Chicken is a common allergen amongst pets, although it’s an allergy that can be difficult to pinpoint.
Did you know that roughly 15 per cent of dogs are allergic to chicken?
Here are some tips to help determine if your dog has a chicken allergy or intolerance.
Symptoms to watch for:
- Excessive scratching
- Paw licking
- Recurring ear infections
- Biting leading to secondary lesions, hot spots, and other dermatoses
- Occasionally, gastrointestinal symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea
Chicken allergies occur when the immune system recognizes chicken as being foreign and triggers an attack against it, sparking symptoms. Chicken sensitivities and intolerances don’t trigger any immune reaction like an allergy would. Instead, they present as indigestion. Whether your dog has a chicken allergy, sensitivity, or intolerance, the solution is the same: finding a chicken-free diet.
Switch your dog to a chicken-free diet for a few days and observe them. If their symptoms diminish, you’ve likely found the source of their discomfort.
Nutrience offers many chicken-free formulas, including SubZero Prairie Red, which is prepared with fresh Canadian beef, bison, wild boar, Pacific wild-caught fish, and freeze-dried beef liver.
Nutrience’s SubZero Canadian Pacific formula is made from fresh wild-caught salmon, herring, hake, sole, and cod. Fish is the most easily digested animal protein and the least likely to trigger an allergic reaction.
Nutrience Care Sensitive Skin & Stomach formula, meanwhile, is free of the most common dietary allergens, including chicken, grain, dairy, egg, lamb, beef, gluten, and meat meals. It’s made with a mix of fresh salmon and hydrolyzed fish protein concentrate to reduce allergy risk and ease digestion.
While most pets can transition from one food to another in five to seven days, some tummies may require a longer transition period. Results from an elimination diet may not be visible for up to 12 weeks.
Allergies are no fun for pets or pet parents. Fortunately, if we can identify what the root cause is, we can help ease our furry friends’ discomfort.
To learn more about how to help soothe your furry friend’s symptoms, visit nutrience.com.
