Allergic to chicken and turkey?

sweetthang07 · May 1, 2011

Poor Plushy is not doing well. I have suspected for a while that chicken could be the problem but I may have finally confirmed this. I started raw feeding as a last ditch effort to get his IBD under control. Since I had my suspicions about chicken, I decided to try a turkey batch first. He threw it up every day so I stopped. I assumed it was too sudden a switch. Went back to NB Venison and Pea with one raw meal of duck a day. Seemed to do the trick and no vomit for a week. Still on the 2 canned 1 raw plan, I gave him chicken and pea canned yesterday. He threw it up shortly after. I think this confirmed my fear of chicken... but wondered why he threw up turkey since its a different protein source. Are the two similar enough that he can be allergic to both? He does ok on Duck, venison, and rabbit. Today he didn't want to eat much...maybe still reeling from the chicken incident yesterday? How long do flare ups tend to last? I am scared that his poor body is going to give up before we can find the answer.

good vibes, please.

carolina · May 1, 2011

The answer is yes, definitely. Duck is probably not too safe either...
Here is the thing though, for a cat with a digestive system as sensitive as his (I have 2 like that), you don't want to change proteins like that all the time, at least until his system stabilizes.
I know that with the raw diet you do actually rotate proteins, but I would probably put him on a one protein one starch diet for a while (such as NB Venison/pea, Duck and pea or RC Rabbit and pea - only one flavor, not the three of them at the same time

) - at least a month or two before moving him slowly, very slowly to raw. Then add one protein at a time, over the course of at least a week or two in each protein, making sure you don't shock his system.
You have to stabilize his system...
Some cats are just not capable to deal with the constant change of food - play it by ear. For now though, I would give him some time with no changes at all.

katgoddess · May 2, 2011

Originally Posted by sweetthang07

Are the two similar enough that he can be allergic to both?

Yes, that is very possible. Mine is allergic to all poultry (started with chicken), including quail. He has to eat rabbit and bison.

violet · May 2, 2011

This past year I had a very strange experience with my little Amy. It looked like that, out of the blue, she had become allergic to chicken. Stunned, I started keeping notes. To make a long story short, eventually it became clear that home cooked chicken coming from one supermarket chain was perfectly okay for her. No reactions. Home cooked chicken coming from the other supermarket chain I buy our food from made her very ill. At the same time she also had reactions to some chicken flavored canned cat foods. I stopped buying those brands. For home cooked I only use the chicken from the supermarket chain that seemed safe for her. There are no more adverse reactions, we're back to where we were when chicken was a safe food for her.

So, I'm trying to say, don't give up, experiment, because it might not be the type of protein but how a certain food (fresh or canned) is processed.

furryfriends50 · May 2, 2011

http://ibdkitties.net/Allergiesandraw.html is written by a friend of mine - it is a good read for information regarding allergies.

I have one with extreme allergies - to, most likely, the preservatives/chemicals in pet food. She looked horrible! Kinda like BK in the above article. Now that she eats a raw diet, though, she has no problems and she looks like a healthy cat should

A couple others of mine do have allergies, just not nearly as extreme as Panther's are. Mikey is to most plants (corn, wheat, soy, fruits/veggies, etc) and Clover is allergic to pea's. At least those are easy to avoid

Another person, that I know from another forum, has two cats that are allergic to chicken etc in the cooked form. But as long as she is careful about the source of the chicken (and what the chicken ate, etc) her cats are now able to eat raw chicken.

carolina · May 2, 2011

Originally Posted by furryfriends50

http://ibdkitties.net/Allergiesandraw.html is written by a friend of mine - it is a good read for information regarding allergies.

I have one with extreme allergies - to, most likely, the preservatives/chemicals in pet food. She looked horrible! Kinda like BK in the above article. Now that she eats a raw diet, though, she has no problems and she looks like a healthy cat should

A couple others of mine do have allergies, just not nearly as extreme as Panther's are. Mikey is to most plants (corn, wheat, soy, fruits/veggies, etc) and Clover is allergic to pea's. At least those are easy to avoid

Another person, that I know from another forum, has two cats that are allergic to chicken etc in the cooked form. But as long as she is careful about the source of the chicken (and what the chicken ate, etc) her cats are now able to eat raw chicken.

Bugsy's worst reaction EVER was to raw chicken. Worst than canned or cooked.
While raw (when done correctly) can be a great diet, it is not a cure for all, including Allergies, IMHO.

furryfriends50 · May 2, 2011

Originally Posted by Carolina

Bugsy's worst reaction EVER was to raw chicken. Worst than canned or cooked.
While raw (when done correctly) can be a great diet, it is not a cure for all, including Allergies, IMHO.

