The Retriever Expert Expert Care Tips For Your Retriever
Many pet owners are considering feeding their Goldies with homemade doggy meals or treats. However, the safety of the ingredients to be used here is always at stake. Which one is healthy and which one must not be fed to your dog? With that in mind, the question ‘can Golden Retrievers eat eggs’ is also on the list.
In this blog post, we will give you some of the important information that you need to know before feeding eggs to your Goldies. So, before tossing those eggshells for an omelet dish for your Golden Retriever, come and read along with us!
Can Golden Retrievers Eat Eggs – Check the Eggs Nutritional Profile
Although there are some human foods not good for dog consumption, the question can Golden Retrievers eat eggs is also one of the main concerns. Generally, dogs, including the Golden Retrievers, can eat eggs safely. Aside from that, eggs are also one of the so-called nutritional powerhouses. This food is a great source of nutrients so Golden Retrievers can eat eggs in order for them to boost their overall health and wellness.
For to be sure that Golden Retrievers can eat eggs, the following are the nutrients that eggs highly offer:
ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS
Fatty acids in eggs are basically present within the egg yolk. Within the dog’s diet, these acids are taken in the form of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. The GI system of the Goldies is the one responsible for the absorption of this nutrient in eggs.
Essential fatty acids like the Omega-3 are highly beneficial in both dogs’ and humans’ health. It aids in the functioning of the heart and reproductive system. Aside from that, it also fortifies the cells of the dog’s liver and maintains the health of the Goldies’ skin, joints, and coat.
IRON
Eating eggs by the Golden Retrievers may help them to maintain their built and body fitness. This should be highly credited to the iron content of the eggs. Moreover, the Goldies may not be iron deficient and may not experience lethargy and immune system depression if they will eat eggs.
PROTEIN
Similar with humans, protein is also an essential requirement of the Golden Retriever’s body. This is generally helpful in building and maintaining the dog’s muscle. Normally, eggs have around 6 grams of protein content which makes them an ideal food for the active dog breeds such as the Golden Retrievers.
The egg whites basically provide this amino acid profile of this food. Its absorption in dogs is generally through the GI tract and is broken down inside the dog’s body. Below are the amino acids present in egg white:
- Arginine
- Histidine
- Isoleucine
- Leucine
- Lysine
- Methionine
- Phenylalanine
- Threonine
- Tryptophan
- Valine
VITAMINS
Normally, there are two categories of nutrients under which the vitamins fall under. They are water-soluble and fat-soluble. The functions of the vitamins are to be catalysts and help in the metabolism, immunity, growth, and total dog’s development.
- Vitamin A
Eggs generally support the eye development of the Golden Retrievers. This is primarily due to its vitamin A content. Moreover, it also aids in the reproductive health of the dogs during breeding.
- Vitamin B12
Also rich in Vitamin B12, eggs actually help in the functioning of the nervous system of the Golden Retrievers. Eggs, through their B12 content also aids in the brain function, cell growth, and digestion of the dog.
- Other vitamins found on the egg yolk:
(Vitamin B1, B6, D, E, K, Choline, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Niacin)
Can Golden Retrievers Eat Eggshells?
As part of the concern ‘can Golden Retrievers eat eggs’, some are also asking about giving eggshells to dogs. Basically, you can let your Golden Retriever eat eggshells. Letting your Goldies eat a whole cracked egg that still has a shell is a great source of complete food. Moreover, whole eggs including the shell contain a balanced combination of calcium and phosphorus.
CALCIUM
Eggshells are generally good for the safe consumption of the Golden Retriever. For humans, the shell of the egg is immediately tossed off immediately during egg preparation. But for dogs, eggshells have an abundant amount of calcium that is good for fortifying their teeth and bones. Although good for their health, eggshells are not digestible.
Yet, let the Goldies eat small pieces of it when they see its droppings. Another good option if you want to feed your Golden Retriever with eggshells is to cook it and sprinkle it over your Goldies’ favorite kibble. You may also consider pulverizing them using a food processor or coffee grinder. But, manual grinding will also work through the use of mortar and pestle. Fortunately, dog supplements containing eggshell membranes are also available over the market.
