# Feeding Raw Egg + Shell



## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

I gave Peggy a whole raw egg in the backyard today. It was quite a lot of fun watching her figure out what the heck to do with it. Bonus: It caused no anxiety or guarding behaviours, unlike the one time I gave her a raw chicken wing.

Any particular concerns I should be aware of when feeding raw egg? Or this something I can safely give her as an occasional treat?

She ate the egg white, yolk, and about half the shell.


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## Liz (Oct 2, 2010)

I'm glad you both enjoyed the experience. I sometimes feed Mia eggs in the backyard to give her some mental stimulation and a healthy treat. Mia doesn't eat the shell, but a lot of people crush it and sprinkle it on their (the dogs') food.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Liz said:


> I'm glad you both enjoyed the experience. I sometimes feed Mia eggs in the backyard to give her some mental stimulation and a healthy treat. Mia doesn't eat the shell, but a lot of people crush it and sprinkle it on their (the dogs') food.


That’s really cute that Mia doesn’t eat the shell. She must have fun dissecting it.


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## Liz (Oct 2, 2010)

Sometimes the puncture mark is as small as one tooth.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Liz said:


> Sometimes the puncture mark is as small as one tooth.


Oh gosh that’s even cuter.


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## Basil_the_Spoo (Sep 1, 2020)

Does Peggy have a soft or hard mouth?






(I've been wanting to try this with Basil)


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## Ava. (Oct 21, 2020)

only feed organic egg shells, the others are cleaned with chemicals.

otherwise, don't over do it, and its ok!

Deacon loves fresh eggs from the backyard


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## artichokepainting (Mar 23, 2021)

I mix a raw egg with my puppy’s kibble sometimes (I’ve done it like three times in the 4 months of having him), he goes NUTS when he smells it. I wonder what he would do if I gave him a whole egg hahaha, thanks for the idea.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Basil_the_Spoo said:


> Does Peggy have a soft or hard mouth?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Soft


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Ava. said:


> only feed organic egg shells, the others are cleaned with chemicals.
> 
> otherwise, don't over do it, and its ok!
> 
> Deacon loves fresh eggs from the backyard


Good call, @Ava. Thank you! We’ve got lots of local egg stands.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

artichokepainting said:


> I mix a raw egg with my puppy’s kibble sometimes (I’ve done it like three times in the 4 months of having him), he goes NUTS when he smells it. I wonder what he would do if I gave him a whole egg hahaha, thanks for the idea.


It’s always so fun giving them something new to figure out!


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## Evenstar (Mar 9, 2021)

Coincidentally, I gave Arwen an egg with her kibble today and she had a SEVERE and immediate allergic reaction, followed by a trip to the vet. I was truly shocked.

I’m glad Peggy enjoyed her egg and had no such reaction! I imagine it would be entertaining to watch them figure out the whole egg/shell for the first time.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Evenstar said:


> Coincidentally, I gave Arwen an egg with her kibble today and she had a SEVERE and immediate allergic reaction, followed by a trip to the vet. I was truly shocked.
> 
> I’m glad Peggy enjoyed her egg and had no such reaction! I imagine it would be entertaining to watch them figure out the whole egg/shell for the first time.


That’s so scary! Is she okay now? Will you need to carry an EpiPen?

Peggy did have a reaction the first time I fed her an egg. She was still quite young. I cooked it gently in water. She slurped it right up and then very quickly got unbearably itchy. It was horrible to watch. I waited quite a while (over a year) before trying again, and she did fine with a small bite. So today I just went for it. Thankfully, no reaction.


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## Michigan Gal (Jun 4, 2019)

I feed raw and when I'd forget to get it out of the freezer, I could always give a raw egg. The shell is good for them, it's where the calcium is. It takes getting used to the idea of breaking the shell, but they usually manage after 3 or 4 whole eggs.

My Irish setter would carry an egg around if you gave him one. Eventually would throw it down. Once it was broken he would eat it.


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## Asta's Mom (Aug 20, 2014)

Asta loves hard boiled eggs, but have never tried raw. He does eat the shell of the hard boiled - and will beg me for shell when I peel an egg for the humans.


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## 94Magna_Tom (Feb 23, 2021)

Evenstar said:


> I gave Arwen an egg with her kibble today and she had a SEVERE and immediate allergic reaction, followed by a trip to the vet.


Sorry to hear. Praying she's OK. Please keep us updated.
Anyone know how common egg allergies are for Poodles?


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## Evenstar (Mar 9, 2021)

PeggyTheParti said:


> That’s so scary! Is she okay now? Will you need to carry an EpiPen?
> 
> Peggy did have a reaction the first time I fed her an egg. She was still quite young. I cooked it gently in water. She slurped it right up and then very quickly got unbearably itchy. It was horrible to watch. I waited quite a while (over a year) before trying again, and she did fine with a small bite. So today I just went for it. Thankfully, no reaction.


She is doing perfect today, thank you for asking! The vet didn’t mention anything about an EpiPen, but I think I will ask him. I’m so glad to hear Peggy outgrew her egg allergy - shell and all! She is my favorite Parti ambassador.




