Toxic Food and Substances: Raw Eggs
Remember that scene in Rocky when he cracks six eggs into a glass and drinks them down? I still shudder at that image. When we were kids, my older brother tried it – I think by the second egg he was choking and ready to bring them right back up.
However, Rocky didn’t know much about nutrition considering raw eggs can cause biotin deficiency in humans and dogs. Raw eggs contain the enzyme avidin that blocks biotin absorption. Raw eggs are a great source of protein and are reported to be good for their skin and coats yet biotin depletion can lead to unhealthy flakiness and eventually hair loss.
There is also possibility of your dog contracting salmonella poisoning from raw eggs as well. How common is this? Not very and if you buy eggs from your local farmer, the concern is even less.
What’s the answer? Limit raw eggs to a once a week treat at most. Or if you want to feed eggs on a more frequent basis, scramble the egg and allow it cool before feeding it to your dog. Cooking kills the enzyme as well as salmonella so, as always, better to be safe.
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