Mineral contents present in eggshells:
Here are the other nutrients that you can found highly concentrated in eggshells:
- Chloride
- Copper
- Iodine
- Iron
- Magnesium
- Manganese
- Phosphorus
- Potassium
- Selenium
- Sodium
- Zinc
Other eggshells’ nutrients:
The good thing is that the structure of the inner portion of the eggshells is basically a thin membrane which is advantageous to the health of the Goldies. This membrane located on the eggshells offer the following nutrients:
- Collagen
- Chondroitin
- Glucosamine
- Hyaluronic acid
These nutritional contents of the eggshells make it ideal for dogs suffering from arthritis. In fact, there is a study conducted last 2016 revealing the relevant reduction of joint pain in about 51 dogs having different joint problems. Moreover, Golden Retrievers with difficulty in eating bones can generally eat eggshells.
Bad Effects of Eating Eggs to Golden Retrievers
Just like Golden Retrievers eating watermelon in moderation, eating eggs should only be in moderate amounts. Basically, only one full serving of eggs in a day is the normal egg consumption for the Golden Retriever. Yet, it is still better to consult your veterinarian or animal nutritionist for a healthy serving size of eggs to your Goldies.
In case you will follow that standard serving recommendation, Golden Retrievers that can eat eggs may lead to some unnecessary medical concerns.
Biotin deficiency
Biotin is generally a part of the B vitamins which is also essential for the cell growth and healthy coat of the Goldies. Unfortunately, egg whites also have a high content of avidin, a well-known inhibitor of biotin. Yet, the deficiency of biotin in dogs is usually rare. Aside from that, the Goldies need to consume an enormously high amount of eggs in order to have a deficiency in this B vitamin.
In contrast to that, egg yolks have high levels of biotin, so feeding the whole egg to the Goldies may give you a balance of it. Moreover, cooking the egg white is also a good option. However, nutritional value may be diminished.
Allergic reactions
Some dogs may develop sensitivity to eggs because they generally contain proteins. Gastrointestinal upset including diarrhea and vomiting are signs of allergic reactions on Golden Retrievers. Skin issues may also be present which are represented by itchiness of their ears, and paws.
Can Golden Retrievers Eat Raw Eggs?
If Golden Retriever can eat eggs, the urge for knowing the answer to the question ‘can Golden Retrievers eat raw eggs’ also arise. Actually, most vets prefer feeding the Goldies with cooked eggs. Yet, some dog owners are giving raw eggs to Golden Retrievers. If you are not yet done that, think twice because there are some issues that your doggo must suffer from once they can eat raw eggs. Check here for those and be aware of:
Salmonella
Golden Retrievers can eat eggs, but eating them raw may potentiate them to have at risk of acquiring salmonella. It is generally a bacterial infection that may result in vomiting and diarrhea in Goldies. Cooking the eggs properly before giving them to your pooch may be very helpful in preventing this kind of infection.
Easy Egg Cooking Methods for Golden Retriever
Now that we know that the answer for the question ‘can Golden Retrievers eat eggs’ is a firm “YES”, then the next thing we have in mind is to safely prepare that food for our Goldies. But, you don’t need to be a pro in cooking in making an egg meal for your pooch. Golden Retrievers can eat eggs even with the very basic recipes.
Moreover, it is really crucial to put in mind that regardless of the cooking method you will be doing to feed egg to your Golden Retriever, do not ever use any other ingredients. Never put butter or cooking oils and do not put on extra spices or other seasonings. Just try these simple cooking tips to let your Goldies experience a good-tasting egg.
Boiled
The extremely easy and very basic way of cooking eggs is to hard-boiled them. Doing so is actually mess-free that’s why it is also ideal for novice cooks. Before, the conventional stove-top boiling method is generally fine. But, now, since there are new innovations arise, boiling eggs is actually hassle-free. You can also use pressure cookers or crock pots for doing this cooking method on larger batches.
