04/09/2025
The Reason Behind Chicken Protein Allergy In Your Dog... It's Not What You Might Think
By: Margit Maxwell
September 02, 2025
Here is a very common complaint with dog diets these days - an allergy to chicken and egg protein.
I read this question today, "My dog is allergic to chicken. I asked our vet if he would be allergic to eggs too. The vet said he did not know and advised to stay away from both."
So the usual Vet advice is to avoid feeding chicken protein to your dog and likely eggs too.The problem with this approach is not understanding the actual root cause for your dog's histamine trigger or "food allergy"to chicken protein.
And here begins the downward cycle of owners' in a constant cycle of looking for expensive novel proteins that their dog can tolerate.
Not All Chicken Protein Is The Same
Generally speaking the nutrition contained in chicken protein is as follows ( white meat vs dark meat totals do vary):
-Protein: Builds and repairs tissues, maintains muscle mass, and supports overall body function,
-Niacin (Vitamin B3): Crucial for energy production, DNA synthesis, and brain health,
-Selenium: A trace mineral essential for a healthy immune system, thyroid function, and fertility,
-Phosphorus: Plays a role in energy production and is necessary for strong bones and teeth,
-Vitamin B6: Contributes to brain health and energy production,
-Choline: Important for brain health and development,
-Iron: Found in higher amounts in darker meat, supporting oxygen transport in the blood.
Chicken contains healthy nutrition so why do so many dogs have a histamine reaction to chicken protein? The likely reasons for your dog's reaction to chicken protein has to do with :
-omega 6 to omega 3 essential fatty acid ratios out of balance,
- corn only fed chicken,
- glyphosate laden corn feed fed to the commercially farmed chickens,
- antibiotics used in the commercial chicken farming process,
- feeding the exact same narrow nutrient profile for every meal to your dog.
The Omega's
In a very simplified explanation, essential fatty acids are polyunsaturated fats the body cannot produce so they need to be consumed.
There are two types of these fatty acids:
-Linoleic acid (LA): An omega-6 fatty acid found in vegetable oils, seeds, and nuts.
-Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA): An omega-3 fatty acid found in seed sources like flaxseed, chia seeds, and fish.
Omega 3 to 6 fatty acids should ideally be consumed in a ratio, more omega 3 and less omega 6 (about 4 - 6 omega 3 to 1 omega 6, but the western diet ratios are flipped because of the high processed foods stuffs used in the manufacturing and consuming of processed foods.
One food that is notoriously high in omega 6 is corn. Commercial chicken farms (not pasture raised free range birds) are fed a commercial feed that uses primarily corn and soy. The high omega 6 found in the corn is then stored in chicken fat cells which are then released by digestion in the mammals who consume the chicken protein.
Additionally, nearly all feed corn and soy crops come from genetically modified corn that has been heavily sprayed with the herbicide glyphosate. As glyphosate residue is not destroyed via any of the manufacturing processes, the glyphosate residue in the feed crops consumed by the chickens is now contained in the chicken protein too. The ingested glyphosate residue contained in the chicken protein and the combination of high omega 6 values then begins to adversly impact the gut microbiome cultures as well as creating an inflammatory effect in the body. Histamines are released by the body to neutralize the inflammatory attack spurred on by the high omega 6 fatty acids. An over representation of histamine in the body is responisble for the allergic or food sensitivity symptoms seen in your dog.
Pasture Raised Animals
Things that can be done to make chicken less inflammatory and reaction producing:
- look for chicken that is free range AND pasture raised and fed. Grass fed grazing birds that eat a natural diet eat a variety of foods other than soy and high omega 6 value corn. If the birds are supplemented with a chicken feed, opt for an organically fed bird.
- chickens that live outdoors in fresh air instead of indoors with hundreds of other chickens tend not to need antibiotics to stay healthy. Again, look for healthier chicken options to feed to your dog to lower omega 6 inflammatory response in your dog.
- when feeding a food naturally higher in omega 6's, combine with foods high in omega 3's, like fish. Adding extra omega 3's can help create a more desireable omega 3 to 6 ratio.
- and here is the most impactful thing you can do to help reduce your dog's reaction to chicken protein ....
stop feeding the same unrotated narrow scope of nutrition for every single meal! A daily rotation of proteins other than chicken can help prevent a nutrient over load in the body.
While it is possible to have a legitmate allergy to chicken protein, your dog might be able to tolerate small organically sourced and rotated additions of chicken and eggs in his diet.
And that is welcomed news for your dog food budget.
