Health
The smell on the sofa, the tummy gurgling at night. Usually it's food and eating too fast. A swollen, tight belly in a large dog is a different thing: an emergency.
Caution. A swollen, tight belly with retching that brings nothing up, in a large dog: go to a 24-hour clinic now. Wind with repeated vomiting, bloody diarrhoea, a painful belly, weight loss or lethargy: see your own vet the same day.
Do not look for the answer in a Facebook group, on TikTok or on a forum. Look for someone trained for this: your dog's own veterinarian, the only person who can examine, investigate and treat them.
Use this page to know what to observe, what to note and what to ask at the appointment, not to treat at home. If you still have doubts after a consultation, ask another vet or a specialist (dermatologist, internist) for a second opinion, not a group. And if you do not have a regular vet yet, find one now, while your dog is healthy: how to choose a veterinary clinic.
Evening, the dog is asleep next to you on the sofa, and every so often the room fills with a smell that sends you to open the window. Or you can hear his stomach from across the room, gurgling like a drainpipe, mostly at night. In most dogs, wind comes down to what they eat and how they eat it, and a few small changes sort it out. In others it is the first sign of a digestive problem that needs testing. One more thing you should know from the start: a swollen, tight belly in a large dog has nothing to do with ordinary wind and is an emergency. Here is how to tell them apart.
Wind on its own isn't an emergency. Some of the signs that can come with it are. Go straight to a clinic, without waiting for an appointment, if:
Less urgent, but still the same day, ring your own vet when:
Gut gas has two sources. The first is swallowed air: when a dog eats or drinks fast, when he pants a lot, and in flat-faced breeds pretty much all the time. The second is the bacteria in the large intestine, which ferment whatever food got through the stomach and small intestine undigested. The more undigested food reaches them, the more gas you get. The gurgling (vets call it borborygmi) is the sound of gas and fluid moving through the gut. A bit of gurgling is normal, especially when he's hungry.
Write a few things down for a week. It gives your vet the full picture, and quite often you'll spot the cause yourself before you even get there.
Everything he eats. His main food (brand, how long he's been on it, whether it changed recently), treats, anything from the table, anything he finds on walks. A lot of wind comes from the extras: the cheese from breakfast, a crust of bread, peas from the soup.
How fast he eats. Time his meal. A dog who empties the bowl in 30 seconds swallows a lot of air along with the food.
When the wind happens. A few hours after a meal, in the morning, after a particular treat, after a walk.
His poo. What it looks like, its colour, how much and how many times a day. Very large, pale, greasy stools with a strong smell, in a dog who eats a lot and doesn't put on weight, are something your vet needs to hear about.
His weight. Weigh him. No big scales? Step on the bathroom scales holding him, then take off your own weight.
| Cause | What you usually notice |
|---|---|
| Sudden change of food | Wind and soft stool for a few days after the switch |
| Eating fast, swallowed air | Empties the bowl in seconds, burps, wind after meals; common in flat-faced breeds |
| Table scraps, dairy, vegetables | Wind after particular foods: milk, cheese, beans, cabbage, peas |
| Scavenging, raiding the bin | Foul-smelling wind after walks, sometimes with soft stool |
| Food intolerance or allergy | Wind and soft stool that keep coming back, sometimes with itchy skin or sore ears |
| Worms, giardia | Soft stool that comes and goes, wind, sometimes weight loss |
| Pancreas not making enough enzymes | Large, pale, greasy stools, big appetite, weight loss; more common in German Shepherds |
| Inflammatory bowel disease | Wind, long-running vomiting or diarrhoea, weight loss |
If wind is the only sign and the dog is otherwise well, the vet usually starts with questions about food and suggests a change of diet. If there are other signs, they go further, roughly in this order:
Ask how long the food trial should run and which signs mean you should come back sooner.
Slow his meals down. A slow-feeder bowl, a snuffle mat with the kibble hidden in it, food scattered on the grass, or a stuffed toy. If a meal takes him five minutes instead of 30 seconds, he swallows far less air. In flat-faced breeds this matters even more.
Two or three smaller meals instead of one big one. His stomach gets less at a time and the food is better digested before it reaches the bacteria in the large intestine.
Keep count of treats. Take whatever you use as treats out of his daily ration, and keep them simple: kibble from his usual food or a single-ingredient treat.
No scraps, dairy, beans or cabbage, especially in the evening if he sleeps in your room.
A gentle walk after meals. An easy stroll, no running, helps the gut move. With large, deep-chested dogs, keep an hour of quiet before and after the main meal.
Keep scavenging in check. Watch him on walks, teach "leave it" with treats he really likes, and for dogs who swallow anything, use a basket muzzle, which lets him drink and pant comfortably.
If after two or three weeks of these changes the wind hasn't budged, or his poo and weight don't look right, take your notes to your vet.
What dog owners search for most often on the internet about this problem, with the short answer. The answers are a guide only: the decision belongs to your dog's own vet, after an examination.
Usually food: a sudden switch of diet, table scraps, dairy, beans or cabbage, something picked up on a walk. Dogs who bolt their food and flat-faced breeds also swallow a lot of air. If the wind comes with soft stool, weight loss or vomiting, the cause may be an intolerance, parasites or a digestive problem, and tests will show it.
The noise is gas and fluid moving through the gut, and a little of it is normal, especially when he's hungry. Loud, frequent gurgling with wind, soft stool, vomiting or a lot of lip licking points to an upset digestion. If it lasts more than a day or two or other signs turn up, get him checked.
Nothing from your own medicine cabinet without talking to your vet. Changing how he eats helps more: a slow-feeder bowl or snuffle mat, two or three small meals, no scraps or dairy, and any change of food made gradually. If nothing has changed after two or three weeks, your vet may suggest tests and a trial on a different food.
Yes, sometimes. Wind that keeps coming back with soft stool can mean a food intolerance, worms, giardia or inflammatory bowel disease. Large, pale, greasy stools in a dog who eats a lot and still loses weight can mean the pancreas isn't making enough enzymes. All of these show up in stool and blood tests.
Ordinary wind doesn't visibly swell the belly or distress him: he sleeps, eats and plays. With a twisted stomach the belly swells and goes tight, the dog is restless, drools and keeps trying to be sick with nothing coming up. That's a surgical emergency: go straight to a 24-hour clinic and don't try anything at home.
The information on this page is educational and does not replace an examination. For full details and a diagnosis, consult your dog's own veterinarian.
They often come together: the same causes, plans that complement each other.
A big, restless dog retching with nothing coming up, his belly as tight as a football. A twisted stomach is operated on within hours, not days.
Ten boxes on the shelf, all promising gut flora and immunity. Probiotics help dogs in a few clear situations, but they never stand in for a vet visit.
A puddle on the carpet at five in the morning, or three days of soft stool with mucus. Two different problems, and neither one gets solved from your medicine cabinet.
The bowl is empty in five seconds and sometimes the kibble comes back up. There is a reason for the speed, and you can slow meals down without taking food away.
We work with your dog's behaviour, not its health. For any sign described here, book an appointment with your own vet; the related services page explains how to choose a clinic.