Can chicken trigger allergies

Do You Have a Chicken Allergy?

Overview

Low-fat, high-protein chicken is a healthy addition to your diet. Unless youre allergic to it.

Chicken allergies arent common, but they can cause uncomfortable or even dangerous symptoms in some people.

When you have an allergy, your immune system mistakenly identifies the allergen as a dangerous substance. Your immune system then creates antibodies called immunoglobulin E (IeG) to attack the substance. This response can lead to a variety of symptoms, ranging from mild to severe.

A chicken allergy can occur in people of any age. You might be allergic to chicken as a child and outgrow it. You might also become allergic to live chickens or to chicken meat after many years of having no allergic reactions. Some people with chicken allergy are allergic to raw but not cooked chicken.

If you suspect you have chicken allergy, a doctor, such as an allergist, can help you find out for sure. You can get a skin prick or blood test to see if you test positive for this or other allergens. Once you know what your specific allergies are, youll be in a strong position to protect your health without hurting your nutritional intake.

If youre allergic to chicken, you may experience immediate symptoms upon exposure, or symptoms may occur up to several hours later. Symptoms of a chicken allergy include:

Your symptoms can range from mild discomfort to severe. They may worsen or lessen with exposure. Your symptoms should clear up once youre no longer in contact with chicken.

If you have asthma or eczema, you may be more likely to have food allergies, including an allergy to chicken. You may also be at risk for chicken allergy if youre allergic to:

• turkey
• goose
• duck
• pheasant
• partridge
• fish
• shrimp

Some people who are allergic to chicken are also allergic to eggs. This is known as bird-egg syndrome. People who have bird-egg syndrome are allergic to a substance found in the yolk of eggs and to chicken serum albumin. If you have bird-egg syndrome, you may also have an increased risk of an allergy to parakeets.

If youre allergic to chicken, you may also be allergic to live chicken droppings, chicken feathers, and chicken feather dust. This sensitivity can extend to the feathers and droppings of other types of poultry too, such as turkey.

You may mistake a chicken allergy for a cold. This is because some of the symptoms, such as runny nose and sore throat, are the same. You may also experience stomach distress as your body tries to eliminate the allergen from your system.

The most severe complication is anaphylaxis. This is a serious, whole-body reaction that requires immediate medical attention. The symptoms of anaphylaxis include:

If youve ever had an anaphylactic reaction, your doctor will prescribe an EpiPen for you to carry at all times.

The EpiPen is a self-injectable form of epinephrine (adrenaline). It can save your life in the event of an allergic emergency. It doesnt eliminate the need for follow-up medical support, though. Call your doctor if youve needed to use an EpiPen for anaphylaxis.

If you have an allergy to chicken, youll want to avoid it in everything you eat.

Watch out for dishes that contain chicken broth, a common ingredient in soups. Chicken has also become popular as a substitute for red meat, so you may find it ground like hamburger meat. Make sure the meatballs, chili, and meatloaf you eat are chicken-free before digging in.

If you have an allergy to chicken feathers, comforters or pillows containing goose down may trigger an allergic reaction both at home and during travel. Hypoallergenic pillows dont contain down.

Before taking any vaccines, discuss your allergy with your doctor. Certain vaccines might trigger an allergic reaction, such as the yellow fever vaccine, which contains chicken protein. If you have bird-egg syndrome, you may not be able to take the live influenza vaccine. It contains egg protein.

You may also want to take extra precautions if you visit a petting zoo or farm, especially if youre allergic to live chickens or waterfowl.

If you suspect you have a chicken allergy, its a good idea to talk to your doctor. They may recommend an over-the-counter antihistamine to treat your symptoms or an elimination diet to determine if chicken is causing your symptoms.

If your allergic reactions are severe, your doctor can work with you on safely managing your allergy.

If you experience anaphylaxis, seek medical help immediately, even if you use an EpiPen. This is because of the risk of a second phase of symptoms that dont respond to epinephrine.

Life with a chicken allergy can be manageable. Always be aware of what youre eating and what other allergic triggers, such as chicken feathers, might be lurking in your environment. If you avoid chicken, youll remain symptom-free.

A medical professional, such as an allergist, can help you manage your symptoms and prescribe medications that can help if you accidentally trigger your allergy.

