Category: gas & poop

Dogs are renowned for having really bad smelling flatulence, and sometimes their breath isn’t a whole lot better. In spite of that, they never seem embarrassed, and still make lots of friends at the dog park.

We may laugh but if your dog has either of these problems, it’s not that funny. They’re a lot less pleasant to cuddle up to. Even worse, if your dog is flatulent, you may be blamed for the smell!

All dogs produce gas in their gastro-intestinal tract, as part of the normal digestion of food. Most of the gas that passes from the intestines doesn’t smell at all. Any bad smell is caused by hydrogen sulfide, better known as ‘rotten egg’ gas (YUCK).

Some dogs swallow large amounts of air while eating. This has to go somewhere, and unfortunately  it often comes out the other end. This isn’t usually offensive, but can be quite loud.

The foul smelling flatulence is usually due to poor digestion of certain nutrients, such as protein or fiber. When partially digested food reaches the large intestine, it ferments and releases excess gas. Some dogs also like to eat rotten food or other unsavory items, and this too adds an unpleasant odor to their wind.

Gas-Controlling Solutions

• PORTION CONTROL.  Feed your dog several smaller meals a day, rather than one large meal. This will help to increase the digestion of nutrients, and reduce the amount of partially digested food reaching the large intestine. Less fermentation means less gas production.

• SLOW DOWN!  Encourage your dog to eat slowly by putting an appropriate sized clean rock in his dinner bowl. He’ll have to dig around the rock for his kibble, and he won’t be able to quickly gulp his food. This will reduce the amount of air he swallows. There are also dog bowls that make eating dinner a game, and slows down the eating process.

• DIET. Switch to a grain-free food. Pet owners often notice an improvement in their pet’s gastrointestinal health when changing to a grain free diet. Grain-free foods are generally of a premium grade that contain higher quality ingredients.

• DIGESTIVE ENZYMES. These increase the breakdown of nutrients in the diet and help improve digestion and absorption. The result is again less fermentation. There are many digestive enzymes on the market for dogs. We like this one.

Help eliminate your dog’s gas with this two Step Solution

1. Feed your dog grain free food

2. Give your dog digestive enzymes

= NO MORE GAS

A girl I used to work with said that she expressed her dog’s anal glands. I can’t think of a worse job and I’m more than happy to pay the veterinarian $20 to take care of this for me. But if this sounds like something you’d like to do, here’s some more info. Knock yourself out!

Anal glands, also known as anal sacs, can be found on either side of your dog’s anus, at about the 4 o’clock and 8 o’clock position. When he passes a stool, the pressure on the glands causes them to express a brown, foul smelling liquid which is used to mark those stools. Anal glands can also be expressed suddenly and involuntarily if your dog gets a fright.

These little glands can become impacted, or clogged, which means that the liquid in them isn’t able to escape. This leads to swelling and discomfort around the anal area.

Symptoms of Anal Gland Problems

It’s not hard to tell if your dog has blocked glands; he will scoot along the ground, he may also lick his anal area a lot, and he often sits down suddenly.

Other causes of these symptoms are flea irritation and tapeworms, so check for these little parasites while you are having a look under your dog’s tail. If in doubt, then worm him with an effective worming treatment, and use Flea the Scene regularly to control his fleas.

Causes of Anal Gland Impaction

There are several reasons why your dog’s glands may become blocked.

-Soft stools don’t press on the glands enough to express their contents. If this is the case with your dog, add some fiber to his diet to bulk up his stools.

-Overweight dogs tend to have more problems with their anal glands.

-Anal gland problems may occur with more frequency in dogs with allergies.

Expressing Your Dog’s Anal Glands

Many dog owners take their dogs to their veterinarian to have their anal glands expressed . It’s not the most savory job, and they prefer to leave it to the professionals. Others are quite happy to do it themselves, after being shown how to do it by their vet. It’s important to remember that there is no need to routinely express anal glands; if your dog isn’t suffering from impacted glands, then leave them alone.

There are two ways of expressing anal glands.

1. External squeeze method. Put on a latex glove and stand to the side of your dog, with a paper towel at the ready. Place your index finger and thumb on each side of his anus, over the glands. Squeeze your fingers upwards and inwards, and the contents of the glands should appear at his anus.

2. Internal method. This method is used by veterinarians and it is often easier than the external method. Spread lubricant over your gloved thumb and index finger. Place your thumb just inside your dog’s rectum and your index finger over the area of his gland, and squeeze upwards and outwards. To express the other gland, put your index finger in the rectum and your thumb over the gland and squeeze.

