Pick an allergen below to see which other foods commonly cross-react with it in dogs, and what the peer-reviewed veterinary literature says about each pairing. Reaction rates are case-series ranges — your vet's read on your individual dog's history is what matters for treatment decisions.
The most-cited canine food allergen. Cross-reacts with other poultry and eggs.
Mechanism: Shared avian albumins and livetins between chicken and turkey produce overlapping IgE epitopes.
Owner note: Vets typically avoid all poultry — including turkey — when starting an elimination trial after a chicken-allergy suspicion. A novel non-poultry protein (fish, venison, duck if not previously eaten) is the usual choice.
Source: Mueller, Olivry & Prélaud, BMC Vet Res 2016 (case-series synthesis)
Mechanism: Egg yolk and white share several proteins (livetins, ovalbumin) with chicken meat.
Owner note: Eggs are typically excluded from elimination trials in chicken-allergic dogs. Many "limited ingredient" foods include egg as a binder — check the label.
Source: Halliwell, Vet Dermatol 1997 (small case-series); Mueller et al., BMC Vet Res 2016
Mechanism: Avian protein cross-class, though duck-specific proteins differ enough that some chicken-allergic dogs tolerate duck.
Owner note: Duck is sometimes used as a "novel protein" for chicken-allergic dogs, but only with vet sign-off and after confirming the dog has not previously been exposed.
Source: Mueller et al., BMC Vet Res 2016
Mechanism: Probable cross-reactivity within Anseriformes (waterfowl) — limited canine-specific data.
Owner note: Discuss with your vet before considering goose as an alternative protein for a chicken-allergic dog.
Source: Olivry, Mueller & Prélaud, 2015 (review)
Upload a photo of any pet food label and the free scanner flags chicken and the proteins that commonly cross-react with it.
Try free scanThe cross-reactivity rates shown here are case-series figures synthesised from peer-reviewed veterinary dermatology literature. They are population averages — individual dogs can fall well outside the reported range. Vets typically use cross-reactivity data to guide which proteins to exclude during an elimination diet, not as a reason to avoid a protein the dog has tolerated for years without symptoms.
The strongest pairings (high overlap) are the ones to flag with your vet first. The lower-overlap pairings often produce the most successful "novel protein" substitutions — but always confirm the dog has not previously been exposed before starting a trial.
For the long-form context behind these decisions, see the complete elimination diet protocol and the novel-protein vs hydrolysed comparison.
Disclaimer: this tool is education for pet owners, not veterinary advice. Cross-reactivity rates vary by dog, population and methodology. Always confirm specific cross-reactivity decisions for your dog with your vet.