Can Dogs Eat Raw Eggs?
Is it safe for your dog to eat Raw Eggs? Read more to find out.
Raw egg whites contain an enzyme called avidin which decreases absorption of a biotin, a B-complex vitamin. Deficiencies in biotin can lead to skin lesions, diarrhea, hair coat problems, and decreased litter size.
Raw egg yolks on the other hand are a good source of biotin. This has led to a myth that feeding dogs raw eggs is good for the dog’s hair coat.
Exposure to salmonella is another risk associated with raw eggs, not only to dogs but also to their humans. The salmonella bacteria can cause fever, diarrhea, and vomiting. In severe cases they can be fatal.
What do other dog owners have to say about whether their dogs can eat Raw Eggs or not? See comments below.
19 Comments on Can Dogs Eat Raw Eggs
Know if dogs can or can't eat Raw Eggs? Help other dog owners by leaving a comment.
May 24th, 2010 at 9:52 am
My mom used to put raw eggs on top of her rottweilers dog food because she said that it was “good for their coat”; supposedly it “made it shiny”.
I always thought that was WRONG. It didn’t hurt the dog, but had the eggs contained salmonella, it could have!
I would not feed my dog anything that I would not eat myself. I even use the most natural dog foods that I can find.
May 24th, 2010 at 9:53 am
All you have to do is serve the eggs scrambled and the salmonella risk is gone.
October 9th, 2010 at 2:23 pm
Raw eggs are a very healthy treat for a dog once in a while. We feed them sparingly due to the avidin but other than that, there is nothing to worry about when feeding your dog raw eggs. We need to remember that our pups eat poop from other animals, lick the floor and ground, lick and eat garbage with no ill effects, etc (aside from foreign body ingestion and some rare deadly substances). Salmonella is hardly a concern for a healthy dog. My dogs, cats and ferrets are fed raw and home cooked diets and have never been sick nor do I anticipate that they ever will be.
@Brandy: If I was following the “I would not feed my dog anything that I would not eat myself.” I would never feed my dog kibble. You can never be sure what they put into that junk despite how healthy and “natural” it says it is.
December 3rd, 2010 at 1:17 pm
There are other good vitamins in eggs, in UK birds are routinely blood checked to see if they are carriers of salmonella anyhow so it is low risk.
Dogs love them raw mine will take them whole and smash them on the floor eating shell and egg.
Egg nutrients balance out each other white and yolk together.
Raw egg is a good addition to a dogs diet.
So called complete dog food often has egg as a protein source in it anyhow plus a load of other junk.
Mine are all fed BARF/RMB diet.
🙂
February 13th, 2011 at 1:05 am
Raw eggs should be limited for dogs, primarily due to the avidin risk, but also some dogs will react to eggs with loose stools. Cooked eggs, while fine for most dogs, should be limited to cooked egg whites only for dogs displaying or having confirmed cases of renal failure. Cooked egg whites are fine, as the avidin enzyme if affected by cooking, allowing proper absorption of biotin. Egg yolks are extremely high in phosphorus and should be given in extrememly limited quantities to renal cases and only after discussing with a veterinarian. Taking the time to cook the eggs does not ruin them; rather the limited risk of salmonella is removed and the owner can be assured of a safe additive for their dog’s food if fed with a little common sense.
June 7th, 2011 at 4:12 am
Egg whites contain avidin, and egg yolks contain everything needed to make the whites completely digestible. In this society, we’ve forgotten that naturally occurring foods are part of the natural diet for animals. Dogs, like foxes, wolves, coyotes, jackels, etc., can and do eat eggs with relish–safely.
Because they have a very short intestine, food is processed through the system quickly, unlike humans. Salmonella poisoning is, therefore, rare in dogs. I’d be more concerned with the source of the eggs than anything else. Store bought eggs are downright unhealthy for anyone or anything.
September 8th, 2011 at 7:22 pm
Raw eggs are perfectly fine for dogs. Yes raw egg whites do block biotin absorption but the yokes are extremely high in biotin which counteracts the avidin. On top of that you or your dog would have to eat massive amounts of raw egg whites every day to create any kind of biotin deficiency.