However you choose to express your dog’s anal glands, make sure you clean up afterward with Dry Dog Instant Clean. It contains ordenone which neutralizes odors instead of masking them. It is gentle enough to use on your dog’s fur as well as on your hands.

by EcoWellDog– The Natural Leaders in Problem Solving Grooming & Wellness.

Have you ever watched your dog sniff around in the park, and then suddenly lift his leg to pee somewhere? This is scent marking and is a normal form of communication between dogs. Dogs have many more scent receptors than people, so are much more sensitive to smells than we are. Dog urine contains pheromones and other unique chemical markers. So when your dog sniffs the urine of other dogs, these chemicals allow him to receive information about the dog that left the mark – in particular, their sex and reproductive status. And when he ‘urine marks’ in response, he is leaving his own unique signature at that spot. Think of it as e-mail for dogs= P-Mail!

Although all dogs can urine mark, it’s certainly more common for intact dogs to do this – those that have not been spayed or neutered. And certainly in the case of females, they are more likely to scent mark around the time when they are in heat. Urine marking tends to be a behavior that develops by about the age of 2 years, although some dogs may begin marking as young as a few months old. The best way to reduce the likelihood of a male dog becoming a urine marker is to have him neutered at a young age, before he develops territorial behavior.

Why Might A Dog Mark His Territory?

• A new dog on the block: Your dog may scent mark when he comes across a new dog in his territory. He may do this when he sees a new dog (or even just their scent) in or near his home, or in his favorite park, for example.
• Excitement: Some dogs tend to be very particular about when they urine mark, and might only do it in response to certain situations that arouse them in some way. Some males only mark in response to other males, and some only in response to females.
• Anxiety: Dogs can urine mark when they are experiencing emotional stress too. Maybe a new pet has joined or left the family, or a new baby has arrived. Some dogs can be very unsettled by change, and even events like moving house can be stressful for them, especially when boxes are being packed, or different people are wandering in and out of the house on moving day.

Should I Worry If My Dog Starts Urine Marking Inside the House?

Typically, scent marking tend to be an outdoor activity (although occasionally some dogs can become extremely territorial!), so if your dog starts urinating in the house, it’s certainly wise to rule out any underlying issues:

• Urinary infection: Dogs with urinary infections may urinate inside – typically there may be a “little and often” pattern to the urination. He may also show other cues, such as discomfort when urinating, or he may be off his food.
• Not house trained: If you have recently acquired a new puppy or young dog, and he is urinating inside, consider a lack of house training as a reason.
• Separation Anxiety: If you notice that your dog only urinates inside when left alone, this could be a sign of separation anxiety. You should especially consider this condition if he seems anxious before you leave the house, or is excessively clingy when you return. And especially if he destroys things in your absence too.

Overall though, urine marking outdoors is nothing to be concerned about – most of the time it’s just your dog’s way of communicating his boundaries with his four-legged friends in the neighborhood. It’s his trademark signature, reminding other dogs how “trespassers will be prosecuted”!

Dogs get itchy bottoms at times, and they don’t have too many options when it comes to scratching that itch. They can bite or lick at their bottom, or they can scoot it along the ground.

Let’s look at the most common reasons why your dog’s bottom might itch.

1.       Worms, in particular tapeworms, can cause itching around his anus. You may have noticed the small white worm segments that look like rice grains in his stools or around his bottom. They are very itchy indeed and are a common cause of scooting.

2.       Your dog’s rear end is a popular spot for fleas to gather, and they too will make him itchy around his rump. Some dogs are actually allergic to flea saliva and one bite from a flea will make their skin red and inflamed. To add insult to injury, fleas spread tapeworm so if your dog is itchy from fleas, he’ll soon be itchy from tapeworm too.

3.       Dogs have two little scent glands just inside their anus which contain a very smelly liquid.  These glands can become blocked, swollen and infected, and your dog will drag his bottom along the ground to try and relieve the discomfort.

4.       Some breeds of dogs are prone to severe infection and ulceration around the anus. German Shepherds are known to develop these perianal fistulas. They can be quite painful, and very difficult to treat. This is less common than the other causes of scooting we’ve mentioned.

Stop That Scoot!

It’s embarrassing when your dog scoots in public, and it’s not so pleasant when he does it at home either, particularly if he scoots on your carpet. What can you do to stop him?

Make sure you worm him with an effective broad spectrum worming tablet. This will get rid of any tapeworms lurking in his intestines.

Have a look under his tail. If his scooting has resulted in any redness or irritation, bathe the area with Comfy Dog shampoo with colloidal oatmeal. It will relieve the inflammation and soothe his itch.

