my puppy has a bloated tummy and smelly wind

After eating my puppy has had a bloated tummy and is breaking wind she seems playful as normal and her poop is normal... what can it be?



Hi
Minor digestive upsets like this are fairly common, and they're usually due to 'dietary indiscretions' - in other words eating something she shouldn't.

Puppies have a habit of getting into everything, and perhaps she's ingested something that she wouldn't normally. Or perhaps you've changed her diet, or are giving her scraps or different doggie treats. Any of these things could cause flatulence and an upset tummy.

As her tummy is also bloated, perhaps she ate too quickly and swallowed a lot of air, that happens quite often. If your pup is a 'chow hound' and regularly eats her food as though she's starving hungry (even though you know she isn't!), then you can try using a wide, shallow dish (even a baking tray works) as that makes it more difficult for her to eat too fast.

Putting a large rock (too big for her to get in her mouth) into her bowl can have the same effect, or you can buy special bowls with raised 'nodules' that slow down speedy-eaters.

However, bloat (aka torsion or twisted stomach) can happen if a dog eats much too quickly. The the stomach 'flips' over, the air and stomach contents get trapped, and this leads to serious problems and death if untreated.

Your pup seems as though she's active and happy, so chances are bloat isn't an issue here, but it is something that every dog owner should know about. Check out this webpage - Canine Bloat for more info. on recognizing this dangerous condition.

Chances are this is just a 'one-off' occurrence and your pups tummy will be back to normal by tomorrow. However, if she does continue to have a lot of gas, her tummy stays 'big', or she develops puppy diarrhea or other signs of a digestive upset, have her examined by your vet. There are infections, parasitic diseases and other conditions that can cause these symptoms.

Hope this helps. Best of luck, hope your pup is doing better soon.