Food for Dogs with a Chicken Allergy: What Can They Eat? Signs, Food Trials and Reading Labels
The right food for a dog with a chicken allergy has no chicken in the ingredients at all, and ideally uses a protein your dog has never eaten before. Before you switch, ask your vet to confirm that your dog really has a food allergy. Right now the most reliable way to find out is a food trial (elimination diet) of at least 8 weeks, followed by feeding the old food again, not a blood or hair test [1][2][3]
Many pet parents see their dog scratching or licking their paws and wonder, “Is it a chicken allergy?” This article sums up veterinary research, from the signs to watch to how a food trial works and how to read the label.
Chicken allergy in dogs: what are the signs?
Food allergies in dogs can show up on the skin and in the gut [4][5]
| Where to look | Reported signs |
|---|---|
| Skin | Itching is the main sign, and about half of dogs itch all over [4] |
| Ears, feet, belly | Common itchy spots [4] Outer ear infections are common [4] |
| Around the bottom | Seen, but in a minority (4–25%) [4] |
| Repeat skin infections | Bacterial skin infections that keep coming back [4] |
| Gut | Diarrhea and more frequent stools are the gut signs most often improved by a diet change; vomiting is also seen [5] |
If your dog itches all year round, not just in one season, a food allergy is even more likely [6] Among dogs that see a vet for itching, about 9–40% turn out to have a food allergy [6]
These signs look a lot like environmental allergies and other skin problems. That is why the guidelines of the International Committee on Allergic Diseases of Animals (ICADA) have the vet check for fleas, take skin scrapings and check for infection first, then run a food trial in dogs that itch all year or also have gut signs [7]
Can dogs really be allergic to chicken, and what are the most common food allergies?
Yes, but chicken is not number one. A review that pooled data from 297 dogs with food allergies found these food sources [8]
| Food source | Allergic dogs (of 297) |
|---|---|
| Beef | 102 dogs (34%) |
| Milk and dairy | 51 dogs (17%) |
| Chicken | 45 dogs (15%) |
| Wheat | 38 dogs (13%) |
| Soy | 18 dogs (6%) |
| Lamb | 14 dogs (5%) |
| Egg | 11 dogs (4%) |
The numbers add up to more than 100% because many dogs are allergic to more than one food [8] The researchers note that this list may reflect what dogs were commonly fed in past decades, and it may change as new kinds of food become popular [8]
Can a blood, hair or saliva test show a chicken allergy?
Hair and saliva tests: No. In one study, hair and saliva from allergic dogs, non-allergic dogs, fake fur and plain water were sent for testing. The results were no better than chance, and repeat tests did not match [9] Another study found the test reported an “allergy” for every sample, including synthetic fur and salt water, and healthy and allergic dogs got the same results [10]
Blood tests for food allergy (IgE/IgG): A review found poor repeatability and very variable accuracy in dogs. Its conclusion: the most reliable method is still a food trial followed by feeding the old food again [2]
How does a food trial (elimination diet) work?
In a food trial, your dog eats a food with none of their previous ingredients for a while. If the signs improve, and then come back when the old food is fed again, that confirms a food allergy. It should be done with your vet [1][3]
| Stage | What to do | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Before starting | The vet checks for fleas, takes skin scrapings and checks for infection | [7] |
| During the trial | Feed only the trial food: no other food, treats, supplements, flavored vitamins or some flavored medicines | [3] |
| How long | At least 8 weeks (about 80% improve within 5 weeks, and more than 90% are fully improved by 8 weeks) | [1] |
| After the signs improve | Feed the old food (for example, chicken) again, as your vet directs | [1][3] |
| Reading the result | Half of allergic dogs flare within 5 days and more than 90% within 14 days, so wait at least 14 days before deciding | [11] |
The most common reason a trial fails is other food slipping in, because the trial must have no other food, treats or supplements at all [3] Tell everyone at home before you start.
Once you know what your dog is allergic to, there is currently no way to make a food allergy go away. Care means avoiding that food for life, and a dog allergic to one food may become allergic to others later [3]
What can a dog with a chicken allergy eat: which protein instead of chicken?
There are 2 main types of trial food [3]
- Novel protein food has no ingredient your dog has ever eaten, so it is chosen based on each dog’s food history
- Hydrolyzed protein food breaks proteins down so small that the body no longer recognizes them as the food it reacted to. These are prescribed by a vet
- Home-cooked diets need to be formulated by a veterinary nutritionist [3]
Be careful with duck and turkey. A blood-test study of dogs with high chicken-specific IgE found that 97% also had IgE to duck and turkey meat, but only 3% to beef [12] This is a blood test, so not every dog will have symptoms. But if your dog is clearly allergic to chicken, ask your vet before switching to duck or turkey.
