The Top Ten Gassiest Dogs: Why Are They So Stinky?

The pet lover in me couldn't skip over a recent AkPharma, Inc. survey that named the "Top Ten Gassiest Dogs." Of course I immediately scanned the list to see if my beloved Bearded Collies made the list. And yes, I breathed relief when I didn't see that breed on the list. I didn't think Bearded Collies would be among the "gassiest" because my Beardie boys, Jester and Oscar, who eat a raw food diet (no grains), don't seem to have a problem with gas, thank goodness. Now they may fall into another category, "The top ten nuttiest dogs," but that's not really related to the digestive system. (If I do find a link, I will let you know!)

So who made the list?

Top ten gassiest dogs

1. German Shepherd
2. Mutt

3.Labrador Retriever

4. Boxer
5. Doberman Pinscher
6.Poodle
7.Cocker Spaniel
8.Rottweiler
9.Beagle
10. Dalmation

About the survey


The recent survey of dog-lovers was conducted on AkPharma's toll-free CurTail Hotline.

"This list of gassiest dogs humorously reveals which breeds are the most renowned for their ability to emit unpleasant pet gas," says Alan Kligerman, C.E.O. at AkPharma Inc.

Now is this not the best CEO quote you've seen in a while? I sure got a laugh out of it.

It's important to note that AkPharma, the creator of Beano and Lactaid (these brands now belong to other companies)and Prerelief (for heartburn), also makes CurTail Drops, a pet food enzyme that is supposed to help make your pet's food easier to digest.

"Pet gas is definitely a problem that most pet owners encounter and frequently it's the result of a pet's inability to properly digest the ingredients in pet food," Kligerman says. "CurTail Drops will prevent pet gas associated with most types of food, from generic store brands to gourmet special diet formulas."

Now, from my own experience with my Beardies and after much research reading and talking with veterinarians and pet nutrition experts, I've learned that our what our pets eat affects their digestive system in much the same way as food affects ours. So just as certain foods may cause us digestive woes like gas, bloating, constipation or diarrhea--certain things our pet eat may cause them to suffer with similar symptoms. Other pets are quite obsese. Think about all the times you've had to pick up after a dog whose stools are consistently loose? Many of us accept this as normal--but just as it isn't "normal" for us to have consistently loose stools, neither should our pets.

So while the "top ten gassiest pets" list is funny, the larger and more serious issue for me is what are we feeding our pets to make them so stinky?

While the reality is not everyone thinks about the ingredients in their pet's food that may be causing the gas and therfore a product like Curtail could help, I want pet owners to know that just as we are what we eat, so are our pets.

In the FAQs on the Curtail site, we learn that the very reason for this product is because of what is lurking in pet food.

I've included this from the Curtail site for your info:


"Why does my pet need CurTail Drops?
Many pet foods contain soy or whole grains. Unfortunately, these ingredients contain complex sugars that your pet can't always digest. After a meal, these sugars ferment in your pet's intestine - producing unpleasant gas. And you know what usually happens next! CurTail contains a natural - source food enzyme that aids in the digestion of the complex sugars found in pet foods. This enzyme acts on the sugars before they become a problem."
My question: if ingredients like soy, corn, wheat glutens and other grains and fillers are included in pet foods and they are not always easily digestable, why do we continue feeding our pets this food?

While I will say that removing grains from my dogs' diet has had major health benefits for both of them, a raw food diet may not be the right diet for every pet. There are some high-quality pet foods such as the food made by Innova that are dry, and some of them do not contain any grain such as EVO. Yes, a raw diet costs more than other types of pet food, but I save on veterinary bills. Jester and Oscar visit the vet pretty much once a year.

Until I swtiched his diet, Jester had major digestive issues and I was in the vet's every other week for the first two years of his life So I urge you to learn all you can about pet foods and understand what you are really feeding your pet. All dogs are not created equally--and neither is the food they eat. And cats too--they need high-protien diets--not diets filled with carbs and sugar. It's not natural for their digestive systems--so it's no wonder they have trouble digesting at times (if you have cats, you've likely seen kitty vomit in weird places in the house.) Ever wonder why? What about all the uriniary tract issues some cats have? It's likely what they're eating.

Anyway, I hope you found this insightful and are thinking about what you will feed you pet.

Here are some resources I've found helpful:

What's really in pet food

Guidelines for healthier pets

Pet food labels: a misnomer?

Reducing canine obesity

Evolutionary nutrition

All the best for you and your pets!

Gastro Girl

Living With Crohn's? Tune in for Insurance Tips

As you probably know, Michael Moore's new film Sicko has heated up the health care debate. I'm not surprised since 47 million people are uninsured in the United States; and many of them go without health insurance coverage or find insurance companies unwilling to pay for tests or medications because of preexisting conditions, such as Crohn's disease.

Did you know that about 500,000 Americans have Crohn's disease, an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that causes chronic inflammation of the intestinal tract?
(Note: This photo is an endoscopic image of Crohn's showing deep ulceration in sigmoid colon. Photo released into public domain on permission of patient. Source:Wikipedia.)

Like ulcerative colitis, another common IBD, Crohn's disease can be both painful and debilitating and sometimes may lead to life-threatening complications.

It' s no secret that many people living with a digestive condition such as Crohn's disease are flustered, overwhelmed or just plain angered by insurance companies who refuse to cover pre-approved tests or consider useful medicines unnecessary.

Yes, this is ridiculous. I can only imagine how frustrating it is to navigate the world of health care insurance if you or a loved one is living with Crohn's disease.

But a Health Talk program, "Crohn's: It's My Money," aims to help you deal with your frustrations. The show will air on the Internet on Tuesday, August 14, 2007 at 7:00 p.m. EST (4:00 p.m. PST).
I urge those of you living with Crohn's (or caring for someone that is) to tune into the show for a chance to tell your story and hear helpful advice about what you can do to get the coverage you deserve. You'll learn how to check for incorrect claim statements, find an advocate on the inside to help you and make your voice heard.

You need to register in advance to participate. But when you register you'll also have the opportunity to submit a question to the Health Talk experts, who will also answer questions from guests live during the program.

Feel free to ask your questions in our Revolution Health community forums as well! We have some helpful resources for you, including patient advocate Jill Sklar, who offers insight, support and advice in the Crohn's and digestive health community as well as in her blog, Living with Crohn's.


Listen to a previous Health Talk program on Crohn's and Initmacy


All the best,
Gastro Girl

Pool Drain Danger Beware: Little Girl Loses Intestines

I just read a heartbreaking and quite disturbing story about a six-year old Minnesota girl who had most of her intestines sucked out of her body by a pool drain. She is lucky to be alive although her life will never be the same.

Abigail Taylor sat on the drain at the bottom of the pool and her bottom created suction on the drain. The strength of the suction from the drain pulled most of her small intestine out, according to wire reports.

A several hours in surgery, Abigail now has a permanent colostomy and now faces a lifetime of intravenous feedings since that's the only way she will be able to receive all of her nutrients.

Without her small intestines she cannot process food.

Her father, Scott Taylor said in wire reports that he's talking to the media to make sure other parents and pool owners are aware of the dangers lurking at the bottom of pools.

"The suction from a pool drain can be so powerful that it can hold an adult under water, but most entrapment incidents involve children," according to the Consumer Products Safety Commission.

So parents, pool owners and anyone else who swims or is around pools--please take care, warn your children of pool dangers and please, please don't sit on the pool drain.

Here are some Revolution Health resources for pool safety:

Pool safety tips
Swimming FAQs
Water safety
Child safety: Prevent drowning