Can Dogs Live on Eggs?

Eggs are a big part of many peoples diets, especially for breakfast! They are inexpensive, full of protein, and are quick to make on busy mornings - or they can be turned into complex egg dishes at a fancy brunch spot. Plus, there are so many ways to prepare eggs and options are almost endless. 

Since eggs are so versatile, you may have wondered if eggs are just as good for your dog as they are for you. Luckily for you - and your pup - eggs are a wonderful addition to your dog's diet and they contain a ton of health benefits that will have your pooch looking and feeling their very best.

There are a lot of myths about the nutrition of eggs and whether or not they are good for both people and dogs. But over and over again, such myths have been disproven, like how eggs have too much cholesterol and can negatively impact your health. This is simply not true. Eggs are a wonderful addition to your dog's diet and it is likely they are going to love finding them in the food bowl in the morning and night. 

If you want to include eggs in your dog's diet, it will generally be ok and will not pose any harm to your dog's health. However, it is always important to note that your dog's stomach may not react well to certain foods, especially new foods, so just keep an eye out for any loose stools, nausea, vomiting, or stomach upset. You should also avoid feeding your dog too many eggs in one day. 

Most dogs really do love the taste of eggs and will go crazy over them when you give an egg to them as a treat or in their meal. If your dog does love eggs, you will most certainly be able to tell they enjoy them You know your dog the best, so keep an eye out for signs of them enjoying the food. 

Most of the common signs your dog likes a certain food is they will eat it without snarling or "poking" at it, they will beg for more, pace around in front of you, paw your legs for more, and even bark, whine, and cry at you for more. Many dogs will also drool a ton when they like a food or want more of it, especially if you are eating some as well! Reactions may vary a bit from dog to dog, but in the end, you will know whether or not a dog likes a certain food. 

Eggs and birds that lay eggs have been around far longer than humans. Eating eggs dates back to 3200 BC in India, where the wild jungle fowl was first domesticated. Although people did eat their eggs, they mostly ate the birds. Fast forward to 1400 BC, people in China and Egypt recorded eating bird's eggs for food as well. If we look at America, the eggs are believed to have been introduced to the Americas when Columbus' ship first brought chickens over to this area of the world. 

Before dogs became domesticated, it is likely they ate eggs, just like their wolf ancestors, when they went out hunting and came across birds and their nests with unhatched eggs. Dogs are known to eat just about anything, and it is very likely the dogs were not just eating the bird, but they would eat the eggs as well. 

In fact, we still see this kind of behavior today. Many dog owners have stories about their dogs being outside, playing, and just being dogs. Their dog may be gone for a while and the owner goes to look for their pooch, only to find the dog has found a bird's nest and has eaten the unhatched eggs inside. Although we may not like it, this is pretty normal behavior for your dog because they still have their wild roots running through them. 

There are plenty of nutritional reasons to feed your dog eggs and find ways to incorporate them into their diet. Eggs have a nearly complete source of amino acids and are nearly a complete food source. You don't want to solely feed your dog eggs as they need nutrition from other sources as well, but you cover a lot of bases for your dog's nutritional needs with eggs. Eggs also contain high levels of vitamin A, folate, riboflavin, vitamin B12, iron, selenium, and super healthy fatty acids. Eggs yolks are also very high in biotin, which has amazing benefits for skin and fur coat on your dog.  

Eggs are also very high in protein, which is one of the most essential parts to your dog's diet. Eggs can also help to settle an upset stomach if your dog has a bit of a tummy ache. 

There are so many ways to incorporate eggs into your dog's diet and you probably won't have to train your dog or disguise the eggs to get them to eat an egg. Most dogs really love them. Therefore, some ways to feed them eggs is to simply to put them in your dog's meals. 

You can scramble them, hard boil, soft boil, or even poach the eggs, if you want to. Just chop the eggs up and mix them with your dog's kibble or normal food. If you do hard boil or soft boil the eggs, you can even just give the egg to your dog as a healthy and highly nutritious snack.

Although this is a bit more controversial, you can feed your dog raw eggs. However, before you do so, we recommend you speak with your vet first to go over any of the risks and to determine if your dog is healthy enough to safely consume raw eggs. 

Healthy dogs have strong immune systems and a tough digestive tract, making their bodies fully equipt to eat and digest raw eggs. It is always best to feed your dog high quality, organic, and non-GMO pasture-raised eggs. This will ensure the eggs come from cleanly and healthy sources where tons of chemicals will not be on the inside and the outside of the eggs. Better yet - find organic and pasture-raised eggs from your local farmer! 

The best way to give your dog a raw egg is to scramble it up and mix it in with their regular food. Doing this will ensure they eat the whole egg and not just the whites or the yolks. It is important your dog consumes the whole egg and not just a portion of the egg.