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Why did grain food give my dog diarrhea? Is grain intolerance common?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Cavalier King Charles Spaniel | Female | spayed | 5 years and 1 month old | 17 lbs

How common are grain intolerances in dogs? I have a Cavalier King Charles spaniel and I tried her on a food with grains and she had really bad diarrhea. is this common among spaniels or just dogs in general? Thanks!

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Sara Farmer, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on August 2nd, 2017

Any change in diet can trigger diarrhea, and a food intolerance can be seen to any protein in the diet, including those from meats, grains, egg or dairy. I can't find a study that gives the incidence of food intolerance to different grains, but In my experience it is not as common as food intolerance to meats like chicken or dairy. That being said, I always say if a dog is not doing well on a new diet, switch back to the previous diet! Spaniels in general do tend to have a higher incidence of allergies

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    Answered By Dr. Macartney, BVet Med, MRCVS

    Veterinarian

    Published on August 23rd, 2017

    At this stage I would not be able to conclude that Chloe is intolerant to grains. It could be the transition from one food to a new food that caused the diarrhoea. If Chloe is well in her self I would continue with the new food for a week. If the diarrhoea continues I would post another question here so that We can continue to advise and support you.

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