I didn't say it was the cure for all - but it sure seems, like it is, the vast majority of the time.

There is no need to be able to feed chicken to make a balanced raw diet. Duck, rabbit, quail, goose, etc are good bone sources as well. You can feed all sorts of meat - from crickets to camels - as long as the animal is an herbivore.

MANY cats are fine with the raw protein when they can't handle the cooked. again, I didn't say that it was true for all cats

It can even be an allergy to what the chicken was eating...

strange_wings · May 3, 2011

I have one that gets violent waterly diarrheaand gas from chicken, in dry food, wet, and from cooked. He never touch raw chicken in the past, so I don't know if raw would do the same. (He only likes to snack on beef)
Turkey causes diarrhea to a slightly lesser degree, including cooked turkey. Oddly the rotten smelling gas doesn't happen with the turkey.

He's fine on duck.

brandy rowe · Mar 5, 2012

strange_wings said:
I have one that gets violent waterly diarrheaand gas from chicken, in dry food, wet, and from cooked. He never touch raw chicken in the past, so I don't know if raw would do the same. (He only likes to snack on beef)
Turkey causes diarrhea to a slightly lesser degree, including cooked turkey. Oddly the rotten smelling gas doesn't happen with the turkey.

He's fine on duck.

KatGoddess said:
Yes, that is very possible. Mine is allergic to all poultry (started with chicken), including quail. He has to eat rabbit and bison.

I know this is a really old thread from years ago but I thought I would post since I feel my Mario may have a similar problem. I'm so very frustrated! I've spent 2 months trying to get her to eat wet food instead of her kibble. She is a pukey girl and I would like to put her on raw....but I thought it would be easier to hide raw in wet food rather than try and get kibble powder to stick to it.

About a month ago I started swiping her pill pocket (with prednisolone inside) in the gravy of the Soulistic Chicken and gravy to get her used to the taste. But she threw it up every single time - even just a little swipe! So I decided she was allergic to chicken and got rid of that food. Now, after another month, she's has gotten used to smelling the NB Duck and Pea wet food; she'll let me swipe it on the roof of her mouth without much fuss. But now every time I do it she throws up 20 minutes afterwards! I'm just so upset! Could it be she's allergic to both duck AND chicken?? I know she has a really sensitive tummy...even some of the foods I eat make her vomit if she smells them.

So anyway, currently I have her on the duck and pea kibble (in addition to trying the wet food) and she throws up time to time, but I noticed that in the wet food the duck is the first ingredient and in the kibble, the pea is. Could that be the difference?

I ordered some beef raw food that I had hoped in mixing in the the wet food once she was used to it, but now I fear that plan is out. I don't think I've ever fed her beef in anything so hopefully this will be a new protein for her. But now I don't know how I will get her to eat it. I can't really swipe that on the roof of her mouth.

It seems I cannot even try any transition her without her vomiting; I can't rule anything out! I'm getting so frustrated. She shouldn't have to live like this, poor little thing....always vomiting and always on meds. She's such a good girl. I wish I could repay her by making her better!

What proteins are close enough to chicken that I shouldn't try? I'm assume all the poultry ones??

sevenwonders · Mar 6, 2012

Brandy Rowe said:
I know this is a really old thread from years ago but I thought I would post since I feel my Mario may have a similar problem....

About a month ago I started swiping her pill pocket (with prednisolone inside) in the gravy of the Soulistic Chicken and gravy to get her used to the taste. But she threw it up every single time - even just a little swipe! So I decided she was allergic to chicken and got rid of that food...

I understand that is such a sad and frustrating situation for you. I hope you will have a solution to help her very soon!

Based on the information you provided, I don't think that there is enough evidence to assume that she is indeed allergic to Chicken.

If she were in my care, I would want a more definitive answer, as you might be making this more complicated for both of you than it has to be. Naturally, if it turns out that she is allergic to Chicken, you will have some work to do, but if it turns out that there was something else in the juice that made her throw up... well, you see my point.

To find out for sure, I'd gently cook a Chicken Breast in a covered pan with a little bit of water. Once it is done and cooled off a bit, cut a few tiny pieces (or slices - whatever you think she'd be more likely to try) from the inside where it is nice and moist and get her to eat those. Then, wait and see how she does.