What can a dog with a chicken allergy eat? Eggs, duck, turkey, pork, fish, crocodile, chicken liver, chicken fat
The questions pet parents search most, summed up from the research available today.
| Food | What the research says | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken liver, chicken organs | Part of the chicken; a trial food must not contain anything your dog has eaten before [3] | Avoid |
| Chicken fat | No study in dogs answers this directly yet, but during a food trial there must be nothing your dog has eaten before [3] | Avoid during the trial, then ask your vet |
| Egg | Egg is a food dogs can be allergic to on its own, in 4% of food-allergic dogs [8] No study in dogs yet shows whether a chicken allergy means an egg allergy too | Skip during the trial, then ask your vet |
| Duck, turkey | 97% of dogs with high chicken IgE also had IgE to duck and turkey (blood test) [12] | Ask your vet first |
| Fish (e.g. salmon, white fish) | Fish causes 2% of allergies [8] but a blood-test study found proteins in chicken and fish that the same IgE binds to in some dogs; it is not yet known whether this causes real symptoms [13] | Usually an option; if your dog has reacted to fish before, ask your vet |
| Pork | Pork causes 2% of allergies [8] Chicken IgE bound beef (a mammal, like pork) in only 3% [12] but in theory poultry and mammal meats could cross-react; this is not proven [14] | An option if your dog has never reacted to pork |
| Crocodile meat | No study in dogs yet. If your dog has never eaten it, it counts as a novel protein under food-trial principles [3] But in people, a child allergic to chicken had a severe reaction the first time he ate crocodile, because a protein in crocodile is similar to one in chicken [15] and people allergic to fish may also react to crocodile [16] | A chicken-free option; ask your vet first, then try a small amount the first time and watch for signs |
| Beef | The most common food allergy, 34% [8] | Not a first choice if your dog has eaten a lot of beef |
No single food is safe for every dog with a chicken allergy, because each dog reacts differently and many are allergic to more than one thing [8] Choose with your vet, based on your dog’s food history.
How to read labels and spot hidden chicken
Almost any ingredient can cause an allergy [3] and a trial food must not contain anything your dog has eaten before [3] so read the full ingredient list on the bag, not just the recipe name or the picture on the front. The same goes for wet food and treats, because the flavor name on the pack may not list every meat inside.
Checklist: words that mean chicken, or may mean chicken
- Chicken, chicken meal, chicken meat and bone meal
- Chicken fat, chicken oil
- Hydrolyzed chicken, chicken protein
- Chicken liver, or “liver” without saying which animal
- “Poultry meal”, “animal fat”, “meat meal” without naming the animal
- Chicken seasoning or chicken broth
- Duck, turkey (poultry that may cross-react with chicken [12])
If a label lists an ingredient without naming the animal, ask the seller or brand before you buy. Don’t guess.
For more on reading labels, see Choosing the right food by reading the label like an expert
See your vet if…
- Your dog itches all year or scratches until the skin is broken
- Ear or skin infections keep coming back
- Vomiting or diarrhea is ongoing (your vet may suggest a food trial early [5])
- Your dog is lethargic, won’t eat or is losing weight
- You are about to start a food trial or change a food your vet prescribed
Frequently asked questions
What should a dog with a chicken allergy eat?
A food with no chicken in the ingredients that uses a protein your dog has never eaten, or a hydrolyzed protein food prescribed by your vet. Choose based on your dog’s food history, and read the full ingredient list every time.
How do I know if my dog is allergic to chicken?
Your vet runs a food trial of at least 8 weeks. If the signs improve, and then come back within about 14 days of feeding chicken again, your dog is allergic to chicken. Hair, saliva and blood tests are not reliable enough to decide.
Can a dog with a chicken allergy eat eggs?
No study in dogs answers this directly yet. Egg is a food dogs can be allergic to on its own, in about 4% of food-allergic dogs, so skip eggs during the food trial and ask your vet before trying them.
Can a dog with a chicken allergy eat crocodile meat?
Crocodile meat contains no chicken, and if your dog has never eaten it, it counts as a novel protein. But there is no research on this in dogs yet, and in people a child allergic to chicken also reacted to crocodile meat. Ask your vet first, then try a small amount the first time and watch for signs.
