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A french bulldog toot here and there can be funny or even cute. But when they start to fart so much that you need to continuously clear the room, it’s not so funny or cute anymore…
What gives? Is it normal for french bulldogs to fart so much?
Why Do French Bulldogs Fart So Much:
French bulldogs fart so much because of their sensitive stomachs and they swallow more air while they eat than other breeds. They’re a brachycephalic breed which gives them breathing troubles that make them more susceptible to swallowing air as they eat their meals and makes them gassy.
In this post you’ll discover the top 11 reasons why french bulldogs fart so much, what human foods are more likely to cause flatulence in your frenchie as well as helpful tips to reduce the frequency of their farts.
A combination of tip #1 & 2 would likely see the quickest results!
Let’s jump right in.
Table of Contents
11 Reasons Why Your French Bulldog Farts So Much
1) Air Swallowing
French bulldogs are more prone to swallowing air while they eat because of their small snout.
They’re not able to breathe through their nose as easily as other breeds which makes them more susceptible to swallowing air as they eat.
And when they swallow lots of air while they’re eating they’re going to burp as well as fart more.
Excessive air swallowing also happens when your french bulldog eats their food too fast in general.
Which can become a habit either because they don’t want their furry siblings to eat their food or it’s how they’ve always eaten since they were young.
It can also happen if your pup has recently been active and is panting because they’re trying to catch their breath.
The best way to reduce their air swallowing is by helping them eat slower and not feeding them directly after physical activity.
This can be done through using specially designed bowls that make it challenging to gobble their food down super fast.
2) Poor Quality Diet
Unfortunately, many affordable dog foods are low in quality.
The reason they can be priced so low is because they’re low in important nutrients.
Foods that are rich in nutrients cost more for the companies making them which of course makes the end product more expensive for you and I.
Many low quality dog foods are filled with grain-based food that is mostly empty calories.
Without proper meat in their daily dog food their body will be missing essential nutrients that keep their gut and overall body healthy.
If your french bulldogs food doesn’t have animal based meat as the main ingredient, say ‘highly digestible’ on the bag, or that it isn’t made with preservatives, their diet could be why they fart so much.
If your pup is currently eating high quality food they may be having troubles absorbing the nutrients or have poor digestion.
3) Recent Diet Change
In general, dog’s stomachs are much more sensitive than peoples.
But even more important to understand is that your frenchie likely eats the exact same food everyday for the bulk of their diet.
So if you’ve recently changed their food, it could be the reason for the excessive flatulence.
Their body is so used to eating the same thing everyday, as soon as it changes, it will take time for their body to adjust to the new food.
That’s why it’s important to gradually change from their old food to their new food.
To help make your french bulldogs transition to a new food is as smooth as possible you can use this as a guideline:
Day 1-3: 15% new food 85% old food.
Day 4-5: 25% new food 75% old food.
Day 6-8: 50% new food 50% old food.
Day 9-11: 75% new food 25% old food.
Day 12 onward: 100% new food.
4) Food Allergy
If your french bulldog is allergic to their food it could be causing them to fart a lot.
Frenchies have quite sensitive stomachs which makes food allergies more common.
Studies have found that 10% of all allergy cases in dogs are related to their food.
While it’s not a large percentage, it’s still a possibility which could be increasing how often your pup passes gas.
It’s a good idea to consult with a vet if you think it could be allergies causing their excessive farting and potentially switching to a hypoallergenic dog food.
Related Reading: 8 Reasons Why French Bulldogs Itch So Much + Helpful Tips
5) Too Many Leftovers/Table Scraps
The more things you feed your french bulldog that their stomach isn’t used to, the higher chance they’ll fart a lot.
Also, many of the foods you eat will be covered in spices, salt, sauces, etc. to enhance the flavor.
And while your pup may appreciate and enjoy the array of flavors, their stomach isn’t equipped to handle it as easily as yours.
Which makes them more gassy.
It’s best to limit what foods you share with your frenchie to certain fruits and foods that are plain.
No added seasoning or flavors.
As well as to ensure only 10% of their diet is these kinds of treats while 90% is their main dog food diet.
6) Obese & Lack Of Exercise
When a french bulldog gets on the chunkier side, more often than not, they’ll fart more frequently.
Exercise helps with digestion which makes food pass through their system more easily.
Without exercise, food will pass through their system slower which gives more time to create gas that needs to be passed through their system.
And when they become obese from months or years of reduced daily exercise, the excessive farting only gets worse.
7) Certain Veggies Don’t Sit Well
Some vegetables, while they contain plenty of healthy nutrients, aren’t the best for your french bulldog.
Veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, beans or soy-based foods ferment in their stomach which makes them extra gassy.
So if you find yourself feeding your frenchie these veggies, either reduce the amount or frequency you’re treating them to your pup.
