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Is My Pet Allergic To Chicken?
When owning a pet, part of your responsibility as the guardian or parent is properly and safely feeding it. Unlike human wherein they can decide what they want to eat and not, pets cannot decide for themselves. I’m sure you would be shocked if your pet would talk and say that he or she won’t eat that food you’re feeding, right?
On a more serious note, when it comes to feeding our pets, you should be careful to not feed it with something that can cause allergies. One food material that pets are allergic to is poultry or chicken. Have you experienced seeing you dog or cat or cat itching like crazy and shaking his or head constantly? It may be due to a chicken allergy.
This is a serious matter because if left untreated and unnoticed, it will lead to more problems in the future. Want more information? Read more below!
Chicken Allergy In Cats or Dogs
There are differences in symptoms, causes, and treatment in chicken allergies in cats or dogs. The following will explain both sides.
Chicken Allergy in Pets
Even the most common ingredients found in dog or cat food can also cause food allergies. Chicken, can be found in almost every dog or cat food, kibbles, wet food, and in dog or cat treats making it very dangerous to feed it to your dog or cat especially if he or she have allergies you have no idea about. When this happens, veterinarians would suggest looking into the food your dog or cat eats to see which one he or she has an allergic reaction to.
But, how would you know that your dog or cat has a chicken allergy? We listed down below the symptoms, causes, and some treatments.
Causes of Chicken Allergies
A dog or cat or ccat will develop a chicken allergy when his or her immune system becomes really sensitive to the ingredient. As a response, every time your dog or cat’s body detects the presence of chicken, it identifies it as dangerous and triggers an allergic reaction.
If this allergic reaction is not taken care of, you dog or cat’s sensitivity to chicken worsens and will lead to more serious problems. What happens is that when your dog or cat keeps on eating something that is irritating to its stomach, then the immune system will respond more vigorously each and every time, making the allergic responses and reaction more problematic.
A dog or cat’s allergies to chicken are sometimes from birth but it can also develop as the dog or cat grows into adulthood. Even if your dog or cat has already eaten chicken once or twice in its life, it can still develop sensitivity to it. The reason why this happens is not exactly known but it can only develop an allergy to if the dog or cat already has exposure to the said food.
Symptoms of Chicken Allergies
Any food allergy aside from chicken is often showed through extreme irritations and uncomfortable symptoms in your dog or cat. This includes the following;
- Problems in the gastrointestinal area like diarrhea and vomiting
- Skin injuries and irritation due to scratching. This can also lead to skin infections and hair loss
- Constant and extreme scratching of specific parts of the body like the feet, face, ears, and the rear end
- Inflammation of the dog or cat’s ears due to excessive scratching
Diagnosis and Treatment of Chicken Allergies
When you are suspecting that your dog or cat has indeed a chicken allergy, the best option that you should do immediately is contact your veterinarian and arrange a meeting as quickly as possible. After that, your vet will know what to do to treat and counter the problem.
Most likely, you will be asked to identify the food your pet has been eating to confirm if it was indeed a chicken allergy or an allergy of another food material. Afterwards, your dog or cat may be put into a special prescription diet that does not include chicken and after their allergic reactions have gone away, chicken will be reintroduced to their diet and if it causes an allergic reaction then we know that chicken is indeed the cause.
If this happens, chicken will be completely removed from your pet’s diet. A special type of food maybe suggested to feed your dog or cat. A homemade diet is also suggested to ensure that no chicken is included. Make sure that you check up with your veterinarian from time to time to discuss changes in the diet and assure that your dog or cat is receiving the right nutritional value.
Frequently Asked Questions About Food Allergies
Whether you want to know more or you are in a hurry for information, the following some commonly asked questions pet owners have about food allergies.
Q: What are the common signs of food allergies in pets?
A: Common symptoms seen in pets experiencing food allergies is constant itching and inflammation of the skin and ears of the cat or dog. Your pet may also experience diarrhea and vomiting as a reaction to the allergy.
Q: How do I quickly determine my pet’s food allergy?
A: As mentioned earlier, the quickest thing you could do is a food elimination diet. Do not feed your pet with your suspected food allergen and after the allergic reactions subside, introduce it again and see if it still causes an allergic reaction. That’s how you know that your pet is indeed allergic to it.
Q: Will changing my pet’s food diet cause an allergy?
A: Probably. Especially if your pet has been exposed to that food once or twice in his or her life. However, there’s no exact way of knowing whether or not your dog or cat is allergic to that kind of food.
Q: Are food allergies common in pets?
A: Ten percent of allergies in pets are caused by food, so it’s less common that you think.
We hope that this article has indeed helped you in determining your pet’s chicken allergy? Got something to share? Tell us in the comments section below! See More in our Online Shop for Pets.
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