Scrambled
For just a few minutes, you can already have scrambled eggs because cooking it is so very fast and easy. Cooking the egg for the Golden Retriever on a non-stick pan can do the trick even without using butter or oil. After cooling down your Goldies, feeding them egg through the scrambled way of cooking is generally perfect.
Hard Poached
This egg cooking method can generally put out all the cooking skills in you. It is quite similar to the scrambled eggs but with a slighter level of difficulty in cooking techniques. Moreover, compared to traditional poaching, this hard poach method needs the incorporation of more cooking time. You basically need to add about 5 minutes so that the egg yolk would be properly cooked to be safe for eating for the Golden Retriever.
How to Feed the Golden Retrievers with Eggs
Once you already cooked the eggs, it is now ready to serve it to your Golden Retriever. The numbers of ways of incorporating the eggs into the dog’s diet are very much present. From cutting hard-boiled eggs into bite-size pieces to sprinkling scrambled eggs over your dog’s favorite food, it’s all your choice. You can directly give them to your pooch or consider mixing it with their kibble. That way, you can generally incorporate an additional boost of nutrients.
Moreover, begin feeding your Golden Retriever with just one egg per day. Look for their behavior and monitor them closely. Check for any signs of gastrointestinal problems such as diarrhea or vomiting. There is really no need to worry about giving the Goldies an egg if there is clearly no sign of digestive issues.
Although eggs contain high amounts of proteins, they can’t be the only protein source that you can give to your Golden Retriever. Remember that the dog’s diet requires other nutrients essential for the overall health of your dog. Additionally, the high protein content of the eggs may result in weight gain because of too much caloric intake.
So, in general, one egg per day is the ideal egg consumption of the Golden Retriever. It is also ideal to source out your eggs from organic farmer to ensure that it is not treated chemically. Give your Goldies an egg treat every so often to make it safe and enjoyable for your pooch.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: CAN I GIVE EGG TO MY 1 MONTH OLD PUPPY?
A: Adult dogs generally love to eat almost everything your pups. They also like to munch on eggs. Letting them eat cooked eggs on an occasional basis is already fine for the adult ones. But for puppies, the key here is giving them smaller amounts of food especially when you are just introducing a new one. So, if you are planning to give your little pups eggs, do not give them one whole egg in a day.
Q: ARE FRIED EGGS GOOD FOR DOGS?
A: Actually, feeding your dog with fried eggs does not call for serious concern here. However, since frying is a cooking method that requires the use of cooking oils, it should be avoided. Besides, there are other cooking methods that are generally healthy for the Golden Retriever. As a recall on the part of our discussion above, boiled, scrambled, and hard poached eggs are cooking options that may offer your dog a healthy dog egg treat.
Q: CAN YOU CRACK AN EGG IN DOG FOOD?
A: Basically, cracking an egg on top or in a combination with the dog food means giving the Goldies a raw egg. The debate on the safety of giving raw eggs to dogs is still clear because of the possibility of the occurrence of bacterial infection, like Salmonella, to dogs. But, in case, you are still opting to give your pooch a raw one, just simply crash a fresh raw egg and spread it on top of his food.
For smaller pooch, do not crack on one whole egg as it can give them too much. So, it is generally better to serve raw eggs or crack just an appropriate option of it just right to compensate the caloric and nutritional requirements of the dog.
Final Words
Definitely, Golden Retrievers can eat eggs. Aside from being highly economical, eggs can easily be obtained and can greatly offer complete nutrition to your pooch. Yet, some are in doubt about giving eggs to their Goldies due to lots of misconceptions available. But because of the enormous list of benefits, it generally outweighs the associated risks. Just remember to properly cook the eggs prior to feeding them to your Golden Retriever so that it may counter any possible occurrence of health problems.
Have you ever tried to feed your Goldies with eggs? What cooking method do you use in preparing and serve to your Golden Retriever afterward? Please share your thoughts with us!
