Does chicken make dogs itch

Why Is My Dog So Itchy? Possible Causes & Treatment

Are you thinking about your dogs frequent scratching, licking, and rolling around on the rug? You may be feeling itchy yourself, just from watching all this activity!

There are many reasons your dog may be itchy. Many veterinarians believe its best to find the cause of the itch sooner rather than later. While occasional scratching can be normal for dogs, frequent scratching could indicate a medical condition that may get worse over time.

According to a 2023 Nationwide Survey on pet insurance data, for the eleventh year in a row allergic dermatitis (skin allergies) was the top reason dogs were brought into the vet. This condition can make your dog itchy and cause them to show signs like frequent scratching, recurrent ear infections, and skin changes. Continue on to learn more about allergic dermatitis and why August is such a special month.

Possible Cause of Your Dogs Itchy Skin

So, whats behind your dogs itchy skin? It may be caused by a medical condition called skin allergies. This means your dogs body overreacts to an allergen in the environment or to food, which makes them feel itchy. There are several potential culprits:

• Flea allergy: Flea bites can create extremely itchy areas on your dog. They can be found anywhere on the body, but are most common at the hind legs, tail base, and rear end. Just because you dont see any fleas on your dog does not mean they arent there keep in mind that a bite from a single flea can make your dog very itchy.
• Food allergy: Your dogs itching might be caused by a food allergy. Some dogs are allergic to common dog food ingredients such as beef, chicken, and dairy products.1 Food allergies in dogs can lead to changes to the skin around their paws, face, armpits, and belly.
• Environmental allergy: Your dog may be allergic to environmental triggers like pollen, mold spores, or dust mites. Environmental allergens can cause allergic itch during certain seasons, or even year-round. Dogs with environmental allergies will often have changes to the skin around their face, belly, and paws.
• Contact allergy: Your dog may be allergic to substances it encounters daily. These can include things like household cleaners, shampoos, insecticides, and plants. Dogs with contact allergies will often be itchy in the area that touched the contact allergen.

Skin allergies can make your dog uncomfortable. They can also lead to secondary health problems if there is a delay in treatment. When a dog licks or scratches an area excessively, it can damage the skin and lead to skin infections and wounds. These can cause changes like hair loss, body odor, and inflammation. Severe skin infections and wounds may even be painful for your dog.

How to Relieve Your Dogs Itchy Skin

When your dog experiences these skin changes because of skin allergies, it can be tempting to try an over-the-counter treatment or home remedy. However, using an OTC or at-home solution may not relieve your dogs itch. The following treatment options are commonly available and may offer some itch relief but may not be the best option for your dog.

• Over-the-counter shampoos and oils. Treatments like coconut oil and itch-relief shampoos only provide temporary relief. Your dogs itch may come back because the root cause has not been addressed.
• Antihistamines. While studies have shown that antihistamines may relieve allergies in humans well, antihistamines are less helpful in relieving itch in dogs with environmental allergies. In fact, it has been shown that antihistamines likely offer little to no benefit in treating environmental allergies in many dogs.
• Prescription steroids. Steroids prescribed by a vet can be effective in reducing itchiness in your dog, but they may cause side effects5 in your furry friend. Dogs on prescription steroids often experience increased urination, thirst, and weight gain. They can also experience behavior shifts such as increased aggression.

August is Itchy Pet Awareness Month. If your dog is scratching frequently in August or any time of year, schedule an appointment with your vet to discuss the most effective ways to relieve your dogs itch. If your dog has skin allergies, then a prescription treatment from your vet may be needed to get your favorite sidekick feeling better. So, call your vet today!

American poet Ogden Nash said, Happiness is having a scratch for every itch. For your dog, happiness is relieving the source of every itch.

Dog Allergies- Chicken

If you suspect a dog allergy to chicken, your next step should be contacting your veterinarian. They will work with you to diagnose or rule out this allergy.

To investigate the condition, your pet will be put onto a specific diet eliminating chicken and any other foods they usually eat. Your pup will follow this food trial and be monitored for a period of time, determined by your vet.

If your pup manages this diet with no symptoms, the next step is to reintroduce chicken to your poochs meal plan. Should your pup have a reaction, it will confirm that chicken is to blame.

Your vet will be able to advise on specific foods to avoid for your pets allergy while also ensuring that they are receiving all the nutrients they need.

How to Avoid Developing an Allergy

There are things that you can do to prevent your best friend from developing allergies. Unfortunately for some dogs prone to allergies due to their genetics this cant be prevented.

That said, for those not prone to hereditary allergies varying your pets protein source is a great way to reduce the chances. For example, if your pup has enjoyed chowing down on a beef-based food this week, why not opt for salmon or trout as the base protein source in next weeks meal plan.

Alternative Protein Sources

Dog allergies to chicken can be a challenge for owners its one of the most popular foods. Hence, you might need some inspiration for alternative protein sources to ensure your poochs diet remains healthy and balanced.

• Buffalo.
• Beef.
• Broccoli.
• Elk.
• Eggs.
• Whitefish.
• Lamb.
• Lentils.
• Quinoa.
• Rabbit.
• Salmon.
• Soybeans.
• Spinach.
• Venison.

Raw Diet

If youre noticing that your pup is suffering from a lot of food-related allergies, you might consider trialing a raw food diet. Although there are associated risks with a raw diet and as its a controversial topic, discuss it with your vet before taking this road.

This typically consists of:

• Whole or ground bones.
• Organ meat, such as liver and kidneys.
• Raw eggs.
• Raw mince or meat on the bone.
• Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and Brussels sprouts.