Dogs are also natural carriers of salmonella in their gut. It does not affect them like it does us. As long as your dog is healthy and not immune compromised salmonella is nothing to worry about for your dog. But if you are worried, only feed organic free-range eggs which have a very low risk of salmonella.
Cooking eggs destroys all the essential omega 3 and enzymes. If you must cook them leave the yolk runny because that is where all the omega 3 is. I feed my 60lb dog 7 raw eggs once a week and she is doing just fine.
February 25th, 2012 at 1:54 pm
I give my staffy dog a bowl of goats milk with 2 raw egg’s whisked into it every sunday after his roast beef diner and his eyes and coat are lovely and shiny! My granddad did the same and no dog i know of has ever suffered!
April 2nd, 2012 at 5:31 pm
My dogs hate raw egg, Ive tried it with both of them but they will only ever eat them scrambled, boiled, poached anyway you can possibly think of! Just not raw.
April 5th, 2012 at 11:13 pm
feeding raw eggs can be risky if fed often but in the instance that your dog is bitten by a poisonous snake the best way to stop the progression of the toxins you can crack two eggs and it will stop the effects usually within the first day. it has worked for me when i had my retriever he was bitten by a diamond back and became very lethargic and sick. after i fed him two eggs the next day he had made a full recovery and was ready to swim in the pond when we went for a walk that morning. in moderation it is ok.
April 23rd, 2012 at 4:56 pm
So is it okay for dogs to eat soft/hard boiled egg YOLK??
My dogs love it but I’ve heard it’s better to avoid, no?
September 28th, 2012 at 8:00 pm
We seem to always forget the fact that dogs are meat eaters. We humans insist on feeding our animals cheap fillers such as, corn, wheat,soy,vegetables,and whatever else is cheap and filling. Dogs DO NOT digest vegetable matter it passes through as fiber. That is why when you feed your dog a carbohydrate based kibble (junk food) they expel more waste then when fed a raw meat diet which is what their bodies are designed to eat. Feeding a so called high protein kibble diet that contains soy is the worst thing you can do. It was designed to be able to call the food high in protein, however, they left out the part that your dog cannot digest it. Raw is always better then cooked as the enzymes needed to digest and withdraw the nutrients from the meat they eat are destroyed if they are cooked. So if nutrition is your goal stop cooking the meat or eggs you feed your dog. The enzymes in the meat and eggs they eat offer the enzymes needed to breakdown the fats, proteins and few carbohydrates they may eat in dog treats. Without these enzymes the nutrients in the food they eat are not absorbed, and down the road will cause health problems such as excessive shedding, skin sores, rashes, dryness and create a thriving environment for cancers and other illness. Feed your dog plenty of raw meat, chicken, fish and eggs.
February 20th, 2013 at 10:52 am
Why risk it. Use fish oil and vitamins for your dogs coat.
May 29th, 2013 at 10:57 am
I give my dog raw egg as a treat with the shell! as soon as my chickens start laying I know I won’t have any wasted eggs 🙂 human/dog will benifit
March 31st, 2014 at 4:01 pm
They can eat raw eggs because it makes dogs have a Heathy diet and shiny and clean fur!
October 7th, 2014 at 9:44 am
I used to feed my dog a raw egg once in awhile, especially if I had a recipe that called for only egg whites…until he got salmonella and almost died. Do not take any chances if you love your dog, it is simple, no eggs at all. Cost me a fortune in vet bills and almost a month until my dog was well, totally not worth it.
December 12th, 2014 at 7:43 am
I feed my 2yr old German shepard 2 raw eggs scrambled in her food, she loves it, and she does have a beautiful coat 🙂
April 23rd, 2015 at 7:38 am
I have dogs and chickens….1 chicken lays out of the coop. Can’t keep her in for some reason. She is small. My female dog and puppy keep taking the eggs from her nest. They seem to be fine yet my 3 year old teacup poodle has gotten sick and we think it may be the eggs. They were eating them along with the shell. I guess it depends on the dog. Small dogs tend to be so technical and fragile.
February 28th, 2016 at 8:13 am
my dogs love eggs