Avoiding chicken is possible. Try these simple substitutes:

• Substitute tofu chunks for chicken in soups and stir-fries.
• Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
• Use veal or soy protein products instead of chicken cutlets in potpies or stews.
• Experiment with other protein sources, such as fish, pork, or beans. Try using the same seasonings youd use on chicken, but adjust the cooking time for the protein source.

Chicken allergy in dogs: Vet reveals everything you need to know

While still fairly uncommon, a chicken allergy in dogs can lead to a range of uncomfortable symptoms, including skin rashes and stomach upsets. If your pup is unlucky enough to be among the small percentage of pups with a digestive system that can't tolerate poultry, you're likely wondering what can be done about it.

However, before you go swapping your canine companion over to the best dog food for allergies, it's important to get a proper diagnosis from a vet.

That's because changing dog food needs to be done slowly and carefully to avoid upsetting the balance of bacteria in your dog's intestines. Once you know for sure that a chicken allergy is causing your pup's health complaints you can work with your vet to formulate a plan.

Below, Dr. Catherine Barnette explains the main symptoms of a chicken allergy and shares her favorite prescription foods for dogs who can't eat chicken. Plus, Dr. Hannah Godfrey outlines exactly how your vet will go about testing your fur friend for a chicken allergy so you know what to expect.

Dr. Catherine Barnette

Dr. Barnette graduated from the University of Florida in 2006 where she received both her B.S. in Zoology and her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM). She has 15 years of clinical experience as a small animal veterinarian, treating dogs, cats, and occasional exotic patients. When shes not writing content as a freelance veterinary writer, Dr. Barnette lives in southwest Florida with her husband and daughter (plus two cats, a dog, and a rescued dove!) and enjoys kayaking, biking, and hiking.

Dr Hannah Godfrey studied Veterinary Medicine at the Royal Veterinary College London. After graduating in 2011, Dr Godfrey went on to become a veterinary surgeon, conducting surgery consultations on a range of animals at a small independent practice in Cardiff, South Wales, UK. Dr Godfrey has a strong interest in soft tissue surgery. When shes not helping animals back on their feet, Dr Godfrey writes a number of veterinary and animal-focussed articles.

What causes allergies in dogs?

"Allergies in dogs occur when their immune system overreacts to a substance, recognizing it as a threat when it is actually harmless," explains Godfrey. "The cells within the immune system will remember this substance and will continue to react if exposed to it in the future. Dogs can be allergic to almost any substance, but pollen, food allergies, and parasites are reasonably common."

Can dogs be allergic to chicken?

"Dogs can be allergic to chicken," Godfrey says. "Chicken is one of the most common food allergies in dogs, alongside beef and dairy products. However, to be allergic to chicken, their immune system must be familiar with the protein, so a dog must have eaten it at least once before."

Symptoms of chicken allergy in dogs

If you've been asking the question 'why is my dog itching, scratching, and biting himself constantly?', a food allergy may well be to blame.

Food allergies are often clinically indistinguishable from other types of canine allergies. There are four common allergies in dogs: dust mite allergy, environmental allergies (tree, weed, and grass pollen), flea allergy, and food allergy.

While there may be slight differences in the signs between these different types of allergies (for example, you may see visible fleas in a dog with flea allergies or you may notice seasonal signs in a dog with pollen allergies), it is nearly impossible to distinguish the cause of your dogs allergies based on appearance alone.

In dogs, nearly all allergies manifest as irritation of the skin and ears (check out our guide to skin allergies in dogs for more on how a food allergy can affect the skin and coat). Common signs of dog allergies include:

• Generalized redness of the skin
• Itching
• Chewing at the paws
• Hair loss (generalized or patchy)
• Frequent hot spots or skin infections
• Scratching at the ears
• Recurrent ear infections
• Less commonly, food allergies may trigger gastrointestinal signs, such as vomiting and diarrhea.

If your vet suspects your dog has allergies, they will recommend an appropriate diagnostic workup to determine the cause of your pets allergies. This workup may include the consistent use of the best flea treatment for dogs (to rule out flea allergies), intradermal or blood allergy testing (to rule out environmental allergies), and a food trial (to look for evidence of food allergies).

In a food trial, you will be asked to feed your dog a hypoallergenic prescription diet for a period of 2-3 months. During that time, you will need to avoid all treats and table food, to ensure that your dog is not being exposed to any potential food allergens. If your dogs signs resolve during the food trial, you and your veterinarian can safely assume that your dogs allergies are caused by something in your dogs diet.

