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When a whippet farts every once in a while it’s no big deal. But when they start clearing rooms on a daily basis because of their farts you probably start to wonder what’s going on.
Is it normal for whippets to fart so much or is something wrong?
Why Do Whippets Fart So Much:
Whippets fart a lot when they have food sensitivities or food allergies that are causing digestive issues. When they eat things that don’t agree with them it creates more gas in their stomach that needs to be released. It can also come from eating too fast, low exercise, or a diet change.
In this post you’ll discover:
- 9 real reasons why whippets fart so much
- When your whippets farting is something to worry about
- 4 tips to help reduce how often your whippet farts (Tip #1 & 2 will likely help the quickest!)
- And much, much more
Let’s jump right in.
Table of Contents
9 Reasons Why Whippets Fart So Much
1) Eating Too Fast
If your whippet is eating their food too quickly they’ll swallow a lot more air than they would if they ate at a regular pace.
And when they swallow too much air it makes them gassy which results in frequent farts.
The tendency to eat too quickly can come from not wanting their furry sibling to eat their food or because it’s become a bad habit.
If your whippet is starving by the time they get their next meal it can be difficult for them to control themselves as soon as you refill their bowl.
One thing you can do is feed them more frequently throughout the day.
Not more food in general.
Just smaller portions given to them more times over the course of a day.
When your whippet starts eating at a slower pace they should swallow less air and in turn fart less.
Thank goodness!
*Sidenote: Our first tip below is really good for whippets that eat too quickly.
2) Food Allergy
Whippets are known for having sensitive stomachs as a breed.
And if your pup has a food allergy by chance, it would definitely be contributing to how much they’re farting.
Studies have shown that of all the allergy cases in dogs, food allergies represent 10% of them.
While that’s not a massive percentage, it’s not a small one either.
So your pup may have an allergy to one of the ingredients in their food which is upsetting their stomach and causing them to fart.
Related Reading: Are Whippets High Maintenance? (What To Expect + Tips)
3) Bad Diet
If your whippet is being fed a poor quality diet, whether that’s from a low quality dog food or too many table scraps, it’ll definitely contribute to them farting more.
Unfortunately, many affordable dog foods are cheaply priced because they are filled with empty calories and lack vital nutrients.
That’s why many professionals recommend feeding your dog a meat-based dog food.
One that’s main ingredient is an animal based protein, doesn’t contain any preservatives and is highly digestible.
If your whippet is missing important nutrients in their diet it can affect their gut health which can make them fart more than usual.
Also, if they’re being fed lots of table scraps as treats this can definitely contribute to extra flatulence.
Some of the foods you love don’t sit well with dogs.
Also, the more variety in their diet the more opportunity for something to not agree with them and cause them to be gassy.
Feeding your whippet a good quality dog food and ensuring treats of any kind are only 10% of their diet is a great way to help them not fart so much.
4) Low Physical Activity
When a whippet doesn’t get the daily physical activity their body needs they’ll start to put on weight, and more often than not, they’ll also fart more.
One of the many benefits of exercise is that it’s considerably helpful when it comes to proper digestion.
Which means food will more easily pass through their system when they’re being active each day.
But without exercise, they’ll only get chubbier. Which will make their digestion worse/slower and create more gas in their belly.
Which of course then needs to be released.
And the only way to do that is by, you guessed it, farting.
5) Eating Too Much
Overeating is something that makes everyone gassy.
If your whippet is eating more for pleasure than for what their body needs to run smoothly, they’ll likely fart more.
The more food they have in their stomach that needs to be broken down and digested, the more gas is created and results in more farting.
So if your pup has been eating more than usual lately it’s not uncommon for that to come with increased gas.
6) Change In Diet
Abruptly changing your pup’s diet can easily throw their stomach out of sorts.
For the most part, your whippet likely eats the same thing everyday.
And if suddenly the food they’re eating changes it can give them an upset stomach that either makes them have diarrhea or excessive flatulence.
Since their body has gotten so used to digesting a certain food for the majority of their diet, if that changes too quickly it can really mess with their stomach.
It’s similar to if a vegetarian were to accidentally eat a piece of meat.
Their body is so used to digesting vegetables that it rejects the foreign food.