Or completely remove them from their diet and choose other fruits/veggies that are equally as healthy without the chance of making them more gassy.
8) Lactose Intolerant
Just like people, your french bulldog can be lactose intolerant.
When your pup isn’t able to properly digest lactose (which is found in dairy products) it sits in their belly and is then broken down by bacteria and stomach acids.
And when this happens, it creates more gas than their usual diet which of course needs to be released.
If you notice after giving your french bulldog some cheese as a treat they’re particularly gassy, hold off on dairy foods as treats.
9) Overeating
Overeating creates gas in both people and french bulldogs.
The more food they have in their stomach, the more needs to be digested and broken down to later be pooped out.
So it’s completely understandable that your french bulldog is farting a lot if they’re overeating.
10) Too Much Fatty Foods
Your french bulldog isn’t able to digest foods that are high in fat very easily.
And as with any other foods that their stomach has difficulty digesting, it will create more gas in their belly.
When sharing food with your pup, do your best to leave out foods that are particularly high in fat.
The less fatty foods french bulldogs eat, the less likely they’ll be to fart a lot.
11) Underlying Health Condition
If your frenchie is in perfect health, doesn’t over eat or eat too fast and already eats hypoallergenic food, they may have an underlying health problem.
If their excessive gas is simply unexplainable it’s a good idea to take them to the vet.
A few conditions that could cause flatulence are:
- Cancer
- Stomach infection
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Inflammation of the pancreas
Each of these would require medical aid in order to fix which is why it’s important for them to see a vet.
Top 4 Tips To Help Reduce Your French Bulldogs Farting
1) Try a Higher Quality Dog Food
A good rule of thumb with dog food is to buy the most expensive dog food your budget can afford.
Unfortunately, many dog foods are filled with grains which are missing vital nutrients to keep your pup happy and healthy.
If the dog food you’ve been feeding them up until this point is grain-based try moving them to a protein-based dog food.
Protein-based dog foods cost a little more but they’re more rich in nutrients that your pup needs on a daily basis.
Of course this won’t stop their farting all together. After all, farting is completely normal and a healthy bodily function.
But if their body is getting proper nutrients and isn’t filled with empty calories, their excessive farting could become less of a problem.
High quality dog foods will have:
- Very little to no preservatives.
- One or multiple animal-based protein as one of the major ingredients (top of the ingredient list)
- Has the words ‘Highly Digestible’ or ‘Low Residue’ on the bag
It’s never a bad idea to consult with your vet about your french bulldog’s diet. They’ll have ingredient recommendations or brands in general that are high quality.
2) Slow Down Their Eating
If your frenchie is eating too fast, they’ll be quite literally inhaling their food.
And when they do this they swallow a lot of air in the process which makes them extra gassy.
Whether it’s because you have other dogs and your french bulldog feels the need to eat fast so their sibling doesn’t eat their food, or it’s a learned behavior from when they were young, it’s important to slow down their eating.
The slower they eat, the less air they’ll swallow which will result in less farting.
Because fast eating is quite a common issue for many dogs they actually have bowls designed to slow down eating.
This Outward Hound Slow Feeder Dog Bowl is one of the best on amazon.
The bowl breaks their meal into separate clusters that makes it difficult for them to inhale their food.
Instead, they have to be more strategic with how they eat their kibble which inevitably slows them down.
And in turn helps them swallow less air while they’re eating.
3) Pay Close Attention
While you may want to share some of your food with your frenchie, it’s important to ensure what you’re feeding them is safe for dogs.
Certain foods can be hard on your french bulldogs sensitive stomach which is causing them to fart more than you’d like.
While the foods you’re giving them may be safe for dogs in general, they may not agree with your pup.
This is why it’s a good idea to watch them closely after giving them special treats/food.
You’ll then be able to notice if they fart more than usual after certain foods.
Once you notice that some foods make your frenchie fart more, simply stop giving them these foods.
If they fart a lot all the time, then it’s likely something to do with their main diet dog food.
Which in that case it would be a good idea to speak with your vet about the issue.
While slowing down how fast they eat can help, their food might have ingredients that aren’t agreeing with them.
And your vet might be able to help identify the ingredients that can cause excessive farting and recommend changes.
4) Take Them To The Vet
It’s never a bad idea to consult with a veterinarian when it comes to odd behavior from your french bulldog.
If you feel their farting is excessive and not healthy, taking them to the vet can give you some peace of mind.
If you’ve tried changing up their diet yet it’s not getting any better, getting a second opinion is a good idea.
Other posts you might find interesting:
12 Best Beds For French Bulldogs: Beds That Last
9 Interesting Reasons Why French Bulldogs Sleep So Much
Do French Bulldogs Like To Cuddle? 17 Things To Know
8 Reasons Why French Bulldogs Smell + 7 Ways To Stop It
Citations:
Caring for a Dog with Food Allergies