Next, you will begin gradually reintroducing different food items, in an effort to determine which ingredients trigger an allergic response in your dog. If you feed chicken, for example, and your dog begins itching within 24 hours, you can safely assume that your dog is allergic to chicken.

Why are so many dogs allergic to chicken?

A chicken allergy is one of the three common food allergies in pets. Beef and dairy are the most common food allergy triggers in dogs, with chicken coming in at number three on that list.

Dogs can develop an allergy to any protein that they have eaten. Historically, most dog foods were made with beef as the primary protein source. Therefore, most canine food allergies were associated with beef, because thats the protein that the immune system had seen the most often.

In recent years, however, an increasing number of chicken-based diets have been created, often marketed as sensitive skin or sensitive stomach foods. Therefore, veterinarians are seeing an increase in the number of dogs with chicken allergies. If kangaroo meat were to suddenly become a common ingredient in dog food, we would likely see an increasing number of dogs with kangaroo allergies. Dogs can develop a food allergy to any protein they have been fed.

If a dog is allergic to chicken, are they allergic to turkey?

Chicken and turkey are both poultry. There are enough similarities between these birds that some dogs with chicken allergies will also react to turkey. In fact, some dogs with chicken allergies will even react to duck.

However, this isnt always the case. Some chicken-allergic dogs can eat turkey or duck with no problems. Therefore, you may need to experiment with a bit of trial-and-error in order to determine whether your dog can tolerate a turkey-based diet.

If you want to be on the safe side and minimize the risk of an allergic reaction, it is probably best to avoid feeding turkey to a dog that is allergic to chicken.

Diagnosing a chicken allergy

"Blood and skin prick tests can help diagnose a chicken allergy in your dog, but these tests can be costly and take some time," Godfrey explains. "They may also show inconclusive results, which can be frustrating. Eliminating chicken from your dog's diet completely for eight weeks (known as an elimination diet) can allow you to see whether your dog's symptoms improve, but this will only work if you check the ingredients on all of their food and treats."

Best food for dogs with chicken allergies

If your dog has chicken allergies, you will need to find a nutritious, balanced dog food that does not include chicken meat, chicken meal, or chicken by-products. You may opt to feed a prescription diet (under the guidance of your veterinarian) or search for an over-the-counter diet.

The most highly-restricted diets will be prescription diets as opposed to the best dry dog food and the best wet dog food that you can buy off the shelf. These include products like Hill's Prescription Diet d/d Skin/Food Sensitivities Potato & Venison Formula Dry Dog Food or Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Hydrolyzed Protein HP Dry Dog Food. Prescription allergy diets are manufactured on dedicated manufacturing lines, reducing the risk of cross-contamination, and careful attention to ingredients. Your veterinarian can help you select the most appropriate prescription diet for your pet.

You can also attempt to use an over-the-counter diet that does not contain any chicken, such as Purina Pro Plan Adult Sensitive Skin & Stomach Salmon & Rice Formula Dry Dog Food. Over-the-counter diets are often less expensive than prescription diets, which may make this an appealing option for some dog owners. Be aware, however, that these diets may be made on the same manufacturing lines that are used to create chicken-based diets. (This is why they are often less expensive.) Depending on the severity of your dogs chicken allergies, even a small amount of cross-contamination may be enough to trigger an allergic reaction.

How common are food allergies in dogs?

"Its much more common for dogs to experience allergy symptoms due to environmental allergens like pollen from trees and plants, or parasites like fleas and mites than food allergens," Godfrey says. "While its not easy to control the symptoms caused by any allergy, it's easier to keep your dog away from food allergens than pollen and other environmental allergens."

A chicken allergy in dogs can be a frustrating condition, but there are ways to manage it successfully. Work with your veterinarian to accurately diagnose the underlying cause of your dogs skin issues, then come up with an appropriate plan to minimize your dogs exposure to foods that trigger an allergic response. With long-term efforts and maintenance, you can minimize the frequency of flare-ups and successfully reduce your dogs signs of allergic dermatitis.

For more on what foods are safe for your canine companion to consume, check out our guide to what human food can dogs eat where a vet explains which foods you can share with your pooch.