surely not many grains of any type,or processed foods...Mostly meat,eggs,some bones, stomach contents and not much else...What do sled dogs ,greyhounds,foxhounds,or any dogs requiring maximum conditioning for strenght and endurance...Ever hear of a farmer complaining of his ground feed (various grains) being raided by fox or coyotes?....But,the chickens, rabbits,and the rest need to be protected.....Dog food companies are there to make money and have infiltrated the veterinarian schools and offices worldwide to push their inferior dog foods....Convenience is the main reason to feed processed foods, NOT food quality.....Supplement with meat scraps ,eggs,etc and watch your dogs prosper......

[Dave S]

It's typical that labs will have gas. It does however get worse with age as their gastro-intestinal tract becomes more sensitive.

I put down my old lab who was 14 a year and a half ago. His last 6 months were terrible. You couldn't light a match around him or it would have been as bad as a propane explosion.

One thing I noticed is he would ingest anything and everything at this age. It didn't matter. This coupled with a more sensitive GI Tract IMO was the cause.

Another thing that will cause it is the change in diet (type of food or feeding regimine). It sounds as though he's been kept on a consistant diet through the years. Right or wrong, I have heard bad things about the Pedigree Brand. But most any food on the shelf will have someone who doesn't care for the product.

JPSavage has some good points about meat scraps. Dogs do need meat in their diet. A lot of the dog foods have an over-abundance of grains. One thing I would never do is to feed the dog table scraps. Their digestive system cannot handle the seasonings that we love to garnish our table fair with.

There's an entire list of things a person shouldn't give their dogs. Things such as bones from poultry like chicken or turkey, anything that might contain fish bones, ham bones (high salt content), sweets. The list goes on. A web search will yield everything you could ever want to know and then some.

[glenn57]

het thanks guys for the info. i have 3 dogs 2 labs, the older as mentioned a 1 1/2 year old chocolate lab and a sheltie. they all eat pedigree, we switched them from the cheaper stuff you but at sams club, the older one is the only one with the issue. the difference i noticed with the switch is there do-do isnt near as much with the pedegree.

[Bowfin]

You couldn't light a match around him or it would have been as bad as a propane explosion.

My lab once set off a carbon monoxide detecter!

I've been trying to find a food with grain or corn as not the number one ingredient. Fleet Farm sells Diamond Brand which seems reasonably priced but doesn't seem to have the grain/corn formulation. Anyone have any experience with Diamond Brand?

[hunter101]

i have to labs a 9 yr old and 2 yr old. been feeding them science diet from the beginning, they dont have much if any gas, unless we give them people food

[Dave S]

Once in a while, my lab and GSP will get into the cat food. Then the fart fest begins.

[FCspringer]

I have great luck with Pro plan, Just regular adult, and performance when running alot

[LABS4ME]

Bowfin,

After 3 price incrases and a reduction of poundage per bag, I switched my Labs from Canidae to Diamond Naturals. They have been doing very well on it. Their coats are still glossy and their stool is firm. I have an almost 15 y.o. gal on it and she is doing fine.

On a side note, I do feed table scraps. I know, I know... you aren't suppose to, but I do. Rarely does it comprise more than 20-25% of a meal. No bones, very limited amount of greasy fat, but everything else goes in the dish. I guess every dog I've had, less one, has lived to at least 11-12 with a couple in the 12-13 year range and one right now that is just short of her 15th b-day. Again, not going to argue what is best intended by vets, dog food companies, nutritionists etc... I know they would have a hard time argueing to me that it has had a detrimental effect on them. I have never had, nor never will have, an over weight dog. I only schedule feed and adjust their dog food serving based on if scraps are supplemented to the feed. My dogs weight never fluctuates more than a couple pounds either way.

My theory is if it's good enough for my consumption, it probably blows away what is in dog food.

Good Luck!

Ken

[Ralph Wiggum]

A web search will yield everything you could ever want to know and then some.

It will yield a bunch of opinions, that's for sure. Some people swear by the BARF diet. I looked into it really seriously a few months ago. There is a ton of information out there. Some you can believe, some you can't. Just keep in my that anyone can post an opinion on the web--they don't necessarily have any more knowledge than you or I.

I have heard great things about Diamond. Our dog's on Pro Plan right now and we've been happy with it. I'm thinking about a switch to Eagle Pack, though.

Watch the treats. Rich foods will be bad. Our dog LOVES liver, but it really does a number on his intestines if he gets a few too many treats A 150lb dog can nearly make a guy cry!