Could your pet be allergic to chicken?

Could your pet be allergic to chicken?
Posted in: Pet Health

Could your pet be allergic to chicken?

Most pet parents aren’t aware that the top most allergenic foods for dogs and cats are in fact chicken and beef. Food allergies in these animals are often overlooked or misdiagnosed, as it can be difficult for some people to ‘digest’ that pets could ever be allergic to these meats, as they’re the two most popular proteins in pet foods.

The topic of food allergies in cats and dogs is really confusing due to the vast amount of conflicting information on the internet. The truth is, that some of that information can be misguided and take you down the wrong path for treatment.

Here we’ll talk about how it could be possible that your pet is allergic to a common protein.

 

What exactly is a pet food allergy?

 

There are two types of allergies that your pet can have to food – hypersensitivity reactions and intolerance.

Hypersensitivity reactions involve the body’s immune system which will produce a reaction when it’s exposed to an allergen over time. On the flip side food intolerance can occur with the first exposure to food and it more commonly seen in young animals.

Both of these can present in the same way, and they can be very difficult to tell apart.

Chicken, beef, and eggs are the most common types of food allergies, but sometimes soy and gluten allergies are present too.

 

What should you be looking out for?

 

Symptoms of cat and dog allergies can vary and they can look exactly like an environmental allergy. The most common signs are non-seasonal itching that may involve the whole body, or just the ears and feet. Often pets can have recurrent ear and skin infections, too. Perianal inflammation (at the base of the tail) and itchiness are common signs as well.

It’s rarer for pets with food allergies to vomit, be gassy, or have diarrhea, which is normally what pet parents are looking out for.

 

How can you test your pet for a food allergy?

 

The only reliable way to diagnose a food allergy is to do a ‘food trial’ with your pet. Limited ingredient diets or a hydrolyzed protein diet are the best ways.

A limited ingredient diet involves taking a completely new protein that your pet hasn’t been exposed to before and feeding that only – these diets also contain a single source of carbohydrate in addition to the new protein.

The most popular hypoallergenic diets are venison, duck, salmon, and occasionally kangaroo.

We would recommend a brand like Ziwi Peak, which produces single-protein, high quality pet food.

Food trials should be done for a minimum of eight-10 weeks with absolutely no other food given, not even treats.

 

Hopefully we have helped to clarify how you can notice a food allergy in your pet, and helped you with how to treat it without too many expensive trips to the vet.

Sep 24
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