homemade dog food eggshells

How to Make Homemade Dog Food With Crushed Egg Shells

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Sure, you probably don't like finding bits of eggshell in your omelet, but your pooch doesn't mind them crushed up in her food. In fact, eggshells provide her with lots of calcium and protein. Add them into your homemade dog food for an easy, crunchy nutritional boost.

Step 1

Select a nutritious homemade dog food recipe your vet or pet nutritionist has given you the OK to prepare. Make sure it has the appropriate nutritional value for the number of calories it provides your pooch. Of course, the specs depend on your dog's age, breed, activity level, health and other individual considerations.

Step 2

Separate the eggs from their eggshells. Of course, to avoid waste, do it when you're using the eggs for something, whether it's your homemade dog food, your lunch, or that cake you're baking.

Step 3

Bring 1 cup of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Drop the eggshells into the boiling water and let them cook for 1 minute. Strain them from the water and let them stand until they're completely dry.

Step 4

Place the eggshells onto a cutting board and crush them into small pieces with any piece of silverware or cooking implement. You also could use a mortar and pestle, a food processor or a coffee grinder.

Step 5

Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of crushed eggshell into your homemade dog food mixture per serving. Incorporate it thoroughly.

Step 6

Store leftover boiled eggshell in an airtight container for up to one week.

How to Make Homemade Dog Food With Crushed Egg Shells

Crushed eggshells provide necessary calcium for your dog. You can add eggshells to homemade dog food recipes with or without the eggs. Rather than waste the eggs, use them for additional protein. Doggy meatloaf shares many of the same ingredients that you use for your own dinner. It also contains vegetables and grains to make it a complete meal.

Prep

Wash the celery, including the tops, and use the large knife to chop into 1-inch lengths.

Peel, core and dice the apple into 1-inch pieces.

Scrub the carrots and chop into 1-inch pieces.

Scrub the sweet potatoes and chop into 1-inch cubes.

Tear apart the wheat bread or slice it into cubes.

Recipe

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Coat the inside of a large roasting pan with canola oil and set aside.

Place the celery, apple, carrots, sweet potatoes, bread, oats, tomato paste and ground bison in the large bowl. Crack the eggs, grind up the eggshells and put them in the bowl.

Use your hands to mix the ingredients together.

Divide the meat mixture into four loaves.

Place the loaves in the roasting pan and cover the pan with a lid.

Bake for 80 minutes or until the meatloaf has an internal temperature of 175 degrees F using an instant read meat thermometer.

Allow the loaves to cool completely before serving.

• Experiment to determine how much meatloaf is right for your dog. If you are feeding only homemade food, start with half of a loaf. If she starts losing weight, increase the amount you are feeding. If she starts gaining weight, decrease the amount. To serve this with your regular kibble, use one-third of a meatloaf and reduce the dry food.

  Store one loaf per container or air-tight storage bag. The meatloaf will keep in the refrigerator for up to three days and up to three months in the freezer.

  Ground lamb, beef, venison, turkey and chicken make good substitutions and add variety. Avoid ground pork and veal, as they are too greasy to use. Try adding different types of vegetables too. Whatever changes you make to the recipe, be mindful that your dogs diet should be made up of 40 percent meat or protein, 30 percent vegetables and 30 percent starch or grains.

Can Dogs Eat Egg Shells? Are Egg Shells Safe For Dogs?

Breakfast isnt complete without eggs. Whether theyre scrambled eggs, hard-boiled, or poached, eggs just need to be a part of every breakfast meal.

And, its not only a breakfast essential; eggs are also required to create luscious baked goodies and mouth-watering sandwiches.

But, once cracked and hollowed out, whats left is a bunch of eggshells that would most likely end up in the bin.

If, for some reason, you happen to drop some of it on your kitchen floor, it might even end up in your dogs mouth. And so you wonder, can dogs eat egg shells?

Well, worry no more because DogFood.Guide is here to crack open and disclose the truth about eggshells and eggs as a whole and its effects on your pet dogs health. After all, this is what we enjoy doing and what we do best.

Egg-citing Eggs & Egg Shell Facts

Many know that eggs have high nutritional value. In fact, eggs are worthy of the superfood title since the whole egg and its components from the egg yolks to the egg whites are loaded with essential nutrients that we need to keep our bodies in tip-top shape.

