Wind

Wind in dogs

This subject often brings cries of disgust or mirth depending on the person but when presented with a pet with persistent, chronic wind it may well indicate a diseased state of the intestine. Apart from the malodouress emissions being unpleasant to owners there is a risk that the problem may well develop into more serious disease forms.

Owner's assessment

It is important for owners to assess the stomach and intestinal function of their dog fully before deciding on the course of treatment to follow.

Appetite - Normal , reduced or inappetant?
Wind - Occasional, after feeding, persistent, malodouress?
Faeces - Normal, diarrhoea, constipation, straining?
Vomiting - No vomiting, occasional (less than once daily) frequent?
Weight of animal - No weight loss, weight loss?
Temperament - Normal, nervous, aggressive, changed?

How the disease works in the body

The two most common sources of gastrointestinal gas are swallowed air and bacterial fermentation of nutrients. The former will tend to cause eructation (burping), the latter flatulence. In dogs, as in humans, the bulk of the gas is hydrogen, carbon dioxide and methane. There are three principal factors.

The types and proportions of bacteria, particularly Clostridia, of the bowel.
The type and constituent of the nutrients. High fibre, high fat diets aggrevate the condition and certain food substances, for instance legumes, contain large quantities of indigestible oligosaccharides which tend to promote bacterial fermentation.

There may well be secondary problems which lend to excess wind such as pancreatic insufficiency leading to malabsorption of nutrients and thus providing food substances for bacterial fermentation. See Pancreatic Insufficiency and Diarrhoea

Clinical Findings

If your dog is vomiting several times a week, has severe diarrhoea and passing copious amounts of wind we would advise a rapid consultation with your veterinarian. However, in far more cases owners present their dog with flatulence and intermittent diarrhoea and looking perfectly well in themselves. These animals can usually be treated at home. Possible complications as mentioned above can be more serious and chronic disease problems of the pancreas and small intestines. Severe wind will lead to further disturbance in the bowel bacteria and sufficient gas build up to cause marked colic pain. For this reason, the rapid implementation of dietary management changes and antiflatulent products is important.

Treatment

Treatment comprises of three areas.

Treating symptomatically (treating the symptoms your dog has, i.e. wind, diarrhoea) Our advice would depend on the symptoms:
If just flatulent, traditional BCK Granules mixed in the food for a couple of weeks will normal settle the condition, absorbing gas, excess fluid and intestinal toxins.
If flatulent with intermittent diarrhoea we would normally start with Canikur tablets followed by a course of BCK granules
If the diarrhoea is persistent we would ask the client to starve the pet for 24 hours giving Lectade solution (an electrolyte and glucose mixture to combat dehtdration), followed by B.C.K.Granules.
Mix in with the feed Protexin powder, a probiotic which should aid re-establishment of normal bacterial fauna in the intestines.
Dietary changes should be initiated. 24 hours house rest and starvation with ad lib fresh water in small ammounts is an essential start to treatment. A low fibre, reduced protein, low fat diet should be introduced. Hills Pet Nutrition provide a range of specialized diets suitable for this condition. Seethe information on Hills Canine i/d or if there is a suggestion of any food sensitivity problem, information about Hills Canine d/d diet.

If the problem persists then you may need to seek veterinary advice on the possibility of some more deep seated, intestinal problem. We quite often see small intestine bacterial overgrowth. This is where disease causing bacteria overgrow the intestinal lining, replacing useful bacteria and inhibiting the uptake of nutrients. Damage to the bowel lining may result with rduced absorptive surfaces and failure of the essential chemical pathways for food absorption to take place and this results in a Malabsorption Syndrome In other cases, the pancreas which produces the enzymes necessary for breaking down and absorbing the food either reduces or fails to function. This results in Pancreatic Insufficiency This condition may result from disease of the pancreas or in some cases be inherited (e.g. German Shepherd dogs). These conditions tend to lead to weight and condition loss, often linked with diarrhoea. Other diseases may manifest in a similar manner.

Do remember that dogs can catch food poisoning bacteria and potentially could pass them on to people. If your dog has persistent ill health consult your vet. Use hygenic precautions when handling the dog, and faeces.