Is chicken bad for dogs with allergies
Can Dogs Eat Chicken?
Considering how many dog foods contain chicken as an ingredient, its a safe bet that you can feed your dog chicken. In fact, its a good source of protein, and cooked chicken can even be substituted for or added to his regular meal.
Most sources recommend against raw chicken, due to the risk of salmonella or bacterial infections, although the movement toward raw food, including raw chicken and raw chicken bones, is growing. But if youre not sure about raw food diets, any unseasoned roasted, poached, grilled, or baked chicken can be served on its own, mixed with your dogs regular meal, or served as a treat. You can even mix it with a healthy grain, and a vegetable such as string beans or other vegetables safe for dogs, for a special homemade dinner.
There are two things to be aware of before serving your dog chicken.
- Some dogs are allergic to chicken, and it ranks among the top 10 allergy-inducing ingredients. The most common allergens are beef, dairy, wheat, egg, chicken, lamb, soy, pork, rabbit, and fish.
- Be sure to take cooked chicken off the bone. Cooked chicken bones splinter easily, which can cause choking or a gastrointestinal tract puncture
If youve determined that your dog happily and healthily eats chicken, go ahead and let them enjoy it. And, just for fun, try these homemade, vet-approved chicken recipes for dogs: a yummy mini omelette or frozen chicken treat.
Learn more about human foods your dog can and cant eat.
The Best Foods for Dogs With Allergies
Humans arent the only ones with allergiesour dogs can get them, too. Canine allergies can lead to numerous skin conditions that can be frustrating to manage. These allergies can be due to environmental causes or from the food our dogs eat.
Key Takeaways
- Dogs can be allergic to foods like beef, chicken, lamb, wheat, soy, eggs, corn, and nuts.
- Allergy tests for dogs are not reliable.
- The only proven way to tell what your dog is allergic to is to change their protein source or perform an elimination diet trial.
The most common symptoms of dog food allergies include:
Redness of the skin of the inner ears
Itchiness of the ears (chronic scratching of the ears or shaking of the head)
Ear hematomas
Chronic thickening of the ears
Chronic ear infections
Redness and itchiness of the feet or in between toes (foot chewing)
Chronic pododermatitis
Patchy hair loss along the neck and trunk
Chronic skin infections (with bacteria or yeast) that never seem to clear up
Skin issues are the most common dog food allergy symptoms. These are mostly seen as an allergic reaction to the proteins absorbed in food.
The reaction leads to the release of immune cells, which can cause weakening of the bonds between the skin cells, resulting in a weakening of the skin barrier. This change in the skin barrier leads to redness and itchiness, and it makes the skin more susceptible to infection with normal bacteria and yeast.
The most affected areas are the ears, paws, around the eyes, and sometimes the trunk (torso) and limbs.
What Are Common Dog Food Allergens?
The most common proteins dogs are allergic to are beef, chicken, lamb, and wheat. Other less common causes of dog food allergies include soy, eggs, corn, and nuts.
Dogs cannot be tested for food allergies like people can, as the available testing is unreliable. The only proven way to tell what your dog is allergic to is to change their protein source or perform an elimination diet trial.
During an elimination diet trial, you eliminate all proteins your dog has been exposed to for two to three months. This gives the body enough time to completely eliminate the old protein sources and heal from the chronic allergy stimulation.
How To Help a Dog With Food Allergies
An elimination diet trial withhydrolyzed foodis the best way to treat and diagnose a dog food allergy. Its easiest to start with a prescription diet, such asHills z/dorRoyal Canin Hydrolyzed Protein. Theseveterinary dietshave proteins that are too small to be recognized by the immune system.
An elimination diet trial takes approximately two to three months to complete. This time is necessary for the old proteins to leave the dogs system. Additionally, the dog must be on the diet long enough to see a difference from the previous food.
The most common mistake pet parents make is not waiting long enough before calling it quits on the diet trial. Changing what your dog is eating for just a week or two will not give you complete results, so taking the proper amount of time to test food and treats is crucial.
Another common mistake: feed a dog anything other than the elimination diet. During a diet trial, pets cannot have any table scraps or treats (unless the elimination diet has a compatible treat option).
Changing what your dog is eating for just a week or two will not give you complete results, so taking the proper amount of time to test food and treats is crucial.
If the symptoms do not resolve after two or three months on the hydrolyzed elimination diet trial, your dog most likely has some type of environmental allergen. Or something else is causing the problem, such as an autoimmune condition.
If you get a good response from the trial, try to feed your dog a new protein source, such as venison, fish, or kangaroo. If they are going to react to these proteins, you should notice a mild reaction starting within two weeks. If their allergy symptoms return, stop the new protein source and go back to the hydrolyzed food.
