Why Do Huskies Fart So Much: 3 Reasons & What To Do

A few pops here and there is no big deal, but when your husky is bombarding you all day, it becomes an issue. This article explains why your husky is farting so much and what you can do about it.

The main reason a husky might fart a lot is because of food/dietary issues. They can also fart more if they swallow too much air while eating. Or it could be because of a health issue.

Why Your Siberian Husky Farts So Much

Farting isn’t a husky thing, so this rules out “it’s a breed thing”. Excessive flatulence is typically caused by something, so let’s run through the main 3 reasons.

1. Diet & Food

You may have guessed it before you started googling it, and you were right, diet and food is the main culprit for excessive farting issues.

Certain foods don’t digest very well and others are just low-quality, mix this with a husky’s naturally sensitive stomach and digestive system, and you’ve got yourself a ticking time-bomb fart-bomb.

Take a look below at some of the common ingredients known to cause digestive issues:

● Fermentable fibers (lactose, psyllium, oat bran)
● Milk and dairy products (common in dog treats)
● Soybeans, peas or beans (common in dog foods)
● Chicken, pork, beef or lamb (common in everything)
● Rotton of spoiled food
● Food additives
● Spicy foods

It’s extremely likely that one or more of the above are currently in the dog food kibble you are using.

⭐ Chicken, pork, beef, or lamb are widely used despite being common allergens. This may come as a shock but the most popular forms of protein, are actually allergens. Many huskies actually get on much better when consuming dog food where the main protein source comes from salmon, duck, turkey, or other fish. These seem to digest easier than chicken, pork, beef, or lamb.

⭐ Have you recently switched dog foods? Whenever your husky starts a new kibble his body will need some time to adjust. If excessive flatulence doesn’t stop after a few weeks, this may be an indication the new food isn’t working very well.

⭐ All dogs are lactose intolerant. After your husky puppy has weaned off his mother’s milk, his body will naturally stop producing an enzyme called lactase. This enzyme is needed to properly break down and digest dairy. Without this enzyme, your husky will not be very tolerable of dairy. This will ultimately cause digestion problems, which then lead to flatulence.

⭐ When it comes to dog food kibbles, there can be a world of difference between brands. The reason it’s always recommended to use a “premium” brand is that they use fresher ingredients, fewer additives, preservatives and are made with a more favorable macronutrient breakdown of proteins to fats to carbs.

A common issue with cheap dog food is containing a high amount of carbohydrates. This is because carbs are cheap to source, store, and bulk out the food easily. This is not ideal for a dog, and in fact, it’s been confirmed by the National Research Council that carbohydrates are simply not needed, at all, to sustain a healthy canine diet. The OTHER issue is that carbs don’t always digest like they should, which can lead to excessive flatulence.

2. Aerophagia (swallowing air)

Aerophagia or otherwise known as swallowing too much air is a health issue that can develop in canines and even humans. It’s defined as swallowing too much air throughout the day, or when eating or drinking.

Although it doesn’t sound like much of an issue, it can actually cause serious issues for the stomach and abdomen region. Bloat and Gastric Torsion (when the stomach literally twists on itself) can occur from having too much gas in their stomach.

⭐ Excessive flatulence is just one of the many health issues connected to Aerophagia.

When and how your husky may be swallowing too much air:

● When eating from a bowl that’s too low down
● Eating too fast
● Stressed or anxious dogs typically ingest too much air throughout the day from breathing
● Feeding too soon after exercise
● Eating too many fermentable foods (produce gas as they breakdown)
● Underlying respiratory disease

Ingesting too much air can certainly be the cause of having excessive farts. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to prevent it, which I’ll be running through in the next section.

3. Underlying Health Concerns

In more unfortunate cases, excessive farting may be caused by an underlying health concern.

According to Vet West Animal Hospital below are some of the common health concerns that can cause flatulence:

● Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
● Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
● Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)
● Enteritis
● Tumors
● Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI)
● Intestinal parasites

Scheduling an exam with your veterinarian is the only way to rule out such health concerns.

More times than not, your husky’s flatulence issue will be caused by either diet or ingesting too much air, but it’s still a smart decision to rule out underlying issues.

The health issues above typically come with a range of other symptoms, aside from just flatulence. Be sure to observe your husky closely and note any unusual behavior to assist your veterinarian.

How To Stop Your Husky Farting So Much

Let’s run through three main ways you can help your husky to limit his farting problem.

1. Raise his food bowl

One thing you can try immediately is to raise your husky’s food bowl up from the ground. Many owners have great success with just this.

When your husky eats from a raised position, it prevents his neck from stretching down too far. It simultaneously aligns his posture and stomach to a better position while he’s chewing and swallowing. This reduces the amount of air intake and will instantly improve his stomach and digestion.

You can buy raised food bowls (with adjustment) straight from Amazon. But for the very next mealtime, you can simply put his food bowl on the first or second step of your stairs.

Aside from reducing the amount of air swallowed, there are many other health benefits from eating at a raised position. If you are interested check this article out here.

2. Adjust his food and diet

It’s likely you are already using a premium brand of kibble, but try checking the ingredients. You may be surprised to see many of the common ingredients listed above.

One of the significant ingredients to change would be the protein source. If your current brand uses chicken, beef, lamb or pork, this can be switched.

It’s recommended to opt for a premium kibble that’s tailored towards sensitive stomachs. These kibbles purposefully include fewer ingredients overall, plus you’ll be able to switch the protein source to either salmon, duck, turkey, or other fish.

On top of this, check the list of culprit ingredients listed above, and try your best to avoid giving them to your husky. You would be surprised just how many dog foods and dog treats contain these ingredients.

3. Provide sufficient exercise and a stress-free life

This seems like the advice you see everywhere, for everything… but there’s good reason for it.

A common cause for Aerophagia (swallowing too much air) is stress and anxiety. Huskies are known for being a sensitive breed, especially when it comes to their daily routine, exercise levels, mental stimulation, diet, and so on.

Providing your husky with sufficient exercise per day around 2 hours (or more) is crucial for them to remain physically stimulated and satisfied.

This exludes mental exercise, which is equally important for huskies to feel content and anxiety-free. Mental exercise can come from regular command training with rewards and playing with interactive puzzle toys.

Another common issue nowadays is the amount of time we leave our dogs home alone, and this can be a huge contributor to stress and anxiety in huskies, who notoriously don’t cope well when left alone. Check out this detailed article to read more about this.

Will Charcoal Biscuits Reduce Your Husky’s Farting?

Activated charcoal biscuits are frequently recommended by veterinarians as a temporary solution to excessive flatulence.

What does it do? Activated charcoal helps by absorbing excess gas from the intestines, as well as providing other detoxifying health benefits.

A temporary solution only. It’s worth trying Activated Charcoal as a temporary solution, but that’s just it. These biscuits should be given infrequently and should not be considered a permanent fix.

Must be made for dogs. Another important point to mention is that the activated charcoal you use MUST be made for dogs. Activated charcoal for humans is not suitable for dogs

Your veterinarian may be able to help you best choose appropriate charcoal biscuits. But remember, finding out the root cause should be the first priority.

Last Thoughts

It can be quite hard to pinpoint what’s causing your husky’s flatulence, especially when there are multiple potential reasons.

If you are finding it difficult to address, or you are just unsure, the best thing you can do is call your veterinarian. Your veterinarian will first be able to rule out health issues, then run through the causes with you.