Raw Egg In Dog Food

Are Raw Eggs Safe For Dogs

Some experts may ask you to avoid raw eggs and suggest that you include cooked eggs in your dogs diet, because they think that bacteria like Salmonella or E. coli from raw eggs can lead to food poisoning, diarrhea, and upset stomach. However, a dogs gut is completely different from ours. Salmonella or E. coli do not affect dogs like they affect human beings. Dogs can easily digest raw eggs. Moreover, chances of getting an egg contaminated with salmonella or E. coli are very less.

An enzyme called avidin, present in raw egg whites can inhibit the absorption of biotin, a type of B vitamin. This can result in skin problems. Cooking egg white denatures avidin and stops it from preventing the absorption of dietary biotin. However, according to some experts, eggs are so rich in biotin, that avidin cannot prevent absorption of the entire amount of biotin. Consumption of raw egg white for a prolonged period can affect biotin levels.

If your dog is allergic to eggs, then feeding both raw or cooked eggs can result in extremely itchy skin, ear inflammation, gastrointestinal problems like diarrhea or gas, an itchy rear end, etc.

Eggs are high in calories, fat, and cholesterol, and can lead to excessive weight gain. Obesity can result in arthritis and other health problems.

Is Adding Raw Eggs To Dog Food Healthy

There are definite pros and cons to the debate over feeding dogs raw eggs. There’s no doubt that eggs, whether raw or cooked, provide many beneficial nutrients to dogs. As with any decision about your dog’s diet and health, speak to your veterinarian to help you decide how you want to feed eggs to your dog and make sure you monitor your dog’s health for negative, as well as positive, side effects to feeding raw eggs.

Raw Eggs May Contain E Coli

Consuming raw meat or eggs poses a risk for E. coli in humans and dogs. E. coli bacteria naturally occur in a dogs lower intestine, but too much of the usually benign bacteria can cause a serious infection.

While feeding your dog raw egg does put him at a higher risk of an E. coli infection, you can mitigate the risk by maintaining sanitary feeding routines. Be sure the eggs are high quality and are stored properly. Wash your hands before and after preparing your dogs food, and be sure to wash your dogs dishes after each meal, especially if that meal contains raw eggs.

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Is It Safe To Give A Dog Raw Eggs

The fact is that raw eggs are good for dogs to eat occasionally. And safe! You might be wondering why some people are so worried then, but their worries are rooted in some real risks, so lets run through them.

Raw Eggs Can Carry E. Coli Or Salmonella This risk is very rare, but it is possible. Because dogs have a very acidic stomach and a short digestive tract, the chances of them actually contracting an infection is rare. Still, getting eggs from trusted sources is key to avoiding this.

Egg Whites Contain Avidin, Which Is A Biotin Inhibitor It is true that egg whites can prevent healthy biotin from being able to help your dog. So dont feed your dog straight egg whites! When people mention this concern, they forget to mention that egg yolks contain a ton of biotin. As long as you feed the whole egg, your dog will be fine. If your dog were to get biotin deficiency, you would see this in inhibited metabolism and poor skin/coat conditions. Still, your dog would have to ingest a ton of egg whites for this to occur, so I dont think its a real risk. You can also feed biotin heavy foods like peanut butter, salmon, or blueberries to help counteract this concern.

Stinky Farts! Yes, this is a risk Im going to warn you about. Look, not every owner can put up with a dog that is farting all the time. If you feed your dog too much raw egg, it can put a strain on their digestive system and lead to lots of stinky farts.

How Do You Cook Eggs For Dogs

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Eggs Contain Essential Amino Acids

While protein is important, the amino acids that comprise the protein your dog eats are even more crucial. There are 20 amino acids, half of which your dogs body can produce. The other 10, called the essential amino acids, must be consumed in food.

Not all proteins contain every essential amino acid. Your dogs commercial food probably lists the protein content but not all the different amino acids it contains. Eggs contain all ten essential amino acids. Feeding your dog an egg on top of its food ensures that you provide adequate amounts of essential amino acids.

Can Dogs Eat Scrambled Eggs

Scrambled eggs are ok as an occasional treat, as long as you offer them plain scrambled eggs, without any added salt, pepper or butter. This means that you should avoid sharing your breakfast with your pet, as its likely to contain seasoning we humans enjoy, but that can be detrimental to your pets health.

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How To Feed A Dog Raw Egg

Eggs must be cooked before giving them to a canine. Cook eggs simply without oil, salt, butter, spices, seasoning, or any other additives. It does not rely on how your canine likes their eggs as long as theyre cooked. There are numerous approaches to combining eggs into your canines diet, from the occasional chunk of tough boiled egg to scrambled eggs in canine meals.