94Magna_Tom said:


> Sorry to hear. Praying she's OK. Please keep us updated.
> Anyone know how common egg allergies are for Poodles?


She is much better today, thank you so much! I don’t know how common it is in Poodles, but the vet did say yesterday that she may outgrow the allergy as she gets older. It sounds like Peggy outgrew her egg allergy as well, so perhaps it’s just pups that are more sensitive to the yolk proteins?


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## Liz (Oct 2, 2010)

Glad to hear that she has recovered, @Evenstar, and thank you for sharing this warning.


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## Darling Darla (Sep 20, 2020)

I don’t ever feed my dogs raw eggs. Salmonella can be found in raw eggs and dogs can get salmonellosis. My big girl outside used to steal eggs from my coop. I quickly put an end to that. If feeding a quality dog food you don’t need supplements.


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## Brownie_mom (Dec 1, 2020)

Darling Darla said:


> Salmonella can be found in raw eggs and dogs can get salmonellosis.


Our trainer recommended the raw eggs twice a week. She also told us that dogs have enzymes that will kill salmonella if it happens to be in the eggs and we should not worry about it. I did not start eggs just yet - was concerned with the potential allergies and actually planned to start slowly today with his second meal. Ruger is 5-1/2 month old, so may be I should wait for couple more months. I feed him the best food I can find, some high end kibbles and freeze-dried. Our local chicken farm also sells the raw patties that I was going to get for him.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Darling Darla said:


> If feeding a quality dog food you don’t need supplements.


I don’t consider an occasional whole food treat to be a supplement (emphasis on _whole_). Eating the same thing, every single day, is not only torturous, it’s potentially unhealthy. I like to offer a little variety.


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## Ava. (Oct 21, 2020)

Yeah, eggs are just a treat. Deacon only gets one every 3 months or so. Whenever I realize we have a lot of eggs, wouldn't hurt to let the dog have a bit. 

It is very rare that eggs carry salmonella , and its even more rare for farm fresh eggs to carry salmonella. Salmonella comes from the poor care taking of animals.


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## TeamHellhound (Feb 5, 2021)

I give mine the shells whenever we have eggs. Leo loves them, and will come running whenever she hears me crack one. Lily is less enthusiastic, but eats them. They rarely get the whole egg, although a lot of my raw feeding friends give their dogs eggs on a regular basis.


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## Michigan Gal (Jun 4, 2019)

Salmonella is found on eggs from big farms. It is found on the eggshell. Homestead eggs are very unlikely to have it. If you are worried, just wash the egg first. All the dog's eggs came from my backyard chickens.


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## Mr.Ziggy (Jul 14, 2020)

How do you all feed egg shells? Do you grind them into a powder or is it safe to just give the broken sell pieces?


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Mr.Ziggy said:


> How do you all feed egg shells? Do you grind them into a powder or is it safe to just give the broken sell pieces?


I’ve heard of both methods, but I would not personally feed powdered shell unless it was to provide calcium as part of a raw diet. Peggy very purposefully left half the shell behind. She couldn’t have done that if I’d mixed it into her food.


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## Ava. (Oct 21, 2020)

Mr.Ziggy said:


> How do you all feed egg shells? Do you grind them into a powder or is it safe to just give the broken sell pieces?


I give the whole egg to my dog and he eats it all


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## Mr.Ziggy (Jul 14, 2020)

Thanks! I was having an irrational fear of Zig cutting his mouth on the shell. I gave him half a shell when I made my lunch today and he was a very confused and happy dog.


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## Ava. (Oct 21, 2020)

Mr.Ziggy said:


> Thanks! I was having an irrational fear of Zig cutting his mouth on the shell. I gave him half a shell when I made my lunch today and he was a very confused and happy dog.


 its great enrichment the first couple of times

then they learn Lol


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## Darling Darla (Sep 20, 2020)

Ava. said:


> Yeah, eggs are just a treat. Deacon only gets one every 3 months or so. Whenever I realize we have a lot of eggs, wouldn't hurt to let the dog have a bit.
> 
> It is very rare that eggs carry salmonella , and its even more rare for farm fresh eggs to carry salmonella. Salmonella comes from the poor care taking of animals.


Newly hatched chicks from the hatchery can carry salmonella. The risks of consuming raw eggs or handling them is there for contracting salmonella. That’s a personal choice. I wouldn’t feed my kids raw eggs and I won’t feed my dogs.


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## Ava. (Oct 21, 2020)

Darling Darla said:


> Newly hatched chicks from the hatchery can carry salmonella. The risks of consuming raw eggs or handling them is there for contracting salmonella. That’s a personal choice. I wouldn’t feed my kids raw eggs and I won’t feed my dogs.


Children and dogs do not have the same digestive system... dogs can digest raw food, humans cannot.

Chicks CAN carry salmonella, because hatcheries more often than not are DIRTY. My chickens do NOT live in a dirty enviroment, therefore there is no way they are going to get salmonella, and there is no way their eggs are going to have it. Salmonella is purely from not clean environments. I would not eat a raw egg, because my body is not built to digest that, but my dogs body is.


