Nowadays, many dog owners prefer to prepare homemade food for their four-legged friends, even if we talk about a treat or daily meals. Can dogs eat eggs? Let’s see.
People usually include eggs in their daily diet, so they are very interested to know if dogs can eat eggs, and if they can, how to include eggs in their meals.
Eggs Nutrition Facts
About three to four decades ago, eggs had a pretty bad reputation among doctors and nutritionists due to their high cholesterol content, which was considered harmful to the circulatory system.
As a consequence of this, many people started to throw away the yolks, and eat only the whites.
However, in the year 2000, the American Heart Association (AHA), started to see eggs in a different manner, considering them healthy for consumption, but in the limit of one egg per day.
The limit of only one egg per day was considered beneficial for healthy adults, and was set to keep the cholesterol consumption up to 300 mg/day.
Due to the low volume of calories, high-quality proteins, fats, minerals, vitamins and carotenoids contained, eggs are considered a superfood that can help both people and dogs to have a healthy and long life.
Eggs Contain A Large Amount of Vitamins and Minerals
Eggs are one of the most nutritious foods available on the planet today because a single large boiled egg contains vitamins and minerals such as: Folate, Vitamin A, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Phosphorus, Sodium, Potassium, Calcium, Zinc, Iron, Magnesium and Selenium.
Eggs Are High in Quality Protein
Eggs contain all the essential amino acids of the proteins, which are the main blocks of the body, because they are used to build tissues and muscles that can keep the body healthy and strong.
A single large boiled egg (about 50 grams) contains 6 grams of protein, 5.3 grams of total fat, 1.6 grams of saturated fat, 2 grams of monounsaturated fat, 0.6 grams of carbs, 212 grams of cholesterol, about 77 calories, and a long list of very useful vitamins and minerals.
A large part of these nutrients can be found only in the yolk, so if you throw away the yolk to reduce the amount of cholesterol eaten by you and your pooch, be sure that you are also throwing away useful nutrients.
Eggs Contain Carotenoids Such As Lutein and Zeaxanthin
With age, the eyesight of your dog tends to go worse, but there are several nutrients that can fight against this degenerative process.
Two of these nutrients are called Lutein and Zeaxanthin, and they are powerful antioxidants that have the tendency to build up in the retina of the eye.
If your dog consumes an adequate amount of antioxidants like Lutein and Zeaxanthin, they can significantly reduce the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration, which are considered common eye disorders.
The largest amount of antioxidants like Lutein and Zeaxanthin can be found in the yolk, so giving your pooch at least one boiled egg per day for a couple of weeks, will increase the blood levels of Lutein and Zeaxanthin.
Eggs also contain a good amount of Vitamin A, which is another nutrient that helps your pooch to have healthy eyes.
Eggs Are Highly Fulfilling And Can Reduce The Amount Of Food Consumed Daily
Containing a high concentration of quality protein, eggs are considered one of the most fulfilling macro-nutrient.
Eggs score very high on the scale called “the Satiety Index”, which measures the ability of food to induce the feeling of fullness, which reduces calorie intake.
Replacing a breakfast containing bagels with one based on eggs, will increase the feeling of fullness, and will make you and your pooch eat less calories per day.
Switching to an egg based breakfast over a period of eight weeks, will cause significant weight loss for you and your dog.
Are Eggs Beneficial For Dogs?
The answer to the question “Can dogs eat eggs?” is YES!, it is recommended to feed boiled eggs to your pooch to keep it healthy and in a good shape.
Chicken eggs can be good for dogs especially due to their high protein content, which includes essential amino acids that dogs cannot synthesize on their own. These amino acids can help your four-legged friend remain fit by increasing its muscle mass, lowering blood pressure and improving the health of the bones.
Eggs also include healthy fats, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, which will are helping your dog to have a healthy central nervous system, an improved memory and better visual health.
How To Feed Eggs To Your Dog?
The advocates of the B.A.R.F diet for dogs, consider that eggs should be given to the dog raw with the shell also included (finely grinded) because they believe that this can maximize the mineral supply.
However, uncooked egg white contains a protein called ‘Avidin’, which binds to biotin in the small intestine, and prevents its absorption.
Dogs have no problem eating raw eggs (they can digest them easier than humans), because to create a biotin deficiency your dog has to eat a large amount of raw eggs.
Another reason to use boiled eggs instead of raw eggs when feeding your dog is the salmonella bacteria that can be contained by the raw egg and its shell.
In order to avoid contaminated eggs we have to follow a few rules.
How To Store Eggs To Prevent Salmonella?
- Store the eggs at a temperature between 44°F and 50°F (7°C and 10°C).
- Always wash the shell thoroughly before using the egg.
- Never buy eggs that have a loose, cracked, broken or dirty shell.
- Shell them in a different container.
To prevent Salmonella and avoid the Avidin protein (a glycoprotein that prevents the absorption of biotin in the body), always use boiled eggs to feed the dog.
How To Include Eggs in Your Dog’s Diet?
By cooking the egg, the Avidin bacteria is denatured, which means that the egg will be beneficial to your dog’s body.
Eggs can be offered as an omelet, scrambled eggs or boiled. You should avoid fried eggs due to the presence of oil.
Never add salt to the food because salt is not recommended for dogs.
Dogs are carnivores, so a diet that includes eggs will increase the quality of the protein and fats that they eat.
Despite being a superfood for both humans and dogs, never base your dog’s diet only on egg consumption. Always try to offer your dog a complex diet that includes quality proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients obtained from meat, boneless fish, fruits and vegetables.
Never give more than two eggs per week to your dog.
Conclusion
Before deciding to prepare homemade food for your dog try to consult your vet to understand if your dog is suited for this kind of food.
Your vet will advise you what kind of food your dog should eat, if you can include eggs in its diet, and many other useful things that will keep your pooch in its best shape.
