Raw Eggs – Can Dogs Eat Them & Should They Eat Raw Eggs

Something people are asking me about giving dogs eggs is how I offer them. I always say they get them raw and people typically are surprised by that. Many are also surprised that I give my dogs eggs, let alone a raw egg.

I’ve heard that eggs are too high in cholesterol, or concerned about salmonella or a biotin deficiency. I disagree with that. Eggs are a cheap and completely safe raw food to give your dog. They’re also one of the most nutritious and complete meals you can choose.

Raw Eggs – Health Concerns & Facts

I’ve decided to share some common concerns and health benefits that dogs get from eggs. This will hopefully make you feel confident that you are boosting the diet and health of your dog when feeding them.

Eggs are an important source of nutrition not only for those who eat them but for the chick living inside it too. After all, eggs do contain all the necessary nutrients to grow a new chicken. This is another reason why eggs are one of the most complete sources of amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. Therefor feeding them to your dog is a great way to boost the protein intake.

Nutrients, Vitamins , & Minerals

Additionally, eggs provide more than just protein. They provide a wide variety of nutritional support. These key nutrients provided by eggs include:

• Riboflavin
• Vitamin A
• Iron
• Fatty Acids
• Folate
• Selenium

Enzyme Inhibitors in Egg Whites

This concerns dog owners whether they feed their dog a raw diet or not. Most who feed a raw diet understand how beneficial eggs are, including egg whites. Although egg whites contain enzyme inhibitors, which can interfere with digestion that doesn’t make them bad. This simply means to not have eggs be the main part of your dogs diet. If you are feeding a well balanced raw diet, this won’t be an issue.

For the average dog, feeding eggs a few days a week is good and totally safe. If you are still concerned a bit, start off feeding just one egg to your dog. If you don’t see digestive upset, then you can slowly keep introducing eggs more often. Remember, eggs aren’t the main part of the diet for your dog anyways.

Can Egg Whites Cause a Biotin Deficiency in Your Dog?

Egg Whites contain a biotin inhibitor called avidin. Biotin in a B Vitamin and is important for your dog’s cellular growth, healthy skin and coat, and the fatty acid metabolism. Biotin deficiencies are uncommon and it’d take an extraordinary amount to cause the deficiency.

Egg yolks are very high in biotin, so feeding the entire egg should be good to help you not worry. When feeding a good complete and balanced raw diet to your dog, you shouldn’t have worries of a biotin deficiency anyways. The liver you give your dog is a good source of biotin.

Salmonella Risk of Raw Eggs

Believe it or not, your dog is well equipped to handle the bacteria of foods raw. Regardless, you’ll still want to consider a few things to keep the bacteria levels as normal as possible. The health of the hen laying the eggs is important. Ideally you’ll want to get eggs that are from organic and free range chickens. My goal is to always get eggs from people who own the hens. This isn’t always possible but it’s ideal. Feeding quality and keeping the eggs cool will help keep the bacteria at a manageable level.

Feed the Whole Egg

When I say the whole egg, I mean the entire egg. Yes that includes feeding the shell. This offers a near complete food source for your dog. Another perk to the egg shells is that it can be help to dogs who struggle to eat bone.

You can dry out the shells and feed them at a later time. Simply grind the shells in a clean coffee grinder until they are powder. You can then sprinkle this powder on your dog’s food to give it an extra boost. Another option is to simply crack the egg and leave the shell in the bowl. My dogs prefer me to not even crack the eggs and leave them whole for them to chomp and break themselves. The choice is completely yours and whatever works best for you and your dog.

Let’s Crack Those Raw Eggs

Eggs are a cheap, easy to obtain source of nutrition for your dog. The benefits definitely outweigh the risks (in my opinion anyways). Remember that many eggs are sprayed with a chemical to make them look shiny which is what you don’t want for your dog. This is the reason why I saw it’s best to source them from a local organic farmer or a friend who raises chickens.

By feeding raw eggs whole, you’ll counteract any imbalance that could potentially be harmful. Try feeding your dog some raw eggs a few days a week and you’ll notice the benefits both inside and out.

Next time you hear anyone ask “Can dogs eat eggs?” you can confidently respond with “yes” and give the reasons why.

Be sure to check out this post on my Raw Feeding Experience.