The fact is that dogs love eggs. But are they good for them?
Question: Is it okay to mix a raw egg in your dog’s food?
Well it seems there are 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 positive side of giving your dog raw eggs. Eggs are one of the best sources of protein, as well as amino acids and fatty acids necessary for your dog’s skin and coat. They also provide a great source of vitamins and minerals for the body.
This doesn’t all sound so bad, does it?
Now let’s see the negative side. 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. Not something you or your dog would want!
Another detrimental effect on dogs of eating raw eggs is the inhibition of biotin and trypsin found in the small intestine. These are enzymes necessary for normal digestion. Let’s just say that a deficiency of these two enzymes can cause a number of negative effects in your dog, including 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 correctly denatures (kills or diminishes) the effect of the two bad inhibitors of the necessary enzymes. Just make sure your eggs are fully cooked; runny scrambled eggs would be a no-no.
Dogs love eggs and would eat them any way they can get them, raw or cooked, and it is up to you, their owner, to watch what you eat because the effects of eating raw eggs can be very painful for the dog, as well as for him. being very annoying to you.
My take on raw eggs is that I don’t give them to my dog, but if you really feel it’s okay, consult 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 cover in future articles. Make sure to keep an eye out for them.