PEOPLE Pet Vet Dr. Evan Antin has the information you need to know about dog farts on this special holiday

What Breed Farts the Most and Other Things to Know on Dog Farting Awareness Day

Everybody farts, your dogs too. Passing gas is not a human invention.

The issue is that pups can’t tell us in plain words what is troubling them, whether a fart is just little digestion or something more uncomfortable. That’s why April 8th’s Dog Fart Awareness Day exists. It’s a reminder to pet parents that you shouldn’t just fan away your dog’s bodily functions.

Get push notifications with news, features and more.

Just like humans, sometimes dog farts are just farts, but other times they can be a sign of something a little more serious. To help us sort through the dirty details we talked to PEOPLE Pet Vet Dr. Evan Antin about what every dog owner should know about canine toots.

What usually causes my dog’s farts?

Many things can make a dog fart and in most cases it’s normal digestion or secondary to a high fiber diet, just like people.

Is farting something I should be worried about?

It can potentially be related to health concerns like an inappropriate diet (which depends on each individual dog), gastrointestinal dysbiosis — an imbalance of bacterial species in the GI tract — stress, or even other gastrointestinal diseases related to inflammation, infection, parasites, etc. If your pet seems to be passing more gas than apparently normal, then it wouldn’t be a bad idea to visit your regular vet and consider probiotic supplements, as well as submitting a fecal sample for analysis.

FROM COINAGE: Ask Yourself These Questions Before You Buy A Home

How can I help my dog fart less?

Curbing dog farts really depends on the underlying issue, if there even is one. Occasional dog farts also give pet owners the opportunity to “blame it on the dog” and be a little more convincing when doing so. Again, if this is something that concerns you or appears to be a newer “problem” for your pet, then please ask yourself if you’ve been feeding a new diet or treats and consult with your vet for your pet’s general health.

Is there a breed that farts more than others?