Did you watch Roland from True Detective crack a raw egg over some dog food and wonder if that’s something you can do too, or did you perhaps hear it suggested from family or friends who swear they’ve done it every day for years?
Either way, cracking a raw egg over your dog’s dry dog food every day is not as far-flung a concept as you would imagine, and thousands of dog owners across the globe have asked themselves whether it is safe and if they should start doing it.
Can I Add A Cracked Raw Egg Over Dog Food?
Yes, you can crack a raw egg over dry dog food; however, there are certain risks associated with this that you should understand.
Raw Eggs pose several risks to dogs, with the biggest being the risk of Salmonella. Most of you will be familiar with Salmonella, but for those who aren’t, it is a bacteria that can cause several digestive-related symptoms such as diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps.
Salmonella is one of the leading causes of dog food recalls, and many huge dog food brands have recalled their foods over tiny or minimal exposures to Salmonella.
For this reason, most veterinary professionals would not recommend feeding dogs raw eggs and instead would recommend that you cook them first.
However, many humans are comfortable eating raw eggs, and the risk of Salmonella is identical for them than it is for dogs.
This means that some dog owners may be comfortable with that risk or have confidence in the source and storage of their eggs, such as home-reared chicken eggs, and so believe the risk of Salmonella is reduced.
If they are comfortable with the risk of Salmonella, Eggs can be a beneficial addition to the diet of some dogs and can provide valuable nutrition as well as improve the flavor and palatability of their food.
Are There Any Other Risks To Raw Eggs?
Outside of Salmonella, there are two additional risks of Raw Eggs for dogs. The first of these is that regular consumption of raw eggs can cause a Biotin deficiency.
Egg Whites contain an enzyme known as avidin, which can prevent the absorption of biotin into a dog’s body.
While a single raw egg is not going to cause any dogs to have a Biotin deficiency, regular consumption, such as every day, could lead to problems.
The third risk of Raw Eggs is more of a general risk around whether the Eggs are still safe to eat and have been stored properly.
Eggs, like any fresh food, go bad over time, and when they do, they could pose risks to dogs, such as other bacterial infections.
Raw Egg Nutrition
Eggs are one of the most nutritious foods that can be given to dogs and contain a balanced mix of valuable nutrition, including protein, fat, and carbohydrates.
On top of these core nutrients, Eggs are also excellent sources of various beneficial vitamins and minerals, including Iron, Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Selenium, and many more.
Moreover, Eggs are almost one of the most bioavailable foods, being comfortably above most other animal-based ingredients like meat or fish.
This means that the nutrition found within the Eggs can be much more effectively absorbed and utilized by a dog’s digestive system, which is a factor that many do not take into consideration.
How Often Can I Add A Cracked Raw Egg To Dog Food?
As we mentioned earlier, one of the risks of raw eggs for dogs is a Biotin deficiency. Due to this, even if you are comfortable with the risk of Salmonella, you should not feed your dog raw eggs every day.
Instead, cracking a raw egg over your dog’s food may be more appropriate to do once or twice a week.
In addition, the size of your dog should also influence your decision. If you have a large or giant breed dog, the nutrition from the Egg will only be a minor component of their diet.
However, if you have a smaller breed dog or even a toy breed, then cracking a whole egg, especially a large egg, could add a significant amount of calories and nutrition to their diet.
If this is not carefully managed when combined with their traditional kibble, it could lead to some weight-related health issues such as obesity or weight gain.
