Questions about eggs

[sgoehner]

I know this has been asked somewhere, but for the life of me I cannot find it.

I know I have read that raw eggs are good for the coat and also good in general. What are the guidelines as to how often to feed, is the whole egg alright or just the yolk or whites, and anything else.

Like I said I know it has been discussed before I just couldn;t find it. Any help is appreciated,

Thanks

[sgoehner]

Also, I forgot, can I add it kibble or do I have to feed it at a different time since technically it is raw.

[HarleysMom]

Here is some information I found ONLINE--

Raw eggs Contain an enzyme called avidin, which decreases the absorption of biotin (a B vitamin). This can lead to skin and hair coat problems. Raw eggs may also contain Salmonella.

http://www.phouka.com/dogs/dog_kind.html

http://www.mercola.com/2005/jul/28/pet_omega.htm

Some sites say not to Same say its ok--I have never fed my dogs raw eggs so I can't say--just thought the sites might help until someone with better information comes along..

[elegy]

i feed whole raw eggs, shell included. i wouldn't feed more than one a couple times a week. you can give it alone or with kibble.

[BellFounder]

I feed cooked eggs as a treat occasionally, i wouldnt feed raw eggs for the reasons stated in post #3.

[GreenleafGreyhound]

An easy remedy to the biotin problem would be to slightly cook the egg whites (I'm sure we know how to separate the egg yolks from the egg whites by now, right, chefs? ) and feed the raw egg yolks with the slightly cooked egg whites. It's much easier to just boil the whole egg, but some people really do like the benefits of raw VS. cooked. I don't know how much evidence there is to this, but it was claimed that there is something in the raw egg yolks that cancels out the enzyme that blocks biotin absorption. *shrugs* Personally, I'd rather be safe than sorry although I know plenty of raw feeders who feed exactly the way Elegy does, completely raw and completely whole.

[Jenny]

I just read somewhere that eggs can sometimes carry parasites? I have also seen pictures of people finding big long worms in their eggs.

What does cooking the egg do in regards to lessening the nutritional value?

[elegy]

i don't feed a la billinghurst but he addresses the topic of eggs pretty thoroughly as quoted here.

the way i figure it, if a couple eggs a week are causing your dog to have not enough biotin, there's something much more wrong with what you're feeding than simply including eggs.

[GreenleafGreyhound]

Cooking eggs has the same effect with cooked meat or any other food. It destroys valuable enzymes to help digest the product and absorb the nutrients. Since the product is essentially undergoing a chemical breakdown, the longer the food is exposed to heat the greater the nutrient loss. For example, if you were to boil chicken or broccoli, there are some less stable vitamins which would dissolve into the water, thereby, requiring you to feed both the now boiled chicken + the chicken water to attain all the available nutrients.

You can find a lot of articles regarding cooking and nutrient loss for humans, but I would suppose the same relates to dogs, as well, since the food does not change. There are bacterial risks to any food product dealing with livestock and meat and such. I personally believe that if you take the same precautions with dog food as with human food, you should not have a problem. If you were to find worms in your own plate of scrambled eggs, I'd be horrified and I would not buy from the same company or brand of eggs.

[GSD]

I feed whole eggs shell and all. I've even eaten raw eggs myself, mmm nothingl like eating something that tastes like a big glob of snot. Unless you're feeding your dog a ton of raw eggs daily, I wouldn't worry about biotin absorption. Almost anything that you can feed yourself or a dog can inhibit the absorbtion of something else, it happens everyday. thats why moderation and variety are important in anybody's diet, our dogs included. A couple eggs a week would be just fine.

[sgoehner]

I would like to thank you all for the advice, Like I said I had been hearing a lot about eggs and thought I would try them out. Maggie loved the one I gave her, so I think that I will give them to her more often.

Thanks again