What is Chicken Allergy?
Most symptoms related to a food allergy will be related to the skin or gastrointestinal tract. A chicken allergy can show up at any age in cats and in any breed, including mixed breed cats. Once your cat is diagnosed with a chicken allergy you will want to avoid feeding any food that contains chicken protein or chicken fat as these will also cause problems for your cat.
Food allergies and sensitivities are not uncommon. Several of these foods are found in the ingredients of commercial cat food. The most common food allergies or intolerances are chicken, fish, beef, lamb, dairy and eggs.
Symptoms of Chicken Allergy in Cats
Generally, if your cat has developed a food allergy, such as an intolerance to chicken, they will exhibit skin related or gastrointestinal related problems. If you notice your cat acting oddly or sickly, contact your veterinarian for an appointment.
- Excessive scratching, especially around the neck and face
- Rash around the face and ears
- Excessive licking, especially the paws, stomach or legs
- Red and/or itchy ears
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Weight loss
Causes of Chicken Allergy in Cats
A chicken allergy in cats can develop for a number of different reasons. When your cat has a healthy response to the ingredients in their food their body is able to break down the food into amino acids and the nutrients are then properly absorbed into the body. The gastrointestinal tract is vital to keeping out indigestible things that cats eat as well as nutrients that are only partially digested, or not properly broken down into single amino acids.
If the gastrointestinal tract fails to filter the partially digested foods and those particles enter the body, your cat’s immune system will detect these nutrients as foreign invaders to the body and begin attacking them. This triggers an allergic reaction. The more chicken or chicken products your cat eats the more intense the allergic reaction.
Some experts think allergies are linked to a cat's leaky gut or, in other words, their 'dysbiosis'; this means that your cat will have the same immune response every time they eat chicken or some other food that they have become intolerant.
Diagnosis of Chicken Allergy in Cats
If you suspect your cat has developed an allergy to their food, in particular chicken or chicken by-products, your veterinarian may refer you to a veterinary dermatologist for further testing and to rule out possible skin conditions.
Your veterinarian will begin by doing a thorough physical examination of your cat, noting the visible symptoms. They will also ask about your cat’s diet and if the symptoms seem to intensify after eating. Intradermal skin tests can be done, as well as blood allergy tests. These tests are reliable when trying to pinpoint some allergens but are not always accurate when trying to pinpoint a protein allergy, such as chicken or fish.
Your cat will be put on a prescription diet for about 12 weeks; usually this diet is exclusively a hydrolyzed protein diet. No treats or flavored medications can be given during those 12 weeks to ensure that your cat is not getting an allergen from an outside source. This prescription diet will be free of potential allergy causing ingredients that are common in cats. Ideally, this diet will contain ingredients that your cat has not been exposed to before. Once the symptoms have disappeared while on this diet your veterinarian will begin reintroducing old foods one at a time to see which ones are causing the allergic reaction.
Treatment of Chicken Allergy in Cats
Treatments can begin even before the food allergy is properly diagnosed. With general treatments, your cat’s symptoms can be treated and we can give them some relief while they are starting their prescription diet and allergy testing.
Steroids are used to relieve itching and rashes from food allergies. The most common steroids given are prednisone and prednisolone. These are given orally in tablet form. Injectable steroids can be given if the allergic reaction is severe or if the owner prefers this to giving oral medicine.
Prescription diets are also available for your cat. There are even over the counter foods that are specifically formulated and do not contain certain common foods that cause allergies in cats.
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Recovery of Chicken Allergy in Cats
Once the chicken allergy has been diagnosed and the symptoms treated, your cat has a good prognosis of recovery provided you avoid chicken and chicken by-products in their diet. Your veterinarian will recommend a quality food that your cat can eat without having an allergic reaction to chicken. Be sure to read the labels carefully on your cat’s food and treats to ensure that they are not exposed to chicken.
Chicken Allergy Questions and Advice from Veterinary Professionals
Cat
9.5 Years
27 found this helpful
27 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Diarrhea
My cat is clearly now allergic to chicken. What other protein should be avoided?
Sept. 28, 2020
Answered by Dr. Michele K. DVM
27 Recommendations
Thank you for your question. If your cat does not tolerate chicken, any poultry would be best avoided. There can often be cross reactions between similar proteins. I hope that all goes well for your cat.
Oct. 6, 2020
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Mixed, some siamese.