How do I choose wet food for a dog with a chicken allergy?
Use the same rule as for kibble: read the full ingredient list, not just the flavor name on the pack. It must have no chicken, chicken fat, chicken liver or broth, and no ingredient that doesn’t name the animal. During a food trial, feed only the food your vet has chosen.
Read more:
- Cat food or dog food, which brand? 7 things to check before you choose
- Choosing the right food by reading the label like an expert
- Tear stains in dogs and cats: what causes them and is food involved?
- What is holistic dog food?
References:
- Olivry T, Mueller RS, Prélaud P. Critically appraised topic on adverse food reactions of companion animals (1): duration of elimination diets. BMC Veterinary Research 2015;11:225. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-015-0541-3
- Mueller RS, Olivry T. Critically appraised topic on adverse food reactions of companion animals (4): can we diagnose adverse food reactions in dogs and cats with in vivo or in vitro tests? BMC Veterinary Research 2017;13:275. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-017-1142-0
- VCA Animal Hospitals. Food Allergies in Dogs. https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/food-allergies-in-dogs
- Olivry T, Mueller RS. Critically appraised topic on adverse food reactions of companion animals (7): signalment and cutaneous manifestations of dogs and cats with adverse food reactions. BMC Veterinary Research 2019;15:140. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-019-1880-2
- Mueller RS, Olivry T. Critically appraised topic on adverse food reactions of companion animals (6): prevalence of noncutaneous manifestations of adverse food reactions in dogs and cats. BMC Veterinary Research 2018;14:341. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-018-1656-0
- Olivry T, Mueller RS. Critically appraised topic on adverse food reactions of companion animals (3): prevalence of cutaneous adverse food reactions in dogs and cats. BMC Veterinary Research 2017;13:51. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-017-0973-z
- Hensel P, Santoro D, Favrot C, Hill P, Griffin C. Canine atopic dermatitis: detailed guidelines for diagnosis and allergen identification (ICADA). BMC Veterinary Research 2015;11:196. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-015-0515-5
- Mueller RS, Olivry T, Prélaud P. Critically appraised topic on adverse food reactions of companion animals (2): common food allergen sources in dogs and cats. BMC Veterinary Research 2016;12:9. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-016-0633-8
- Coyner K, Schick A. Hair and saliva test fails to identify allergies in dogs. Journal of Small Animal Practice 2019;60(2):121–125. https://doi.org/10.1111/jsap.12952
- Bernstein JA, Tater K, Bicalho RC, Rishniw M. Hair and saliva analysis fails to accurately identify atopic dogs or differentiate real and fake samples. Veterinary Dermatology 2019. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30680834/
- Olivry T, Mueller RS. Critically appraised topic on adverse food reactions of companion animals (9): time to flare of cutaneous signs after a dietary challenge in dogs and cats with food allergies. BMC Veterinary Research 2020;16:158. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-020-02379-3
- Olivry T, Bexley J, Mougeot I. Extensive protein hydrolyzation is indispensable to prevent IgE-mediated poultry allergen recognition in dogs and cats. BMC Veterinary Research 2017;13:251. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-017-1183-4
- Bexley J, Kingswell N, Olivry T. Serum IgE cross-reactivity between fish and chicken meats in dogs. Veterinary Dermatology 2019;30(1):25–e8. https://doi.org/10.1111/vde.12691
- Olivry T, Pucheu-Haston CM, Mayer U, Bergvall K, Bexley J. Identification of major and minor chicken allergens in dogs. Veterinary Dermatology 2022;33(1):46–e16. https://doi.org/10.1111/vde.13029
- Ballardini N, Nopp A, Hamsten C, et al. Anaphylactic reactions to novel foods: case report of a child with severe crocodile meat allergy. Pediatrics 2017;139(4):e20161404. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2016-1404
- Ruethers T, Nugraha R, Taki AC, et al. The first reptilian allergen and major allergen for fish-allergic patients: crocodile β-parvalbumin. Pediatric Allergy and Immunology 2022;33(5):e13781. https://doi.org/10.1111/pai.13781
Note: studies [15][16] are in people; there is no research yet on crocodile meat and allergy in dogs.
Transparency note: the “Critically appraised topic” series [1][2][4][5][6][8][11] states that its publication fees were funded by a pet food company, and the authors say the company had no role in the content. Study [12] includes an author from a pet food company, and the authors of [14] report funding from a pet food company.