Try adding one protein at a time every two to four weeks. If your dog reacts, stop and keep things steady for another two weeks before trying a different protein.
Contact your veterinarian before starting any diet trial to get a prescription for a hydrolyzed diet. Its also important to see your veterinarian to make sure your pet doesnt have any concurrent infections, which can be common because of the disturbed skin barrier caused by the allergic reaction. Infections can look the same as dog food allergy symptoms, so you must make sure to clear all infections during the food elimination trial.
During the trial, remember:
Make sure the prescription treats and food are all that you are feeding your pet. You cant feed human food or regular pet treats with a food trial, as it can introduce the allergens youre trying to eliminate.
Alwaysintroduce a dog to a new diet slowlyto avoid stomach upset or diarrhea.
The Best Dog Food for Allergies
Hydrolyzed Dog Foods
Hydrolyzed foods are the best dog food for allergies because the proteins are broken down into pieces that are so small the body cant recognize them. Some of these foods include:
Novel Protein Foods
Novel protein diets include proteins that your dog has not been introduced to before, such as duck, fish, venison, and kangaroo. Some examples of novel protein diets are:
Foods for Puppies With Allergies
While its rare for puppies to have food allergies, there are some documented cases in pups as young as 6 months old. If you think your puppy may have a food allergy, lamb and rice formulas, such asPurina Puppy Lamb & Rice Formula, would be a good place to start for a novel protein.
If allergies are severe and your vet recommends a hydrolyzed diet, Royal Canin Hydrolyzed Protein does come in a puppy formulation.
WRITTEN BY
Robyn Gallucci, DVMVeterinarian
Dr. Gallucci started her career in veterinary medicine as a kennel assistant in high school and began training as a technician in college....
Chicken Allergies In Dogs: The Ultimate Guide
Similar to humans, dogs can be allergic to certain foods. Besides beef and dairy, chicken allergies in dogs are the next most common food allergy seen at most veterinary clinics, so yes dogs can be allergic to chicken.
Canine food allergies are caused because your dogs immune system does not recognize antigens. It is an immune-mediated hypersensitivity reaction to proteins in the diet.
However, what most pet owners believe to be food allergies is actually food intolerances or food sensitivity and this usually shows up as skin and/or stomach issues.
Chicken is used in a lot of dog foods because it is highly palatable, an excellent source of protein, and relatively inexpensive but because it is used so much in dog foods veterinarians tend to see an elevated rate of food sensitivities. (Source)
Many pet owners find themselves scratching their heads when they learn that chicken can cause allergies in dogs.
If you want to read more about the difference between a food allergy and food sensitivities or intolerances read this article.
Is chicken okay for dogs to eat?
Yes, chicken is a great choice of protein to feed your dog as an excellent source of vitamins and minerals. Not all dogs have a food sensitivity to chicken, in fact, most dont.
How do I know my dog is allergic to chicken?
Common Signs of chicken sensitivity or an allergic reaction to chicken in dogs can include:
| SKIN | STOMACH (less common) |
| Redness can be generalized or localized to ears and paws | Vomiting |
| Persistently recurring ear infections (chronic ear infections) | Diarrhea |
| Itching and chewing at skin and paws | Excessive Gas |
| Fur loss (alopecia) or fur thinning from biting | Upset or Sore Stomach |
| Frequent skin infections |
How are chicken allergies detected in dogs
1. Food trials
The best and gold standard method for detecting chicken allergies in dogs is by doing a food trial. This is done by slowly introducing your dog to a food with a novel protein that he or she has never eaten. Then after a period of time reintroducing an old protein to determine if chicken is the culprit.
However, due to the time required (about 2-3 months) and strict feeding regimen during an elimination diet, most dog owners opt to forgo doing a complete food trial and stop at the elimination diet. If you are interested in doing a food trial read our article here for a step-by-step guide.
2. Elimination Diet
An elimination diet is when an owner gets rid of or eliminates every protein that the dog has had previously and a novel protein is introduced. Your vet may proceed with doing a food trial depending on the results of the elimination diet.
3. Allergy test
There are several allergy tests on the market and your vet can give your dog an allergy test as well. Unfortunately, research shows that many of the tests that are readily available are not extremely reliable. Although patch testing and serum antibody tests can still be slightly helpful when determining which ingredients to choose for an elimination diet. (Source)
How do I treat my dog for a chicken allergy?
If your dog is diagnosed with allergies to chicken, the best route of treatment is to avoid it at all costs and feed your dog a chicken-free diet. This means no chicken from the table and if you have guests over make sure they know not to feed your dog.
