Eggs in a Dog's Diet — Benefits and Amounts

There's a big debate over whether it's good for a dog to eat egg or not, and even whether, if it does, it's better raw or cooked. So at Soyunperro we'll go over the main benefits of egg in a dog's diet and the possible drawbacks.

We'll also explain the best way to give it and the recommended amounts based on size and age.

Can Dogs Eat Egg?

Obviously yes — not only can they, it's a highly nutritious food thanks to its large amount of protein, fat, minerals, and vitamins A, D, E, and several of the B complex. In other words, egg has great nutritional value.

Most dogs eat eggs as part of their diet, whether through commercial kibble or a natural diet such as the Biologically Appropriate Raw Food diet.

Is Raw or Cooked Egg Better?

Without a doubt, cooked egg is better. Nutritional losses are minimal if properly cooked (if overcooked, some vitamins can be lost). It's also similarly digestible to raw egg.

Other reasons not to give raw egg include, first, the risk of catching diarrhea from E. coli, salmonella, Listeria, Cryptosporidium, among others, and poisoning from Staphylococcus aureus. In addition, this risk isn't just for the dog but for the owner too, from handling this food daily.

In addition, raw egg contains an antinutritional factor called avidin. Inside the egg, this prevents bacteria from proliferating by blocking vitamins B7 and B8 (biotin). So when given raw, it blocks the absorption of these vitamins, not just from the egg but from the whole meal we give.

In addition, cooked egg gives off more volatile substances than raw, making it smell more appealing to dogs. Remember you should never give your dog a fried egg. If you choose to give a cooked egg, it can be as a plain omelet (with no salt) or as a hard-boiled egg (no shell), poached, or microwave-fried (with no oil).

Is It Good to Give Them the Shell Too?

If the egg is raw, many people also give their dog the shell. Some give it whole, others somewhat crushed. We recommend NEVER giving the shell.

Why? If it's raw, it could spread the diseases mentioned earlier, which would be quite harmful to our dog. And if it's cooked, it could turn into small blades that scrape its digestive system, from mouth to rectum.

So in our opinion, eggs yes, shells no. The shell only provides calcium, and there are much safer ways to provide calcium, such as meaty bones.

How Many Eggs Can a Dog Eat?

They can eat as many as you give them, but that's where we need to use our common sense and know that anything in excess is harmful.

There's no exact number of eggs a dog can eat, but as an example, our fifteen-kilo dog eats one hard-boiled egg with no shell per week, while our big forty-kilo dog eats two per week, and it's never upset either of them.

How Should I Give Egg to My Dog?

Like any other food, you can put it in its bowl as a treat or snack. Or you can mix it with its regular food to give it an extra bit of flavor.

If the egg is cooked, just wait for it to cool down a bit to prevent burns. The cooking options would be the ones already mentioned: plain omelet (with no salt) or hard-boiled egg (no shell), poached, or microwave-fried (with no oil).

Can I Give Pasteurized Egg White?

Yes, as long as it's cooked. In addition, it's a very interesting protein source, since it's considered the protein with the highest biological value there is.

It's a very simple way to reduce the fat content of a ration containing this ingredient, and it will also add flexibility to how we cook our dog's daily ration.

Just like whole egg, it can be prepared as a pan-fried or microwaved egg white omelet. That said, it's a product that expires relatively quickly, so we need to make sure we give it before the date indicated on the package.