Finding the best diet for your canine friend can be tricky, but you want to keep your pet healthy and happy. But, obviously, for finding the perfect match, you cannot try every kind of food available.
Feeding boiled eggs to your pet dogs is a safe bet, as long as you are not over-feeding. Luckily, eggs are an excellent protein source and are loaded with a wide array of essential amino acids and protein. Undoubtedly, they act as incredibly healthy, nutritious snacks for dogs, and most importantly, they even ease stomach upsets in dogs.
As long as you are not over-feeding your dog, as over-feeding may lead to obesity and several digestive problems, boiled eggs are a perfect treat for your furry bundle of love!
However, this doesn’t mean that you should entirely feed your pet dog on boiled eggs only. Despite being super-healthy, they alone are not able to provide a nutritionally adequate diet to your dog. The deficiency of nutrients in your furry friend’s diet makes them vulnerable, especially the growing animals, who are preliminary victims. Puppy pets need a proper and balanced concentration of nutrients in their diet to fulfill their growing body needs. Growing puppies with an unbalanced diet and deficiency of various nutrients lead to skeletal abnormalities, orthopedic diseases, and fractures.
Even History reflects that canines such as dogs would feed on eggs right out of bird’s nests or chickens coops. So yes, boiled eggs are safe for your dogs.
History shows that canines would even take eggs straight from the bird’s nests or chicken coops, even if at present, most dogs do not have the same access to eggs as they have in the past. But while eggs are safe for dogs to eat, owners should know how to prepare eggs for their pups, the benefits of feeding a dog eggs, as well as any potential side effects or dangers.
Therefore here we have provided an ultimate guide on this aspect to assist every dog owner out there!
Let’s get started!
Nutritional requirements of your dog
Eggs, raw or boiled, adequately fulfill the protein and amino acid requirements of your dog. The daily nutritional requirements of dogs are not only limited to proteins and amino acids. Dogs also require essential fatty acids, Vitamins, and minerals. Using eggs as a daily diet for your dog can create a deficiency of vitamins and minerals.
According to reliable studies and proved results, for the maintenance of an adult dog’s health, a diet with only boiled eggs is not sufficient as it has lack of following nutrients:
- Calcium
- Chloride
- Copper
- Folate
- Iodine
- Manganese
- Potassium
- Riboflavin
- Thiamin
- Vitamin A, B-12, D, & E
- Zinc
The deficiency of different nutrients can make your pet dog at risk of numerous nutritionally mediated diseases.
Boiled Eggs and Dogs
How many eggs can dogs eat?
Moderation is the key while including anything in your dog’s diet. Giving too much can lead to obesity, while not giving enough would make him nutrient deficient. It’s okay to give a few boiled eggs to your pup throughout the week. The ideal approaches are to start with low, and gradually increase the number of eggs if you. As long as your dog doesn’t feel any stomach upset, you can always make boiled eggs an integral part of your dog’s diet.
You may also consult your vet to help determine the right number of boiled eggs per week, depending upon your pooch’s age, body, and requirements.
How to Prepare Eggs for Your Dog?
The right way of serving boiled eggs to your dog can maximize the nutritional benefits it may get. Although raw eggs would also be perfectly fine, people usually don’t prefer serving raw eggs directly due to the mess it creates and the risk of unwanted spread of bacteria and germs. Therefore, boiled eggs are a more favorable option.
Fortunately, boiling eggs for your cute pooch isn’t a big deal and hardly takes a few minutes. You can follow the below-mentioned instructions to conveniently and quickly treat your furry friend:
- Keep Eggs in a neatly washed container.
- Fill in warm water in the container up to 2 inches.
- Place the container on medium-high heat to initiate boiling.
- Once you feel the water has reached the boiling point, cover the container, and switch off the heat.
- Make sure to keep eggs in boiling water for at least 8-10 minutes.
- Drain out the water, and let eggs cool down.
- Once cooled, peel the eggs and then cut them or crush them and serve them accordingly.
The primary reason why boiled eggs are suggested overcooked ones (scrambled, etc.) is that these are the easiest and most convenient preparatory methods. Plus, you don’t even need to add any extra fats, spices, margarine, or salt when compared with the cooking method.
To make an ideal serving, make sure to cut the boiled eggs into small sizes depending upon your pup’s requirement. Suppose if you have a large dog, you may cut the boiled egg into big squares, while, for small dogs, you can slice the egg into small pieces. You have the choice to either directly feed them or even add it to their diet.
Note: You should also be aware not to add any additional ingredients or sauce. Often these additional ingredients contain garlic and onion that are poisonous for dogs.
The Benefits of Hard-Boiled Eggs for Dogs
As mentioned above as well, Eggs are loaded with various nutrients. Therefore, there are countless benefits that your dog may receive if they eat eggs. Therefore, the below-mentioned are among the few most prominent benefits for eggs:
- Egg fulfills the protein requirements of your pet dog without adding extra calories.
- Eggs are an incredible source of essential amino acids and fatty acids, which can support the quality and look of the coat, along with strengthening the hair.
- Eggs are rich in a wide array of elements, especially calcium, selenium, and riboflavin. Due to the high calcium content, eggs support strong and healthy bones; dogs highly need calcium at a growing age. Plus, other vitamins and minerals can add to the overall well-being of your pup.
- Due to high protein content, eggs boost muscle development and quickly repair damaged tissues. With that, eggs can also assist in stomach upsets, so if your dog is ill or isn’t eating his regular meal, you can always provide him with the protein treat.
Possible Side-effects of Eggs
Although eggs are entirely safe to be fed to your pet, however improper feeding technique may cause several issues; for instance:
- Your dog might be suspected of salmonella poisoning if they eat the eggs raw (uncooked).
- If your dog is only fed egg white for a prolonged period, it may cause a biotin deficiency in it.
- Most importantly, obesity is prevalent as they’re quite rich in calories (a regular egg ranges from 50-100 calories/egg.)
These side effects are infrequent, and until you are feeding boiled eggs inappropriately, there isn’t much to worry about!
Eggs for dogs –A Proper diet or just a treat?
No doubt, eggs can be a valuable diet for your dogs that provides extra protein. It can also work as a suitable meal replacement when you don’t have proper dog food. Boiled and adequately cooked, unseasoned eggs are an easy addition to your dogs’ regular food as a treat.
However, remember that Boiled eggs are not the central part of your dog’s diet, and with a protein-rich diet, you cannot expect good health and a properly functioning immune system for your dog. You can also use some boiled or cooked eggs as a high-value reward during training.
Conclusion:
If you think your dog eats boiled eggs and is healthy and active, then you are entirely wrong.
Honestly, even with boiled eggs, you’ll never get your dog’s hormones and inflammation under control. Although the boiled eggs are easy to digest and a safer alternative to a raw food diet, and commercially processed dog food, you cannot give it to your dog in a large amount. Other than that, if you stay within the limit suggested by a practicing vet, you are good to go. You will witness the positive effect of feeding eggs, like improved muscles in your dog within no time.
Hopefully, our guide would have cleared out all your queries in this aspect. If you need any further assistance in this regard, do let us know.