Some things to keep in mind when eliminating chicken from your dogs diet:
-There are many treats and medicines that have chicken added in that you would not consider so ensure you read all packaging before feeding your dog anything. Chicken may be in:
- Some supplements include chicken flavoring
- Many treats are made with chicken
- Some chews may include chicken like rawhides
- There are chicken-flavored toothpaste for dogs as well
-Keep in mind that even though you have eliminated chicken from the diet, your dog can eventually become allergic to the novel protein and you may have to do the process of determining what is causing the allergy again if you feed a diet that includes more than one protein.
-In addition, some over-the-counter dog foods have been shown to mislabel their lists of ingredients and oftentimes include trace amounts of other types of protein than those listed on the packaging. This study determined that over-the-counter diets are not recommended for the diagnosis and treatment of food hypersensitivity.
What are some good foods for dogs allergic to chicken?
Hydrolyzed Prescription Diets
There are several hydrolyzed diets available for pet owners and these diets work because the protein is broken down into much smaller pieces and is not recognized by the body as a threat.
Hydrolyzed diets are broken down proteins from chicken, beef, and other proteins like fish or even chicken feathers. You read right, there are some foods like the Royal Canin Hydrolyzed Anallergenc diet where the main protein is hydrolyzed poultry feathers. In a study done on dogs that were allergic to chickens, it was noted that feeding a diet of hydrolyzed poultry feathers did not induce pruritus flares. (Source).
Insects & Fish
If youre horrified by the thought of feeding your dog chicken feathers you may not be too keen on feeding them crickets either but that is just what some owners have had success with. Jiminys Cricket Crave Dry Dog Food is one that owners that have dogs with chicken allergies like. Another option is a complete fish meal.
Novel Protein Limited Ingredient Diets (LIDs)
Feeding your dog a limited ingredient diet with a new protein is optimal since they wont have had a history with that protein and the LID does not have a lot of fluff or extras that can sometimes also cause issues. These diets usually only have one protein so if they become allergic to it you will know right away what the cause was.
Feeding your dog a chicken-free diet with a novel or new protein like kangaroo or bison may prove to be the best option for your pup. Zignature has some great options for novel protein diets.
Homemade Diets
There are many owners that have had success with giving their dog a homemade diet. For some great ideas on what to cook for your dog with chicken allergies check out our list of homemade recipes.
Treats
Here are some great treat options for dogs with chicken allergies:
FAQs about chicken allergies in dogs
1. What percentage of dogs are allergic to chicken?
While a definitive number is not known it is said that food allergies account for only 10% of all dog allergies with the most common being seasonal and environmental. In one study of over 200 dogs, it was noted that 15% of the dogs had chicken allergies.
2. Can a dog be allergic to chicken and not turkey?
Turkey is used as a replacement for chicken, many times a dog that is allergic to chicken is not allergic to turkey but each dog is different so keep an eye out for signs of a reaction when feeding complete turkey.
3. Can a dog with chicken allergies eat chicken meal?
If your dog is allergic to chicken you should refrain from feeding them chicken meal is basically powdered chicken parts and by-products.
4. Can a dog with chicken allergies eat eggs?
You would think a dog that was allergic to chicken would also be allergic to eggs, but this isnt always the case. Just like with turkey, some dogs are allergic to eggs and some arent.
5. If a dog is allergic to chicken can they eat duck?
Duck is many times used as an alternative to chicken in meals but it has a lower incidence of allergic reactions than turkey
6. Can a dog be allergic to raw chicken?
If your dog is allergic to chicken they will also react to raw chicken as well
7. My dogs food has chicken fat in it, is that safe?
Dogs can eat chicken fat or foods with chicken fat in them even if they are allergic or sensitive to chicken because it doesnt contain any protein.
8. Do dogs in the wild have food allergies?
While it is rare it has been noted that some wild dogs do have food allergies. However, this is far from the norm and it is thought that domesticated dogs have food allergies due to their environments.
9. Can dogs be allergic to chicken liver?
If your dog is shown to be allergic to chicken, they should not eat chicken liver. This study showed that 40% of dogs that ate a diet of hydrolyzed chicken liver still had allergic flares.
10. What are some other common food allergens in dogs?
Beef is second in line for canine allergies however dogs can develop allergies to any protein. So, it is important to keep an eye on your dog for signs of allergies even if you have started them on a new food.
11. Where can I find an allergy test for my dog?
Allergy testing can be done at your veterinarians office and there are over-the-counter tests as well although some are better than others.
References
About the author: Dr. Jackson has over 15 years of clinical experience as a small animal veterinarian and has worked as an educator for 7 years. She enjoys spending time with her dogs Chi-Chi and Cha-Cha who were the catalyst for the creation of The Pets Digest blog. Read More
