Is It Safe To Feed Your Pet Dog Raw Eggs?

Photo by: Bigstockphoto
Photo by: Bigstockphoto

Considered as a superfood, eggs contain high levels of protein as well as essential vitamins and minerals. It’s also one of the few foods that contain high levels of vitamin D, which promotes stronger bones and teeth. Eggs also contain choline and folate acid, both of which promote normal development of the brain and memory in developing fetus. It also contains iron and selenium which prevent certain types of cancers.

The egg’s health-giving nutrients are concentrated on the yolk. It’s one of the best sources of high-quality protein because it contains 8 essential amino acids, the building block of muscles. Best of all, eggs are also low in calories. A medium egg contains only 80 calories and about 5 grams of fat. Because eggs are low in fat, it helps protect from heart and cardiovascular diseases.

However—despite its many health benefits—eggs shouldn’t be fed to your pets. Surprisingly, many dog owners feed their dogs raw eggs — shells and all. Eggs might not be the best source of energy or protein for your pets. Before you feed your dog raw eggs, keep in mind the following health risks:

It Inhibits Enzymes in Pets

One of the many reasons why raw eggs are bad for dogs is because eggs white contain enzyme inhibitors that could disrupt your pet’s digestion. Although you can feed your dog eggs occasionally, it should not be a part of your dog’s diet at all. We recommend feeding your dogs cooked eggs rather than raw eggs. Nutrients might be lost during cooking but it also minimizes the risk of eggs causing digestive problems for your pet.

Causes Biotin Deficiency

Egg whites contain a biotin (B vitamin inhibitor) called avidin. Biotin is instrumental for cellular growth. It helps keep the coat of your dog shiny and full, normalizes metabolism, and keeps his skin great. Eating raw eggs could cause your dog to become biotin-deficient. However, it would take a lot of raw eggs to cause biotin deficiency. Avidin in eggs is concentrated mostly on the egg whites. Again, if you must feed your dog eggs, make sure they’re cooked. Also, don’t just give the egg whites but add a little of the yolk too.

Salmonella Infection

Although dogs could handle bacterial infections really well, it’s best not to expose your pets to such risks. Some raw eggs contain salmonella bacteria. When taken, it could cause a variety of health and digestive problems. The good news is eggs tainted with salmonella are a result of unhealthy hens raised in dirty environment. Choose eggs that are organic and come from free-range chickens. Always keep your eggs in a cool place to prevent the spreading of bacterial.

Shells Could Contain Chemicals

Egg’s nutrients are not contained only in the whites and yolk. The egg shells also contain nutrients that improve health; that’s why dogs that could not chew bones could take egg shells as alternative. However, most eggs are sprayed with chemicals to make the shell look shiny and white. Therefore, if you want to feed eggshells to your dogs, do it occasionally and only from a trusted organic farmer. Also, grind the eggs using a coffee grinder and sprinkle the powdered egg shells on your dog’s food rather than feeding the shells on their own.