Please consider trying this, and letting us know how it goes!

marinaph · Sep 10, 2012

My cat is also severely allergic to chicken and turkey. Indie has always had stomach issues which got progressively worse as she got older (she is now 6 or 7). I ignored it and chalked it up to her having a sensitive stomach until she started improperly eliminating all over the house. Lots of vet hospital visits and $$$$ spent on diagnostics later, she has feline IBD diagnosis (inflamatory bowel disease) and specific food sensitivities, primarily to poultry (i.e., chicken and turkey because she doesn't like / doesn't eat duck). I fed her some form of chicken most of her life (she doesn't like fish) and over time she got worse and her sometimes-liquid stool turned into constant watery diarrhea and frequent vomiting / food regurgitation. I tried pretty much everything but Indie is a combination of a very picky eater and a feisty cat who won't let me stuff pills into her mouth. So this is what I'd recommend what has been working for Indie (and me):

- Lamb and/or venison wet food - Nature's Balance makes some but I've had much better luck with Nature's Variety (NV) - I feed Indie primarily their lamb version and she loves it and has no negative reaction (http://www.wag.com/cat/p/natures-variety-instict-lamb-diet-12x55-oz-230477). most of their foods are single animal protein formulations designed for rotational feeding or allergies. i hear rabbit food works wonders for some buy Indie throws up when she eats it.

- Mostly wet food or if you have to leave dry food out, NV has great freeze dried raw foods and ZiwiPeak makes good jerky-like raw "dry" food. Both are $$$ but it sure beats ruined carpets and furniture from kitty stomach issues

- Before you resort to prednisone (which is a powerful steroid), try the antibiotic metronidazole which is sometimes prescribed before moving on to steroids or in addition to them - IBD is caused in part by buildup of bacteria in the stomach and intestines and metronidazole makes it better in most cases

- Greeny's makes pill pockets which sometimes work for getting cats to take the meds - i have a compounding pharmacy put metronidazole into small capsules and stuff it into hypoalergenic pill pockets (http://www.greenies.com/cats.aspx#/products/cat-food-allergy-pill-pockets) - i buy mine at our vet but it might be available online as well (it's definitely available online in chicken and beef flavors)

- I also switched Indie only to grain free food and only natural (non-clay) litter... i don't know if it helps directly but it certainly doesn't hurt since grain in the cat food and clay litter is known to cause adverse health reactions. World's best cat littler (the regular kind in the green bag) rocks and even made my dust allergies better.

Good luck!!!

kittylover23 · Sep 14, 2012

marinaph said:
My cat is also severely allergic to chicken and turkey. Indie has always had stomach issues which got progressively worse as she got older (she is now 6 or 7). I ignored it and chalked it up to her having a sensitive stomach until she started improperly eliminating all over the house. Lots of vet hospital visits and $$$$ spent on diagnostics later, she has feline IBD diagnosis (inflamatory bowel disease) and specific food sensitivities, primarily to poultry (i.e., chicken and turkey because she doesn't like / doesn't eat duck). I fed her some form of chicken most of her life (she doesn't like fish) and over time she got worse and her sometimes-liquid stool turned into constant watery diarrhea and frequent vomiting / food regurgitation. I tried pretty much everything but Indie is a combination of a very picky eater and a feisty cat who won't let me stuff pills into her mouth. So this is what I'd recommend what has been working for Indie (and me):

- Lamb and/or venison wet food - Nature's Balance makes some but I've had much better luck with Nature's Variety (NV) - I feed Indie primarily their lamb version and she loves it and has no negative reaction (http://www.wag.com/cat/p/natures-variety-instict-lamb-diet-12x55-oz-230477). most of their foods are single animal protein formulations designed for rotational feeding or allergies. i hear rabbit food works wonders for some buy Indie throws up when she eats it.

- Mostly wet food or if you have to leave dry food out, NV has great freeze dried raw foods and ZiwiPeak makes good jerky-like raw "dry" food. Both are $$$ but it sure beats ruined carpets and furniture from kitty stomach issues

- Before you resort to prednisone (which is a powerful steroid), try the antibiotic metronidazole which is sometimes prescribed before moving on to steroids or in addition to them - IBD is caused in part by buildup of bacteria in the stomach and intestines and metronidazole makes it better in most cases

- Greeny's makes pill pockets which sometimes work for getting cats to take the meds - i have a compounding pharmacy put metronidazole into small capsules and stuff it into hypoalergenic pill pockets (http://www.greenies.com/cats.aspx#/products/cat-food-allergy-pill-pockets) - i buy mine at our vet but it might be available online as well (it's definitely available online in chicken and beef flavors)

- I also switched Indie only to grain free food and only natural (non-clay) litter... i don't know if it helps directly but it certainly doesn't hurt since grain in the cat food and clay litter is known to cause adverse health reactions. World's best cat littler (the regular kind in the green bag) rocks and even made my dust allergies better.

Good luck!!!

Super great advice! My feral cat, Tiny, I think may be allergic to chicken and I will try this! Thanks!!

carolina · Sep 14, 2012

Carolina said:
Quote:

Originally Posted by furryfriends50 /img/forum/go_quote.gif

http://ibdkitties.net/Allergiesandraw.html is written by a friend of mine - it is a good read for information regarding allergies.

