Gaseous Problem

Question
Hello Diana,

    My grandparents have a 15 year old (no kidding) yellow Pit-Bull/Labrador mix. Despite the mix, she's a great dog. She adores kids and loves to cuddle. She's very sweet and has never growled at anybody. She was rescued as a pup and was abused before my grandma and grandpa got her. She has become very skinny lately and appears to have a hard time breathing. She doesn't eat as much as she should, and seems to have a "gas problem". We'll be sitting outside in front of a portable heater with her at our feet when she'll, well...you know. Any ideas of what could be causing this? Thanks!

Answer
Flatulence can be the result of a slight imbalance with the bacteria which normally live in the digestive track.  This can be a sign of disease and I would given her age, weight loss and breathing difficulty suggest taking her to your veterinarian.  Things such as cancer or metabolic diseases of the liver could be a possible problem.

If they find her to be healthy and this is just a case of unpleasant "emissions" you might try getting a digestive enzyme supplement to add to her food.  This can aid in the digestion process and relieve some gas buildup.

Best of luck, I hope this will help.