This is why it’s important to slowly move your whippet from one food to another when changing their diet.
Here’s a simple guide for transitioning your pup from their old food to a new food:
Day 1-2: 15% new food 85% old food.
Day 3-4: 25% new food 75% old food.
Day 5-6: 50% new food 50% old food.
Day 7-8: 75% new food 25% old food.
Day 9 onward: 100% new food.
7) Some Vegetables Aren’t Healthy
You might think that because veggies are good for you that they’d be good for your pup to eat as well.
And while that’s true for some vegetables, others can make your whippet considerably gassy.
Some veggies that are known for making dogs more gassy than usual are beans, soy-based foods, broccoli and cauliflower.
These foods ferment more in their stomach which creates gas that needs to be released.
So if you’ve recently been feeding your pup vegetables, either reduce the amount significantly, or stop giving them these veggies.
AKC made a great list of the different fruits and vegetables that are safe and healthy for dogs that you can check out by clicking here.
8) Fatty Foods
Your whippet’s stomach isn’t great at digesting food that’s high in fat.
And if they eat anything that their body has difficulty digesting it will create more gas in their belly.
While they may love some of the fatty foods they get as treats, the fatty foods don’t love them!
Which is why it’s best to leave out fatty foods from your whippets diet to avoid excessive farting.
The less fatty foods they eat the less frequent they’ll clear out a room after passing gas.
9) Health Related Issue
If your whippet is in otherwise perfect health, eats high quality food, doesn’t eat too fast or overeat, they might have a health related issue.
Some health related issues that have been known to be paired with excessive farting are:
- Inflammation of their pancreas
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- Cancer
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Stomach infection
When a pup’s flatulence seems unexplainable, their diet is otherwise healthy, and they’re in good shape, it might be an underlying health condition.
In which case, it’s a good idea to have a veterinarian take a look at them.
4 Tips To Help Your Whippet Not Fart As Much
1) Slow Their Eating Down
When a whippet inhales their food they can’t help but fart more.
Whenever they eat, lots of air gets swallowed along with their food.
It’s actually a pretty common issue for many dogs so your pup isn’t alone.
And because it’s such a common issue there’s bowls that are specifically designed to make it more challenging for you pup to inhale their food.
This Outward Hound Slow Feeder Dog Bowl is one of the best on amazon.
It creates small sections of food which makes dogs have to be more strategic with their eating.
They can’t scarf down all their kibble in a matter of seconds.
Instead they have to eat fewer pieces at a time and overall slow down their eating.
Which of course helps them swallow less air and in turn helps with less farts.
2) Make a List
It’s always a good idea to make a list of the things that noticeably upset your whippet’s stomach.
This way you’ll always know what foods they shouldn’t have which can help reduce how often they have gas attacks.
Whether it’s certain ingredients in their dog food, treats or scraps of people food you’re giving them as snacks.
However, when they fart all the time it’s more than likely something to do with their main diet that they eat everyday.
But if they have bad gas only every once and a while it might be from certain foods you’re treating them with.
As your list gets bigger you should notice your whippet doesn’t fart nearly as much.
3) Follow a More Strict Diet
The less variety in your whippets diet they less likely they will be to fart a lot.
Once you find a good quality dog food that agrees with them it’s best to keep it as their main food source as long as it agrees with them.
Food with very limited or no preservatives, one or multiple animal based proteins as main ingredients, and saying ‘highly digestible’ on the bag are what you want to see.
Variety every once and a while is totally fine, but expect that it might come with a few more farts than you’re used to.
4) Ask a Vet
Whenever your whippet is doing unusual things, it’s never a bad idea to take them to the vet to have them looked at.
If you think there might be a slight chance that their excessive flatulence is an underlying health issue, it’s important to take them in for a check up.
You’ll also be able to chat with them about your whippet’s main diet and get their recommendations or suggestions.
Other posts you might find interesting:
Top 6 Reasons Why Whippets Tuck Their Tails + 4 Tips
9 Eye Opening Reasons Why Your Whippet Stares At You
11 Reasons Why Whippets Whine & Cry + How To Reduce It
Sources:
Why Your Dog Is Farting and What to Do About It