The fact is, dogs love eggs. But are they good for them?
Question: Is it okay to mix a raw egg with your dog’s food?
Well, there seem to be 2 schools of thought, one is that raw eggs are great for dogs and the second is that they are very bad for dogs. This is not an article on biochemistry, but I will try to explain the information in basic terms.
Let’s look at the bright side of giving your dog raw eggs. Eggs are one of the best sources of protein, as well as amino acids and fatty acids that are necessary for your dog’s skin and coat. They also provide a great source of vitamins and minerals for the body.
This all doesn’t sound so bad, does it?
Now let’s look at the downside. Ingestion of raw eggs in both dogs and humans can cause Salmonella, which is sometimes called “food poisoning.” That’s a term we’ve all heard of and want to avoid. Salmonella is a bacteria that causes diarrhea, fever, vomiting, and abdominal cramps. It is not something you or your dog would want!
Another deleterious effect on dogs from eating raw eggs is the inhibition of biotin and trypsin found in the small intestine. These are enzymes necessary for normal digestion. Let’s say that a deficiency of these two enzymes can cause a number of negative effects on your dog, such as chronic diarrhea, malnutrition, alopecia (severe hair loss), and other consequences.
So it seems that giving your dog raw eggs is not a good idea. However, cooked eggs are great for your dog as a source of protein.
Cooking eggs properly denatures (kills or decreases) the effect of the two bad inhibitors of the necessary enzymes. Just make sure the eggs are fully cooked; leaky scrambled eggs would be a no-no.
Dogs love eggs and would eat them any way they could get them, either raw or cooked, and it is up to you, their owner, to watch what they eat because the effects of eating raw eggs can be very painful for the dog. as for the dog. being very annoying to you.
My take on raw eggs is that I don’t give them to my dog, but if you really think it’s okay, check with your vet before adding them to your dog’s diet.
There are many other foods that humans eat that are dangerous or toxic to dogs that I will talk about in the next few articles. Make sure to keep an eye out for them.
