Yes, Dogs Can Eat Eggs
Can dogs eat eggs? Yes, you can totally give your dog an egg and he will love you for it! Eggs for dogs are an easily digestible protein packed with vitamins and minerals, and a great addition to your dog’s diet. Don’t forget about the eggshell. It’s packed with calcium and magnesium. So, in an eggshell, dogs can eat entire eggs.
Cooked or Raw Eggs for Dogs?
Dogs can eat both cooked and raw eggs. It’s about personal preference and your dog’s dietary needs.
Cooked Eggs for Dogs
If you’re worried about salmonella or your dog has a compromised immune system, I recommend boiling and peeling eggs before feeding them to your dog. Chop up the yolk plus egg whites and toss in your dog’s bowl. When it comes to cooked eggshells, I’d recommend not feeding it to your dog. Once cooked, all moisture disappears from the eggshell, which can cause digestive distress.
Raw Eggs for Dogs
Personally, I feed my dogs raw eggs several times per week and have done so for years with no issue. Some pet parents place intact eggs in their dogs’ bowls, but my dogs will carefully carry their eggs onto the living room rug and proceed to bite into it. Yuck.
Now, I crack open an entire egg into their bowls, then finely grind eggshells and mix it in with the rest of their food. When feeding eggshells, make sure they’re finely ground or they will simply pass right through your dog’s digestive tract.
How Many Eggs Can You Feed Your Dog?
As with all good things, excess is not good (except with cupcakes :)). Eggs are dense in calories, vitamins and minerals, so moderation is key.
- For small dogs: Feed one or two small eggs per week (about 54 calories per egg). Don’t forget to adjust meal portions to accommodate extra calories.
- For large dogs: Feed medium to large eggs two to three times per week. Again, watch their total calorie intake.
Use Eggs as a Dog Training Reward
Boil eggs, then separate egg whites from yolk. Chop up boiled egg whites into small cubes and use as a reward during dog training sessions. Toss the cooked yolk into your dog’s supper bowl that evening.
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Living with an easily excited Rottweiler and an always energetic Mini Bull Terrier, I pondered if exercising my dogs would really relieve their excess energy. Group class clients were asking me this exact question too. They would walk, jog or run their adolescent dogs for three to four hours per day (divided up) plus daily sessions at the dog park, yet their dogs still had tons of energy. Hum, what’s going on?