Anecdotally reported benefits include healthier skin, cleaner teeth and shinier coats, higher energy levels, and smaller stools. So, if this is something you think your pup might benefit from, talk to your vet.

Chicken Allergies in Dogs Are the Most Common Pet Allergy

Chances are youve met a dog who cant eat chicken (yes, even the chicken in that yummy treat youre holding).

A dog chicken allergy is a pretty common food intolerance. Some dogs can have small amounts of chicken, but should avoid it as part of their main diet. Others have to steer clear completely.

What do dog chicken allergy symptoms look like, exactly? Some signs to look out for are: vomiting, diarrhea, itchiness, ear infections, foot infections, obsessive licking, and other skin issues. If your dog is showing any of these signs, we recommend consulting with your veterinarian.

Because chicken is a common ingredient in many dog foods today, its important to know how your dog tolerates it in order to find the best dog food for a chicken allergy. But how do you know for sure if you have a dog allergy to chicken on your hands? And how can you best manage it?

Luckily, weve got some guidance for you below.

What Are the Symptoms of Chicken Allergy in Dogs?

Youll see the most obvious and common signs that your dog is allergic to chicken on their skin, via their digestive tract, or both. They might also experience anaphylactic symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, but this is extremely rare with food allergies in dogs.

Skin Symptoms

An allergic reaction on your dogs skin is rather similar to a reaction you (a human) might have on your own skin. Your dog might itch their skin, especially on the paws, belly, face, and ears, develop red spots, rashes or gives, or even lose fur in some areas.

With your dog potentially licking or chewing on their skin to relieve these symptoms, they might also start to develop wounds or hot spots, which are areas of red, moist, and often inflamed lesions.

Digestive Symptoms

Similar to humans, signs of a dog chicken allergy can show up in their digestive tract: diarrhea, vomiting, gas, or other gastrointestinal problems.

Unsimilar to humans, your pup could also have issues with their anal glands, which they might alleviate by scooting their butts on the floor.

Why Is My Dog Allergic to Chicken?

When your dog experiences an allergic reaction, its their immune system going into overdrive to react to a trigger, or allergen. (Think: Your body fighting off a viral or bacterial infection threatening your body.)

Because dogs and chicken allergy are typically a genetic matter and inherited from previous family members, theyre not easy to avoid. You might see that some breeds, such as Bulldogs, Retrievers, Terriers, and Shih Tzus, are more prone to food allergies than other breeds or mixes.

What to Do if You Think Your Dog Has a Chicken Allergy

As with any food allergy, pinning down a chicken allergy in your dog requires time and some detective work. If you suspect your dog is having allergic reactions to their food, start by talking to your veterinarian.

From there, your vet will likely do a physical exam, and ask about the symptoms youve noticed and what youre currently feeding your dog. If your vet has ruled out other possible reasons for your dogs symptoms, they might recommend an elimination diet.

An elimination diet requires time and patience, but in the long run itll be worth it to know youre feeding your dog whats best for them. Over the course of 1-3 months, youll feed your dog a restricted diet of very few ingredients, and slowly reintroduce a new food (like chicken) each week until a trigger is found. Your vet will provide you with a detailed plan of what, when, and how much to feed your dog, and how to keep track of your dogs process week-by-week.

Depending on how your pup does with the elimination diet, your vet will guide you to the best next step toward a happy, healthy dog.

Common Myths About Feeding Dogs Chicken

How could my dog be allergic to chicken? Ive fed them chicken their entire life.

Unfortunately, feeding the same protein over and over is exactly what can build up an intolerance or allergy in your dog's system. For this reason, we recommend rotating proteins throughout your dog's life. This can easily be accomplished by choosing a different protein for your dogs food each time you are ready to buy a new bag, or every month or two. Sticking with the same brand can be helpful to keep nutrients consistent and to reduce chances of stomach upset due to a change in food. We always recommend transitioning over a 1-2 week period when trying a new food by mixing the new food gradually into the old.

My dog is allergic or has an intolerance to chicken, so he cant have eggs or chicken fat.

Thankfully, this isnt true for most dogs! Eggs are a separate allergen than chicken, so most dogs who are allergic to chicken can enjoy eggs without issue. As for chicken fat, most chicken allergies are to the protein of chicken, not the fat. Chicken fat is a very common ingredient in dog food and most dogs who are allergic to chicken can include it in their diet.

Caring For Your Dog With a Chicken Allergy

Allergies cant be cured, but knowing your dogs triggers empower you to manage the situation as best you can.

After seeing your vet to discuss a possible food allergy, your pup might need to take medication to help relieve any symptoms theyve experienced. Beyond that, your allergic dog will also need to be fed a diet that works with their body.

But, even though wed like to have everything under control all the time, it just isnt possible. Your dog might find a scrap on the street, be fed a chicken treat by a new friend, or just have an occasional allergic flare-up. Just like us, they might also develop new allergies as they get older. If these things happen, dont be discouraged. You now know the best course of action to reduce your dogs symptoms and get them back to their healthy selves!

If you discover that your dog does have a chicken sensitivity, rest easy knowing there are lots of other high-protein options that will provide them with the nutrition they need. Both our Salmon, Brown Rice & Sweet Potato Recipe and our Grain-Free Salmon, Sweet Potato and Carrot Recipe feature lean protein, patented probiotics, and nutrient-rich superfoods to support your pups healthy growth. Top their kibble off with Salmon on Top Toppers or Beef Crumbles Toppers For treat time, try our fan-favorite Beef Jerky Bites and Salmon & Pumpkin Tenders.