Upon hearing about various pet food recalls, you may have heard of or started researching different ways to create safe and nutritious meals for your dog. As a result, there has been a lot of attention brought to raw diets for dogs as it resembles what they would eat in the wild.
As part of that raw diet, a cracked raw egg over dog food is a potent source of a wide range of amino acids, fatty acids, minerals, and vitamins. Thus, making a cracked raw egg over dog food a nutritious option for your dog’s diet.
Dogs are omnivores and require a diet high in protein. Protein gives your dog energy, aids in muscle growth and repair, and boosts immunity. Additionally, protein promotes the growth of hair, the creation of hormones, and the renewal of skin cells.
However, a raw diet, including raw eggs has been the subject of much controversy and debate among veterinarians and scientists. The debate even extends to pet owners themselves who have been feeding cracked raw egg over dog food for years with no ill effects to their dogs.
For humans and pets alike, raw eggs have been associated with potential risks.
In this article, We’ll look at the benefits and potential risks of cracked raw egg over dog food.
Benefits
Essential Fatty Acids
Essential fatty acids are not naturally produced in a dog’s body. Therefore, they must be obtained from food. Dogs require both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, yet the majority of commercial dog diets only have high omega-6 content.
An omega-3 supplement is frequently advised by vets. However, commercial supplements may include fish oil (good), corn oil (bad), canola oil (bad), or flaxseed oil (good).
The simplest and cheapest way to add omega-3 to your dog’s diet is to add cracked raw egg over dog food. Because many reputable farmers give flaxseed to their free-range hens, free-range eggs have increased Omega-3 content.
Your dog can recuperate from injuries and fight off illness with the aid of essential fatty acids. They also aid with skin issues and contribute to a healthy coat.
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Essential Amino Acids
While the amino acids that make up the protein your dog eats are vital, protein itself is only one component. There are 20 amino acids in protein, and your dog’s body can synthesize half of them. The remaining 10, known as the essential amino acids, must be taken in through food.
Not every necessary amino acid is present in every protein. Most likely, the protein level of the commercial food you feed your dog is listed, but not all the individual amino acids. By giving your dog an egg on top of its diet, you can make sure that it is receiving enough necessary amino acids.
Vitamins
Numerous vitamins, such as the B-complex, niacin, folic acid, riboflavin, and vitamins A, D, E, and K are found in eggs and can help keep your dog healthy.
Vitamin A supports healthy immune system, red blood cell activity, cell function, immune response, growth response and metabolism in dogs.
Vitamin B complex (niacin (B3), folic acid (B9) and riboflavin-(B2)) support healthy skin, healing, growth, cellular repair, red cell production and DNA synthesis.
Vitamin D is good for strong bones.
Vitamin E supports the immune system, muscles, heart, liver, nerve cells and healthy skin.
Vitamin K supports blood health.
Some of these vitamins may be present in your dog’s usual food, but many others may be deficient. Although your veterinarian may advise taking a daily vitamin supplement, cracked raw egg over dog food may be a much simpler and less expensive option.
Potential risks
The most common argument against using cracked raw eggs in dog treats is that you run the danger of giving your pet bacterial diseases like Salmonella.
Salmonella
According to the New York Times, human salmonella cases involving eggs mysteriously started popping up simultaneously in countries around the late 1970s and early 1980s.
“One theory, by Andreas J. Bäumler, a microbiologist at the University of California, Davis, ties the bacterium’s emergence to the virtual eradication of two related strains of salmonella that make chickens sick. Once those strains were stamped out, through culling of infected birds, the theory goes, immunity to similar strains of salmonella decreased. That opened up a niche for enteritidis to thrive.”
Since then, eggs have caused salmonella infections in a fairly small number of human cases in the United States. With a population of 329 million people in the United States, the Cleveland Clinic says that there are about 1 million cases of salmonella from all sources in the United States each year. And from that, Wikipedia.org states that 142,000 are sickened by salmonella specifically from eggs each year, causing around 30 deaths.
Which leaves humans in the United States with a fairly rare .043% chance of getting salmonella from eggs.