Use Flea the Scene regularly to keep these blood sucking parasites at bay. It contains natural insect repellents, and antiseptics to soothe any itchy bites. It has no side effects and is safe enough to use every day.

If you’re concerned about your dog’s anal glands, take him to your veterinarian for an examination.  She will empty his glands, and check for any infection. If infection is present, he may need a course of antibiotics to clear it up. Some dogs are prone to anal gland issues like my 5 year old Westie. I have to take her in about once a month or so.  Some people tell me that I can do it myself. But sticking my finger up my dog’s bum doesn’t sound appealing to either of us! Now that we know what the problem is we can bypass the vet altogether and just see the vet tech. Each visit is only $15.  Well worth it I say!

Cleaning Up Afterwards

Sometimes scooting can result in a little soiling of the hair around your dog’s bottom. You’ll want to clean that up before he jumps into your car, or climbs onto your couch.

Pre-moistened Eyepads are very convenient for cleaning up any soiling or discoloration around your dog’s bottom while you’re out and about. Just grab a pad, wipe, and throw it in the trash. When you’re at home, keep Dry Dog Instant Clean handy for when he needs a quick freshen up under his tail. Spray it on his skin and wipe it off with a cloth.

If you can figure out what’s causing your dog to scoot, and remedy the situation, you won’t be embarrassed by him when you’re out walking together!

 

 

 

 

There’s nothing more likely to ruin a pleasant walk with your dog than stepping in dog poop. Even dog lovers don’t appreciate having to scrub poop from the soles of their shoes.

Picking up after your dog in parks and other public places prevents others stepping in their droppings, but more importantly, it can reduce the spread of parasites and bacterial infections to other dogs and to people.

And just think of all of the poop to be stepped in. One study said that 3.6 billion pounds of dog waste per year is produced in the United States equaling 800 football fields one foot high! And the city of Los Angeles reported that "walking dogs without picking up the poop droppings in L.A. at more than 82,000 times EACH MONTH.”  YUCK!!!!

Pick Up That Poop

There are several health risks associated with leaving dog poop in public places.

1. Dogs can pass the eggs of intestinal worms in their feces. These can infect other dogs and if they have a large enough worm burden, they can become quite ill. People can also be infected with roundworm and hookworm eggs which may cause blindness and neurological problems.

2. Dogs can be infected with giardia and may not show any symptoms. However, if a human becomes infected with this little parasite, they may develop stomach cramps, gas and diarrhea. Giardia may survive in the environment and remain infective for quite some time.

3. Salmonella is a bacterial infection that can be spread from dogs to humans. It can be found in feces passed by infected dogs, and can infect people if they accidentally touch these feces and don’t wash their hands afterwards. It too causes diarrhea, but some people will develop further complications including arthritis.

Dog feces attract flies, and they help the spread of these diseases.

If dog poop is not picked up, it can also contaminate ground water, and be washed into lakes and streams. Poop contains nutrients which can promote the growth of algae. It can also use up oxygen as it decays, and the result is a less than perfect environment for the resident fish.

There have been studies done which show that some lakes and creeks contain high levels of fecal E coli bacteria, and it’s likely that dog poop is a major source of these bacteria.

Keeping It Clean

Picking up dog poop may not be the most savory job, but as you’ve seen, it’s very necessary. There are some ways of making it easier and more environmentally friendly.

If you use a plastic bag for picking up poop, consider using a biodegradable one. Regular plastic bags can take many hundreds of years to break down in landfill.

You can put your bag of dog poop in the trash can, but when you consider the number of dogs in a city,that’s a lot of trash. You can flush the poop down the toilet, and it will be treated at the sewage treatment plant.

Many people use dog poop in their compost bin, or in their worm farm. Compost containing dog poop is best used on flowers and trees, rather than on food producing plants. If you’re going to put dog poop in a worm farm, make sure you don’t do it straight after you give your dog a worming tablet. Most worming products don’t mind which type of worm they kill.

After you’ve picked up your dog’s poop, have a quick look under his tail to make sure he is clean. If he needs a spruce up, Dry Dog Instant Clean is the product you need. This all-natural spray cleanses his fur without needing water or rinsing, and its active ingredient, Ordenone removes all trace of bad smell.

Illegal Poop!

Another reason to pick up your dogs poop is that it’s illegal in many cities not to!  If you decide to let your dog poop in public in London without proper removal, you could get a hefty $750 ticket!

If everyone picked up their dog poop when they went walking, just imagine how much cleaner our environment would be!