Start by feeding your canine simply one egg. Watch them for any symptoms of gastrointestinal issues like diarrhea. As long as they do not display any digestive discomfort, you must have no problem giving them eggs.

Eggs can not be the only supply of protein to your canine, as canine food contains different vitamins for any canine. Since eggs are full of protein, in case your canine ingests an excessive amount of it may cause weight gain from too many calories consumed.

In general, canines should not consume a couple of eggs per day. Ideally, get your eggs from a natural farmer in order that they have not been chemically treated.

You must treat eggs like a treat to your canine. Treating your canine to a cooked egg once in a while is perfectly safe and maintains a unique surprise that your canine will enjoy.

How To Feed Your Dog Eggs

Eggs should be cooked before given to a dog. Cook or boil eggs plain without oil, butter, salt, seasoning, spices, or other additives. It doesnt matter how your dog likes their eggs sunny side up, scrambled, or hard boiled as long as they are cooked. There are several ways to integrate eggs into your dogs diet, from the occasional bite of hard boiled egg to sprinkled scrambled eggs atop dog food.

Start by feeding your dog just one egg. Watch them for any signs of gastrointestinal distress like diarrhea or vomiting. As long as they dont show any digestive discomfort, you should have no trouble giving them eggs.

Eggs cant be the sole source of protein for your dog, as dog food contains other much-needed nutrients for any dog. Plus, since eggs are packed with protein, if your dog ingests too much it can lead to weight gain from too many calories consumed.

In general, dogs shouldnt eat more than one egg per day. Ideally, get your eggs from an organic farmer so they havent been chemically treated.

You should treat eggs like a treat for your dog. Treating your dog to a cooked egg every so often is perfectly safe and keeps it a special surprise that your dog will enjoy.

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Can Dogs Eat Eggs Info On Raw Cooked And Egg Shells

Around the world, many people consume eggs from domestic chickens. Theyre a breakfast and baking staple, are delicious boiled or scrambled, and pack a ton of protein. In 2018, over 76.7 million metric tons of eggs were produced worldwide .

With human consumption of eggs growing steadily for decades, you might be wondering whether this favorite breakfast food is healthy for dogs as well. Lets review whether dogs can eat eggs and go over the different cooking variations to see if they are safe for our pups.

How Many Eggs Should I Feed My Dog

Now that we know that raw eggs for dogs are beneficial, we should discuss how many eggs are appropriate to feed them. Depending on the size of your dog and his caloric needs, you can feed eggs multiple times per week.

There are many variables to consider, including the breed, the age, the weight, their current diet, activity level, and how healthy the pet is. There are about 55-75 calories in one egg, so take that into account and adjust their regular meals to accommodate the additional calories.

If you have a smaller dog, beat the egg, and feed the egg over a few meals. Larger breeds can usually handle the calories of a full egg, but if you are counting calories or if your dog is a lazy couch potato, then feed raw eggs less frequently throughout the week.

You can either add the raw egg to their regular dog food or make it an extra special treat in between meals. Either way, it will add an excellent nutritional boost to your pet’s diet.

You know your pet better than anyone. so pay attention to any changes in your dog’s behaviour, appetite, and digestion. Any changes to a dog’s diet too quickly could cause stomach upsets, gas, and changes in stool quality.

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Can Dogs Eat Egg Shells Are Egg Shells Nutritious For Dogs

You can technically feed your dog egg shells but only if your veterinarian thinks its a good idea.

Egg shells contain calcium, which some dogs need supplemented in their diets. However, there are easier ways to give your dog more calcium and egg shells arent the tastiest option. Plus, egg shells have sharp edges.

Egg shells can help older arthritic dogs. Egg shell membranes significantly reduced joint pain and improved joint function in 51 dogs experiencing a range of joint problems, according to a 2016 study.

More Than Just My Best Friend

My dogs are truly my best buddies and I treat them as so. They are companions, security, comfort, and encouragement. Last year, I lost my 8-year-old Golden Retriever, Tate, to cancer. The lymphoma took over and within a few months, his entire body was covered in lumps. It was absolutely devastating to watch this gentle soul, full of only love and optimism, die in such pain and misery. His life was cut too short. He deserved so much better. Was it my fault? Could I have prolonged his life had I made better food choices? Ill never know and Ill always wonder. But I have vowed to take the health of my family much more seriously, eating only organic, non-GM foods. RIP Tate, love you always.

I continue feeding my dogs raw eggs every week with no issues or complaints. Both my dogs remain in pristine health. Here we are at the beach, Zonix and Bella.

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Will Raw Egg Help My Dogs Upset Stomach

Raw eggs should be avoided if your dog has an upset stomach. If your dog has diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting or has lost its appetite, raw eggs will not help and can make the situation worse.

Cooked eggs, however, can be good for a good with a bad stomach. Cooked eggs have increased levels of biotin, which can assist in neutralizing acidic stomachs and rebalance stomach acids.

