Can dogs eat eggs? Benefits and downsides explained

Can dogs eat eggs? Of course! Eggs contain complete protein and various nutrients, which are very suitable for dogs to eat. Raw eggs might be contaminated with Salmonella, so in most cases, it’s safer to cook before feeding.

Let’s take a look at the benefits, downsides, precautions and how to feed eggs to dogs.

The benefits of dogs eating eggs

After knowing the answer to “Can dogs eat eggs?”, you should be wondering what are the benefits of dogs eating eggs, right? Let us first look at the nutritional content and value of eggs, the following is the nutritional content of a large egg (about 50 grams)(¹)：

Calories: 71.5
Protein: 6.3 grams
Fat: 4.8 grams
Carbohydrate 0.4 g
Sugar: 0.17 g
Fiber: 0 grams
Moisture: 38.1 g

Perfect ratio – High protein low carbs

The body of a dog is not suitable for eating excessive carbohydrates. According to the “Nutrient Requirements of Dogs and Cats” from the National Research of the National Academy of Sciences, carbohydrates are completely unnecessary for a healthy diet.(²)：

If dogs eat too many carbs, it will add extra stress to the body and cause disease.

Many dog snacks are based on carbohydrates. However, eggs as a snack do not have this problem at all.

Its main nutrients are protein and fat, and the carbohydrate is extremely low. It is perfect for the golden ratio of food for dogs.

High absorption rate

Eggs are an animal protein source with extremely high biological value for dogs, even higher than fish meal, beef, and other meats.

The higher the biological value, the more protein the dog’s body is able to absorb. That means the dogs can be more efficient in digesting the protein from the eggs.

Contains many vitamins and minerals

Vitamin A – It helps maintain skin health, research shows that the use of vitamin A on wounds has a significant therapeutic effect.(³)
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) – B2 deficiency will affect the growth rate of the puppies, which may lead to anorexia, weight loss, weakness, and serious death. Lack in adult dogs can affect vision.(⁴)
Vitamin B5 – Also known as pantothenic acid. Studies have pointed out that if dogs do not have enough pantothenic acid, they will develop eating problems, collapse, shortness of breath, gastritis, enteritis, and other symptoms. Deficiency in long term may lead to death.(⁵)
Vitamin B9 (folate) – It is mainly for amino acid metabolism and ensuring the integrity of cell membranes.(⁶)
Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) – mainly used for carbon transfer and propionic acid metabolism, the deficiency will cause symptoms similar to gastrointestinal diseases, such as diarrhea and weight loss.(⁷)
Potassium – Potassium is very important for maintaining a healthy heart in dogs.(⁸)

Eggs also contain a small amount of other (basically all the vitamins and minerals needed by dog’s body), such as calcium, iron, potassium, zinc, and manganese.

May provide passive immunity

The yolk antibodies in the immunized hen’s eggs can provide passive immunity to a specific virus for dogs. Passive immunity is a way to prevent gastrointestinal infections.(⁹)

Good for eye health

Egg yolk contains two antioxidants, lutein, and zeaxanthin, which are powerful antioxidants accumulated in the retina of the eye, which can help maintain healthy vision.(¹⁰)

Some studies have also pointed out that lutein and zeaxanthin can effectively reduce the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration.(¹¹)(¹²)

The downsides of dogs eating eggs

Eggs are a food that many dogs like to eat, so what are the downsides of eating them?

Dogs eating eggs can cause allergies

Many dogs have allergies to eggs. The most common symptoms are dermatitis and itching. Studies have pointed out that ovalbumin seems to be the cause of allergies in dogs.(¹³)

May promote gallstone formation

A study in dogs pointed out that eating high-cholesterol egg yolks may cause abnormal bile secretion, leading to the formation of gallstones.(¹⁴)

One thing to note is that the experiment was fed with egg yolks, not whole eggs. In practice, you should not feed you dogs so many pure egg yolks.

Hyperchlorine metabolic acidosis

This situation is simply reversed, that is, the body becomes overly acidic after digesting the protein in the food, causing poisoning. The study pointed out that comparing normal meat and egg-based menus, egg-based menus will promote the chance of high-chlorine metabolic acidosis.(¹⁵)

Things to be careful when you are feeding eats to dogs⚠️

There are still many things that dogs need to pay attention to when they eat eggs. Here I will answer some myths:

Are raw eggs safe?

Raw eggs may be infected by Salmonella. If the dog eats it, it will be a big problem, and it may result in food poisoning. Unless you are confident about the source of the eggs, I recommend eating cooked eggs.

Is Egg yolk safe for dogs?

Egg yolk does not affect cholesterol to a large extent. Unless you feed a lot of eggs each time, don’t worry too much about the yolk. It is better to eat both the yolk and the egg whites at the same time.

Is Egg white safe for dogs?

If the egg is cooked, it is fine to eat only egg whites, but if it is raw egg whites, you should not feed too much, because it may cause biotin deficiency. Uncooked egg white contains enzymes, which bind biotin and prevent the absorption of biotin into the dog’s body.

Is Eggshell safe for dogs?

Eggshell is rich in calcium, which is extremely important to dogs, and it is completely safe to feed. If you are really worried that the dog will not bite, you can grind the egg into small pieces (or powder) first.

How much egg should you feed your dogs?

Some people like to feed their dogs one egg per day. This portion is actually not a big problem. In fact, in many countries, people feed their dogs an egg every day. The nutritional ratio of eggs is very suitable for dogs, so don’t worry. For small dogs (puppies) or small dogs such as poodles, consider half one at a time.

Guide for feeding dogs to eat eggs

For eggs, I prefer to eat boiled eggs. The following is my favorite way to eat them:

Break the egg and stir the egg whites and yolks
Break the eggshell with a knife
Boil the eggs without adding any seasonings
After cooking, add eggshells on top of the hard-boiled eggs, which gives the dogs the most favorite crunchy texture.

Any more questions about “Can dogs eat eggs?” Let me know, I might get back to you after I finished my favorite eggs!

【Cat Relax Music】Download+Listen Music to Relax Cat

Cat Square: Simple way to “catch” a cat

DOGA Dog Yoga: Have your furbabies tried it?

Mewtwo in Real Life: The Super Cat

Dog that looks like Snoopy: The real Snoopy