Why Dogs Like Eggs

You might make yourself a big plate of eggs for breakfast every morning. And to no avail, every morning your dog may watch you eat them and beg for you to feed him some. In fact, if you do not watch your plate carefully, he is likely to steal some for himself. So, why is it that dogs like eggs so much? And are eggs actually good for dogs like they are for humans? We know that eggs are a great source of protein in our human diets, but are they just as good for dogs? These questions will be answered below. 

If you think about back when dogs all lived in the wild, back before they were domesticated, you can find an answer. Back then, dogs were hunters and scavengers because they did not have humans to feed them. While in the wild, a dog would come across a nest filled with eggs and he would eat the eggs as a meal. So, history shows it is safe and even healthy for dogs to eat eggs. It might also be part of their instinct to want eggs. Eggs are an excellent source of protein and very digestible for a dog. They have great amino acids and minerals. More importantly, eggs have vitamin A, B12, and iron which is really healthy for your pet. Eggs have also been known to improve the healthy of your dog’s coat and even his skin health. This is especially important if your dog is hypoallergenic. Not only that, dogs love eating them. In fact, eggs can even help with digestion problems. So it is pretty safe to say eggs are okay for your dog to eat. It is better if they are fully cooked and are either scrambled or hard boiled. Your dog will be happy with either way they are cooked, they are not picky eaters after all. You may have noticed that eggs are included in many different types of dog food, both kibble and canned varieties. More and more often, your dog’s food contains more varied ingredients in their food whether it is provided by a commercial pet food producer or your veterinary provider. Either way, your dog may not be a picky eater, but he likes to have a variety just like we humans do. After all, you would not want to eat the same thing for every meal day after day so why should your dog?

It is perfectly okay to feed your dog eggs on occasion, but be sure you are not encouraging your dog to exhibit begging behavior or giving your dog too much people food. Many types of people food can upset your dog’s stomach or make your dog very sick. In addition, begging for food can be a bad habit for a dog that you do not want to have to deal with everytime you sit down to eat. And it can create conflict during your meal times. You should not allow this behavior to go on. When you dog begs for food you should avoid paying attention to your dog while you eat. Giving him attention will only encourage the bad behavior. Also, make sure your dog is only getting dog food in his bowl and that no one in the house is feeding him otherwise. If begging is becoming a problem, either put your dog in his crate when you eat or have him be in his stay stance during your meals. If your dog comes out of his cage or breaks his stay stance, gently put him back into it. Repeat until your dog understands it is not okay to beg for food.

Feeding your dog eggs is a great way to give them added protein and minerals. But it should not be your dog’s only food. Only give your dog a couple of eggs per day and no more than one serving at a time. If your dog exhibits any digestion problems from eating eggs, discontinue feeding them to him. Also, keep in mind that eggshells are good for dogs as well. They contain calcium and protein and are great for your dog's teeth and bones. You can crush a ½ teaspoon of eggshells and add it to their dry food on occasions. Be sure to rinse the eggshells very well before feeding it to your dog to get rid of any salmonella. Or boiling the eggs first will kill off any salmonella. 

Go ahead and make your dog a plate of scrambled eggs tomorrow. He will be sure to love you for it! Or even give him some egg shells in his dry food. Just keep in mind that this should not be an every day treat. You should only feed your dog eggs a few times a week at most.