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## For Want of Poodle (Feb 25, 2019)

I eat raw eggs all the time and have my whole life. Homemade Cesar salad dressing, homemade mayonnaise, raw cookie dough... Risk is something like 1 in 20 000 eggs here in Canada for salmonella, and Salmonella isn't particularly worrisome for those with healthy immune systems.

We have always fed any eggs that crack in the fridge to the dogs, but never fed the shell. Plus any leftovers from baking. Older eggs we may cook before feeding.


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## Mr.Ziggy (Jul 14, 2020)

Weird fun fact I learned recently. The reason raw cookie dough is dangerous for carrying salmonella is actually not the raw egg. Apparently raw flour is much more dangerous than raw egg!


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## 94Magna_Tom (Feb 23, 2021)

The risk of a contaminated egg is very low, the possibility of a dog getting sick from salmonella bacteria is very low. If a dog does get sick, most will get diarrhea and recover without intervention.
Not concerned about eating raw eggs, or feeding raw eggs to my dog.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Mr.Ziggy said:


> Weird fun fact I learned recently. The reason raw cookie dough is dangerous for carrying salmonella is actually not the raw egg. Apparently raw flour is much more dangerous than raw egg!


Yep, flour can also contain salmonella, although, according to the CDC, raw dough is risky primarily due to salmonella from the eggs and E. coli from the flour. I seem to recall some listeria outbreaks associated with raw flour, too.

I still enjoy raw dough, just like I enjoy raw spinach and strawberries. Cookie dough is delicious, but raw pasta is my real weakness.

And here’s the thing: Peggy drinks from puddles. She licks her own butt and sniffs the butts of others. Dog food and dog treats are notorious for recalls, not to mention weak oversight. I also question the safety of foams in dog beds, plastics in dog toys and dishes, and the list goes on. I think an occasional raw egg might be the least of her concerns.


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## Ava. (Oct 21, 2020)

When explaining how I never eat raw eggs, I forgot how I eat my eggs sunny side up..

I've eaten SO many raw egg yokes, and Im still here to tell the tale!


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Yep. And it doesn’t mean there’s no risk, just that we’ve balanced it against the reward and made our own decision.

I actually gave Peggy another egg today, and she was so cute. Again, she deliberately ate only half the shell. And I noticed she got especially enthusiastic about the yolk.


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## Ava. (Oct 21, 2020)

PeggyTheParti said:


> Yep. And it doesn’t mean there’s no risk, just that we’ve balanced it against the reward and made our own decision.
> 
> I actually gave Peggy another egg today, and she was so cute. Again, she deliberately ate only half the shell. And I noticed she got especially enthusiastic about the yolk.


I don't blame her, it IS the best part!


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## 94Magna_Tom (Feb 23, 2021)

PeggyTheParti said:


> Again, she deliberately ate only half the shell.


Half an eggshell provides about 1000mg of calcium, equivalent to the US RDA for people.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

94Magna_Tom said:


> Half an eggshell provides about 1000mg of calcium, equivalent to the US RDA for people.


Will be interesting to see if the consistency of her poops changes. Ahh the glamorous life of a poodle owner.


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## Brownie_mom (Dec 1, 2020)

I added a bit of the raw egg whites today to Ruger's breakfast. So far no reaction, so I will try some of the yolk next time. 
I remember when I was a child we had our own chickens and my favorite was to steal a new egg and drink it fresh. I would make small holes with a pin on both sides of the egg and suck it out. Then painted the egg. Had a collection of the egg faces etc.


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## Michigan Gal (Jun 4, 2019)

Dr. Berg (a guy on youtube, recommends that it is healthier to eat the yolk runny. Also, an egg is complete. Don't skip the yolk in an effort to lower your cholesterol. The whole egg is balanced. And, as mentioned before, since the salmonella would be on the shell, simply wash the egg before breaking it open.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Oops! Overdid it with the eggs and Peggy had a gross poop today. She’s so regular in that department, it’s obvious when something’s upset her stomach. I’ll give it a few weeks until treating her to another.


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## Ava. (Oct 21, 2020)

PeggyTheParti said:


> Oops! Overdid it with the eggs and Peggy had a gross poop today. She’s so regular in that department, it’s obvious when something’s upset her stomach. I’ll give it a few weeks until treating her to another.


Oopsies!


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Ava. said:


> Oopsies!


Peggy says, “Worth it!”


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## Brownie_mom (Dec 1, 2020)

PeggyTheParti said:


> Oops! Overdid it with the eggs and Peggy had a gross poop today.


OK, now I think I know why Ruger poops looked strange today as well. First time some eggs and probably have to hold on until he is a bit older


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## kontiki (Apr 6, 2013)

There is a big difference between eggs from mass raised cafo chickens, and from organically raised, pastured/free range eggs. I only eat, and only feed, eggs from a local farmer who is organic, and pastures all of his animals. Also, the eggs that are unwashed from these chickens are far healthier and last longer without spoiling than do washed chicken eggs. Unbelievable how much bad information is out there. You could not pay me to eat eggs from a normal store. (And I would not feed them to my precious Spoo either)


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