According to the FDA.gov, Though they can spread it, salmonella in dogs is uncommon. Humans can actually contract salmonella from contaminated pet food just as easily as they can from cracked raw egg over dog food.
Dogs are also better at handling bacteria than people are. Given that a dog’s digestive tract is shorter than that of a human, food is broken down faster in dogs.
Therefore, the digestive system of a dog has very little potential for bacterial development and proliferation. A very acidic stomach that works in tandem with the short digestive tract to effectively eliminate microorganisms.
Biotin Deficiency
Another concern for cracked raw egg over dog food is that dog owners worry that feeding their animals raw eggs will cause biotin deficiency. A water-soluble vitamin B called biotin supports cellular development and fatty acid metabolism. Your dog’s skin, fur and healthy nails are all due to the correct amount of biotin in their systems.
In a clinical study by NIH.gov, dogs who had been suffering from dull/brittle fur, hair loss, certain skin conditions and were being treated by glucocorticoids, when biotin was added to their diets, saw a 60% cure rate and over all 31% improvement in adverse symptoms.
Also, it’s said that a substance called avidin, found in the white of uncooked eggs, inhibits biotin.
However, according William D. James MD at sciencedirect.com.:
“Biotin deficiency may occur in persons who consume raw eggs (six per day) over many months.
Therefore, it would take a lot of eggs to result in a biotin shortage even for a dog. Additionally, the egg yolk contains a lot of biotin, which balances off the white’s abundance of avidin.”
Vetsallnatural.com.au says that there is also biotin in the egg shell but you may discard it if you are nervous about salmonella. Even feeding your dog 1-2 eggs per can be beneficial to your dog.
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Cholesterol
The majority of dog owners are also concerned since eggs contain cholesterol. You need to be aware that dogs don’t digest food the same way that humans do, even though cholesterol is a serious worry for human health.
According to Purina, Senior Nutritionist, Jan Dempsey:
“You don’t need to worry about cholesterol and your dog. “Cholesterol doesn’t have the same effect in dogs as it is does in humans,” Dempsey explains. “And dogs don’t get to the same cholesterol-related diseases as humans.” That means you don’t need to feed egg whites only.“
Therefore, you shouldn’t be concerned about the cholesterol consequences when adding cracked raw egg over dog food and from our last points about biotin and avidin, you shouldn’t just be feeding your dog the whites for those reasons either.
How many eggs does Dempsey say to feed your dog?
Dogs can eat a little bit of egg each day, but it’s important to feed eggs like you would any treat. “Eggs are about 70 calories each, so how much you feed depends on your dog’s size. Keep the 10 Percent Treat Rule in mind. The egg you feed should only make up 10 percent of your dog’s total daily calories.
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Dogs Can Become Allergic Cracked Raw Egg Over Dog Food
One of the 10 most frequent allergies is eggs. Just like humans, dogs who are exposed to egg protein on a frequent basis may develop allergies. If you decide to feed raw eggs to your dog, introduce them gradually.
Keep an eye out for any allergic symptoms in your dog. Diarrhea and other gastrointestinal problems might result from an egg allergy. Additionally, allergies frequently impact a dog’s skin and coat.
Things to watch out for are: scratching, rubbing, licking, and red, itchy skin if your dog develops an egg allergy. This, however, are the symptoms of many different allergies, so your vet may have to determine which allergen is irritating your dog.
If you see any indications that your dog may be experiencing an allergic reaction, stop giving him eggs and consult your veterinarian.
Cracked Raw Egg Over Dog Food: The Bottom Line
Although they are not risk-free, raw eggs have very little potential to harm your pet.
Moderately use cracked raw egg over dog food, and always purchase your eggs from trustworthy sources.
To lessen the risk of Avidin’s effects on your dog’s biotin levels, limit your consumption to one egg per day or three eggs per week (depending on your dog’s size) and feed them the yolks along with the whites.
Use your own comfort level whether to include the shell or not. If you are uncomfortable about giving your dog raw egg, you can give them cooked eggs.
Add eggs gradually to your dog’s diet and watch for any adverse reactions. If you dog has any unusual symptoms, stop feeding eggs to your dog and consult your veterinarian immediately.
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