Isis
2 Years
6 found this helpful
6 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Diarrhea
Smelly Farts
Occassional Crying
Harder Stomach
I think my cat has allergies to chicken but my mother keeps giving her food and treats with chicken. Normally it causes smelly farts and diarrhea. Now she is also crying occasionally and her stomach is sensitive to touch and feels harder than normal. What can I do? Right now I don't have a ton of money to bring her into a vet.
Aug. 19, 2018
6 Recommendations
Without examining her I cannot say whether the cause is down to an allergy to chicken, another ingredient or another cause; if you believe that a chicken allergy may be a factor you should speak with your mother about limiting or changing the diet/treats given. Without an examination I cannot be sure of the cause or recommend any specific course of action; cat food with restricted ingredients may be useful and stop giving treats for a few weeks to see if there is any improvement. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
Aug. 19, 2018
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domestic short hair
Catalins
One Year
13 found this helpful
13 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Scooting
Can it cause cat to scoot on carpet. Been to vet for months anal glands expressed white granular substance then infected now okay. Still scoots so taking her off chicken, trying duck food. Not 100% on duck but still scoots
July 16, 2018
13 Recommendations
Food allergies may cause scooting and you should always give it a few weeks after changing any diet due to allergies to ensure that the allergen is out of the system before moving on to the next possible cause. Scooting may be caused by allergies, anal gland disorders, parasites, tumours, anus trauma among other causes; give it a few weeks and if there is no improvement on the duck diet return to your Veterinarian. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
July 16, 2018
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Tonkinese
Mario & Luigi
1 Year
3 found this helpful
3 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Hair Loss
I have 2 littermate male cats — just a little over 1 year old. Since October, they have been shedding like crazy!! We thought it was the crazy weather we’ve been having, or the humidy in our home. We purchased a 4 gallon humidifier but it did not help. My cats were on Instinct food which is grain free; no corn, wheat or soy. They drink plenty of water, and get wet food 2x per day. We brush them regularly, but nothing seems to work. We’ve also tried supplements but they are too smart and won’t eat their food. Very picky eaters! We brought them to the vet and they do have a little dandruff as well. The vet recommend switching their food to sensitive stomach/skin food so we did. Still loosing a lot of hair. Luckily there is no bald spots. We are at a loss here. Don’t know what to do! :-(
I wish I could upload pictures to show
May 13, 2018
3 Recommendations
It can be difficult to determine the cause for shedding which may include environmental factors, allergies, infections, parasites, hormonal conditions, diet among other causes; further investigation is required by your Veterinarian but may still be unrewarding in finding an underlying cause. I cannot think of anything else which may cause this level of shedding. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
May 13, 2018
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Tiger
Bailey
7 Years
1 found this helpful
1 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Licking
How can you tell between an allergy and over grooming? My cat has licked most of the hair off of her lower stomach. She does vomit sometimes but I was thinking that could be because of the hair she is ingesting? She does scratch other areas but doesn't seem to be more than my other cat?
May 8, 2018
1 Recommendations
It can be difficult to distinguish the cause of hair loss, allergies are a possibility but we generally see itching more than licking; there are various different possible causes and would be best to visit your Veterinarian to narrow in on a specific cause since hormonal conditions, allergies, infections, parasites, behavioural issues among other causes may lead to this issue. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
May 9, 2018
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Maine Coon mix
Ember
2 Years
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Diarrhea
Dry Skin
Dry Hair
The day I picked up my adopted kitten she had a bit of a messy bottom, which I was assured was just the stress of moving. It didn't clear up and she had some blowouts over my carpet as well. She's long-haired, so she would also sometimes inadvertently paint the walls. One night I gave her some baked chicken and when I checked on her litter box, there was a lake of grey liquid. Chicken allergy, got it. She responded to duck the same way, and the vet advised to steer clear of anything poultry. Anything feathered is foul. We've been steering clear of the chicken, but our go-to brand of beef-based kibble was discontinued. We got her on a hydrolyzed diet for a month or so until her poo was stable and they're now on a boar, goat, lamb, and pork kibble with occasional fish-based wet food as treats. She's started having poopy bottoms again, tho, and I think she might be allergic to some type of fish, too. :( It's getting hard to feed this girl. Luckily our other cat has no apparent dietary needs.
mixed
Bubba
8 Years
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Vomiting
My Bubba was diagnosed with a chicken allergy, well a food allergy we narrowed down to chicken. He is a very picky eater. Wet food has to be pate style. He has been getting natural balance green pea and duck dry food which he likes but started throwing it up after a lil over a week on it. He wont eat that flavor of wet food but will eat the green pea and salmon(same brand) and the venison. Could he have an allergy to duck now as well? Stool is normal and vomiting is only the dry food. Any food recommendations?
