Can Dogs Eat Eggshells?: A Complete Guide -

Dogs love food. There really is no denying that. Most dogs could double as a garbage disposal if given half the chance, and they are always keen to mop up any leftovers that their owners leave behind.

Just think of all the crumbs you’ve dropped on the floor, and half eaten food that you’ve left on the countertop, only for it to be mopped up by your furry friend.

While a lot of dogs steal their human food, many dogs are also given human food by their owners as a treat.

Often, giving small amounts of human food can be a great way to reward good behavior by your dog, or to encourage them to do things. Such as taking their medication.

One human food that some people give their dogs to encourage them to eat is eggs.

But, if your dog has eaten eggs, you might be wondering if they can eat eggshells too. Find out in this quick guide.

Can My Dog Eat Eggshells?

So, let’s dive right in and take a look at whether, or not, dogs can eat eggshells. Instinct might immediately have you thinking “no”, and that is understandable.

After all, as humans, we do not eat eggshells, these parts of the egg are usually discarded as food waste. But can our dogs eat them?

Dogs can eat all sorts of foods that humans shouldn’t, and that includes eggshells. So, yes, dogs can eat eggshells.

Humans love to eat eggs because they are incredibly healthy, and they come with lots of great health benefits. The same principle applies to eggshells.

In the wild, animals consume eggs whole, including the shell. This is why it is safe for your dog to consume eggshells too.

These shells are packed with phosphorus and calcium, and they can help promote healthy teeth and bones, as well as giving the immune system and heart a healthy boost too.

So, if you are thinking about feeding your dog egg, you should consider feeding them the shell too.

How To Feed Your Dog Eggshells

After reading this, you might be tempted to feed your dog eggshells.

It is easy to assume that you can simply place cracked up eggshells in your dog’s food bowl, but we would advise against this.

Instead, we would recommend giving your dog an eggshell powder with their food instead.

It is super easy to create eggshell powder, all you need to do is crush some eggshells.

You don’t even need to feed your dog the egg itself, you could instead crush up the eggshells from your eggs easily and add it to your dog’s breakfast meal.

Essentially, the eggshell powder acts as a calcium and phosphorus supplement for your dog.

However, it is worth noting that we only recommend doing this with eggs that are not store-bought.

Store-bought eggs are usually bleached, and this will remove the calcium and phosphorus from the eggs.

Instead, we would recommend doing this with fresh eggs bought from a farm, rather than a grocery store.

Can My Dog Eat Raw Eggs?

We have just mentioned that in the wild, dogs and other animals would eat the egg whole – including the eggshell.

Eggs that are consumed in the wild will not be cooked, so you might be wondering if you can feed your dog raw eggs too.

As you would expect, yes, it is perfectly safe to feed your dog raw eggs.

In fact, your dog can get all sorts of health benefits from eating raw eggs that they would not get from eating cooked eggs.

This is primarily because cooking the eggs does remove a significant amount of these health benefits.

However, there is a risk when giving your dog raw eggs. Salmonella is a real thing, and it could make your dog very unwell if the eggs that you feed them are out of date.

So, when you are thinking of feeding your dog raw eggs, you should follow the same safety steps that you do when preparing eggs for yourself.

Can My Dog Eat Cooked Eggs?

If your dog can eat raw eggs, it really goes without saying that your dog is able to eat cooked eggs too.

That is assuming that the egg that you are thinking of feeding your dog was cooked plain.

By this, we mean that no additional seasoning or ingredients were used when preparing the egg.

This is very important as there are lots of seasonings which could be poisonous to your canine friend.

Plain scrambled egg, hard boiled egg, or poached egg is perfectly safe for your dog. In fact, not only is it safe, but it is healthy too.

Eggs can give your dog lots of different nutrients, including protein, folate, selenium, iron, fatty acids, vitamin A and vitamin B too.

As long as you are completely sure that the egg was cooked without any cooking oil, seasoning, or other potentially harmful ingredients, then it is safe to give your dog cooked eggs.

Can My Dog Eat Egg Whites?

So as a whole, eggs are totally safe for your dog to consume, but what about when the different components are separate? Well, let’s start with egg whites.

While eggs as a whole are safe for your dog, egg whites are not. Egg whites contain almost no nutritional value, so all in all, it is pretty pointless to feed them to your dog. But not only is it pointless, it is potentially dangerous too.

In fact, feeding your dog egg whites could lead to a biotin deficiency which could have a really bad effect on their health.

So, no, your dog cannot eat egg whites, at least not if they are served alone.

Can My Dog Eat Egg Yolks?

But what about the egg yolk? Well, the egg yolk is the part of the egg that contains all the nutrients.

This is partly why the yolk is always the yummiest part of the egg to eat. This is also the reason why it is safe for your dog to eat egg yolks alone.

Unlike egg whites, when served alone egg yolks are packed with nutrition.

So, if you are baking a recipe that has called for you to only use egg whites, you should consider feeding the egg yolks to your dog. They will thank you for the extra nutrition.