Did you know the most common allergy in dogs is chicken?
Let’s be honest, we all know a dog that can no longer eat chicken. But the real question is why? How is your dog’s favorite protein the source of irritation?
Causes
Allergies in dogs usually don’t occur until the adult phase of their life (3+). However, there are certainly exceptions to this rule.
While most of us pet parents rely on chicken as our FBF’s main source of protein, this is often the cause of the allergy. Overexposure to poultry can build an intolerance in our dog’s system. And over time, it becomes more difficult for your dog’s digestive system to break down the protein.
Symptoms
The most common symptom of a poultry allergy is a skin irritation on the paws, abdomen, groin, face, and ears. This could look like this:
- Bald patches
- Chronic ear infections
- Chronically inflamed feet
- Hives
- Skin infections
- Skin rashes
Other symptoms to look out for include:
- Gas
- Inflamed feet
- Coughing
- Diarrhea
- Licking
- Paw biting
- Pawing at face
- Staggered growth
- Shaking of the head
- Vomiting
- Wheezing
Treatment
The best way to treat the allergy (and the most obvious way), is to remove chicken from your pup’s diet! When your dog has shown clear signs of a potential allergy, it’s easy to point the finger at chicken. By removing the ingredient from their diet – you’ll eliminate any concern of continued irritation from the protein.
That’s why Yup Pup has removed chicken broth from their treats and replaced it with organic vegan broth!
However, if your pup does not have an allergy to chicken (yet), chicken can be a great source of protein. To prevent an allergy from occurring, be sure to rotate your dog’s protein to avoid over-exposure to poultry.
** If you suspect your dog may be allergic to chicken, it’s important you speak with your Vet about the additional treatment/prevention required with an allergy such as this one.