Cooked eggs can also help your dog to get its appetite back if mixed in with its regular food.

Scrambled Vs Raw: Eggs

Both cooked eggs and raw eggs offer essential vitamins and nutrition, but raw eggs for dogs are superior and make for an excellent treat. Cooking eggs, like cooked meat, reduces or even totally removes some of the vitamins and minerals that are so healthy for your dog.

Keep in mind that dogs have eaten raw eggs and meat for hundreds of years, by raiding a farmer’s chicken coop or stealing them from nests. Offering your dog raw eggs is not just healthy but encouraged.

Whether you feed raw dog food, kibble, canned food, or even make your own, adding raw eggs to the mix will enhance the overall nutritional value.

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Eggs Contain Vitamins Your Dog Needs

Eggs contain many vitamins to keep your dog healthy, including B-complex vitamins, niacin, folic acid, riboflavin, and vitamins A, D, E, and K.

Vitamin A contributes to cell function and a healthy immune system. Vitamin B6 aids in the function of red blood cells and immune response. All of the vitamins contained in eggs aid in healthy growth and metabolism.

While your dogs regular food may contain some of these vitamins, many essential vitamins may be lacking. Your vet can recommend a daily vitamin supplement however, cracking an egg over your dogs food is a much easier and cheaper alternative.

Can Dogs Eat Eggs Are Eggs Safe For Dogs

Can dogs eat eggs? The short answer is yes, dogs can eat eggs. However, there is some debate about whether they should be cooked or raw, and there are some things you should know before you serve eggs to your dog.

In general, eggs are good for dogs, and theyre even part of canines diets in the wild. Every part of the egg, from the shell to the yolk, contains beneficial nutrients for dogs. Although, like all good things, they should be given in moderation.

Some veterinarians warn of health concerns when feeding raw eggs to dogs and recommend cooking them, while other veterinarians say that cooking eggs destroys many of the valuable nutrients that make eggs a healthy food choice.

Ultimately, you and your vet must discuss how to properly serve eggs to your dog and make the decision for yourselves. Heres what you should know about feeding eggs to dogs.

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Eggs Are Rich In Protein

Eggs contain all 9 essential amino acids in the right ratios, which makes them a complete protein. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. These amino acids are required for supporting your dogs fur, skin, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and cartilage.

Protein helps to maintain and repair cells and other tissues. Its also very important for the proper function of your dogs immune system. It plays a role in making hormones, antibodies, and enzymes. Protein can also be a source of calories to fuel his daily energy levels.

Alternatives To Raw Eggs For Dogs

While raw eggs arent a good nutritional option for dogs, cooked eggs remain protein powerhouses packed with loads of essential fatty and amino acids.

There are many ways to introduce cooked eggs into your dogs diet, including:

• Adding scrambled eggs as a meal topper
• Feeding your dog bits of plain boiled egg
• Using bits of fully cooked egg as cost-effective training treats

There are also commercial treats that contain eggs, such as these crunchy egg and cheese dog treats.

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Biotin Deficiency And Avidin

Another concern about adding raw eggs to a dog’s food is the presence of the enzyme avidin. Egg whites are high in avidin, and it can cause problems with biotin absorption. Biotin, or vitamin B7, found in egg yolks, is critical for a dog’s health, and disruption in biotin processing can harm cell growth and fat metabolism, as well as affect the health of a dog’s coat and skin. Feeding a dog a raw egg occasionally is not likely to cause problems between avidin and biotin, but the more often they are fed, the higher the risk. However, raw egg feeders also respond that biotin deficiency is quite rare and you would have to feed the average dog eight to 10 eggs a day to create the conditions for it to occur.

How To Feed Eggs To Your Dog

Eggs should be always be cooked before given to your dog. Cook or boil the eggs plain without oil, butter, salt, or any other additives.

We suggest making scrambled eggs, as it’s much easier for your dog to digest and can provide quick access to the protein dogs need for maintaining lean muscle and energy. But again, keep them plain.

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Serving Suggestions For Raw Eggs For Dogs

When choosing eggs to feed your dog, stick to organic eggs laid by free-range hens. These will be free from harmful chemicals and more likely to contain higher levels of nutrients.

Serving raw egg to your dog is actually pretty easy. You can simply crack a fresh egg right on top of his normal meal, or mash it into his other food. Get creative with dog-friendly smoothies by blending raw egg with goats milk and blueberries!

As with any new food, its important to start small. Try feeding your one raw egg and observing his reaction. Most veterinarians say its safe for dogs to eat several eggs a week, but its still wise to build up slowly.

A whole egg may be a bit too much for a small dog, so you may want to limit his intake to 13 per week.

Wondering what other human foods your dog can eat? Keep reading