I have one with extreme allergies - to, most likely, the preservatives/chemicals in pet food. She looked horrible! Kinda like BK in the above article. Now that she eats a raw diet, though, she has no problems and she looks like a healthy cat should

A couple others of mine do have allergies, just not nearly as extreme as Panther's are. Mikey is to most plants (corn, wheat, soy, fruits/veggies, etc) and Clover is allergic to pea's. At least those are easy to avoid

Another person, that I know from another forum, has two cats that are allergic to chicken etc in the cooked form. But as long as she is careful about the source of the chicken (and what the chicken ate, etc) her cats are now able to eat raw chicken.

Bugsy's worst reaction EVER was to raw chicken. Worst than canned or cooked.

While raw (when done correctly) can be a great diet, it is not a cure for all, including Allergies, IMHO.

Oh boy do I need to edit this!!
Bugsy is doing FABULOUS on raw, including..... Chicken!! They key for him is making sure the chicken is vegetarian-fed!
So I buy only cage-free vegetarian fed chicken..... Anything else and he has bad diarrhea :dk: why :dk:

ldg · Sep 17, 2012

Carolina said:
Oh boy do I need to edit this!!
Bugsy is doing FABULOUS on raw, including..... Chicken!! They key for him is making sure the chicken is vegetarian-fed!
So I buy only cage-free vegetarian fed chicken..... Anything else and he has bad diarrhea :dk: why :dk:

Clearly there is something in the chicken feed that affects the nutritional / allergan content of the meat. :nod: The vegetarian-fed chickens don't have whatever it is that triggers his diarrhea.

dianebabysmom · Mar 24, 2016

Hi, please make sure that in any of her food, wet or dry does not contain Carageenan, it's from red seaweed. It's in a lot of products. Scientist use that on lab animals to give them IBD so that they can try different medications on them. Trust me, I have colitis and I was eating it in some pudding years ago and It make my intestines INFLAMED!!! DON'T feed this to your cat! Find another food that does not have it in their ingredients

Norachan · Mar 25, 2016

Dianebabysmom said:
Hi, please make sure that in any of her food, wet or dry does not contain Carageenan, it's from red seaweed. It's in a lot of products. Scientist use that on lab animals to give them IBD so that they can try different medications on them. Trust me, I have colitis and I was eating it in some pudding years ago and It make my intestines INFLAMED!!! DON'T feed this to your cat! Find another food that does not have it in their ingredients

This is quite an old thread @Dianebabysmom I don't think you'll get much response here. Why not start a thread of your own if you'd like to discuss this?

birdie1953 · May 1, 2016

My cat also gets that terrible gas from any poultry. He is o prescription venison from Royal Canin. At 2.65 a can and vet visits, I'm not sure I can keep it up. He needs at last 1 1/2 cans a day.

LoveJoy · Dec 3, 2017

Lots to say about meats, so I will try not to rant too much - yes, Dianebabysmom is correct; and stay away for processed canned chicken products, too. I would say that transitioning cats off Royal Canin or other dry foods which are bloated with grains, which are bad for the cats in the long run, is a good thing. Read the labels, there are many grain free high protein options for kibble. But, while the kibble is convenient, it should not be the staple. Raw or at least real meat (even freeze dried) is the better option.
Most grocery store-bought raw chicken and turkey is "minimally processed" which means preservatives, salts, and butter products are added to it to enhance the flavor. Bad news for cats! Best bet if you want to try raw poultry for your cats is to buy it from a local farm (or a farmers market or health food store, etc.) and get vege-fed, non-hormone added, non-antibiotics fed chicken, not processed with anything. However, this kind of defeats the purpose if you are hoping to save money. I get the local farm-raised turkey quarters for our brood. As far as store bought, I have always had good luck with PRIMAL raw meat products for cats. There are other brands, too, of similar quality and price, but I have not tried them. They are pricey but work great. Their goat's milk helps with re-balancing the flora in the digestive tract, mixed with freeze dried beef nuggets. What I also like about their products is that they have a freeze-dried option for all of their products, which makes it easy for travelling, or storing extras on hand in case you're in a pinch and couldn't get to the store. Feeding the freeze dried Primal reconstituted with the goat's milk to the IBD cats will help in getting their flora back in order. It was the only thing that worked for our cat, when all the veterinarian meds and flora-powders did nothing.

I have moved away from all canned fruits, vegetables and meats for my family, as they usually contain so many salts, preservatives, and the never-ending threat of leaching from the lining of the cans, so I have now done the same for our pets.

Allergic to chicken and turkey?

sweetthang07

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