Want to know what nutrients this low-cost yet delicate produce has tucked inside its shell for us? Check out the deats below:

Egg whites contain

• Zero fat and cholesterol and fewer calories
• Protein and amino acids
• Folate
• Selenium
• Potassium
• Phosphorus
• Magnesium
• Calcium

Egg yolks contain

• Protein
• Vitamin A
• Vitamin D
• Vitamin E
• Calcium
• Iron
• Magnesium

Now, it is true that the egg yolk is high in fat and cholesterol. This is why many muscle-building buffs choose to throw this away. However, its good to note that eating the yolk comes with benefits.

One of which is that the cholesterol found in the yolks doesnt necessarily increase blood cholesterol, according to Healthline.

Most of the time, eating whole eggs is beneficial since this can increase good cholesterol, which reduces the risk of diseases. Plus, it also makes you feel full without the need to eat much.

So, the egg yolk and egg whites contain nutrients. How about the eggshell?

Often, these parts of the eggs are discarded. Good thing, many are becoming more mindful of the effects of waste on nature and are trying every bit they can to reduce, re-use, or recycle waste, the eggshells included.

Eggshells, which are the hard covering of the egg, are mostly made up of calcium carbonate. And for the past years, people have been using this as a calcium supplement by turning it into eggshell powder.

Apart from calcium, eggshells also contain

• Phosphorus
• Magnesium
• Iron
• Copper
• Zinc
• Iodine

Can Dogs Eat Egg shells?

Its true that dogs are not picky when it comes to food and would munch on anything. But despite their slaphappy and couldnt-care-less nature, your dear four-legged companion can still contract diseases. Whats worst is that some foods can even be toxic to your dog.

When it comes to eggs, many dog owners are aware that eggs are among the safe food to feed your dog. The truth is, various dog food products include egg whites, yolk, eggshells, or even the whole egg in the mix.

So, to answer your two questions

Can dogs eat eggs? The short answer is Yes. Dogs can eat eggs, which can be a healthy addition to your dogs diet, especially if you prefer feeding your pet a homemade one.

Can dogs eat eggshells? Yes, dogs can eat eggshells, thanks to its calcium and mineral content.

But, like any other food, there are dos and donts to feeding eggs and eggshell to your dog. So, if having a healthy dog is your priority, read on.

Health Benefits Of Eggshell and Eggs To Your Dog

Since the entire egg is so darn healthy (for both humans and dogs), from now on, you can feed your dog eggs (the eggshell included) without feeling guilty.

Most likely, youre already aware of the health benefits of eggs (to dogs). But, many probably dont know what eggshells can do for your dog.

If youre among the many whos curios about its benefits, here are some of the things you and your dog can look forward to each time your dogs get their dose of egg and eggshells:

Great Source Of Protein

A large boiled egg contains around 6 grams of high-quality protein and the right amount of amino acids. A large bulk of the protein can be found in the egg white.

Now, your dogs can certainly put this into good use since a dogs diet requires tons of protein to keep their muscles and bones in check.

Loaded With Fatty Acids

The growth and development of healthy body cells can be enhanced by adding eggs to your dogs food. You can thank the cell-health-boosting fatty acids found in the egg yolk for this.

Excellent Source Of Calcium

Does your homemade dog food need a dose of calcium? Look no further because the answer is just under your nose (thats if an egg is just within your reach). Yes, eggshells are a practical and affordable calcium booster for you and your dog.

And since dogs bones become more brittle and fragile as they age (just like us), adding some calcium supplement in their diet can help improve their bone health, immune system, and heart health.

Why You Should Not Give Your Dogs Eggshell & Eggs

Now that were done discussing the pros, lets see how eggs and its eggshell can negatively affect your dogs health:

Choking Hazard

While the insides of the egg are soft, the eggshells are hard and sharp. As such, you should avoid feeding your dog the entire egg. Swallowing large fragments can hurt their digestive tract and obstruct their airways.

Food Allergy

One risk your dog might face when given an egg is getting an allergic reaction. Unfortunately, eggs are among the common allergens in dogs.

Youll know that your dog is having an allergic attack when your dog starts to sneeze, vomit, feel itchy, or have an upset stomach.

Eggs May Contain Bacteria

According to Facts.net, in every 20,000 eggs, one can have salmonella. Yes, the chances of getting a bacterial infection or experiencing salmonella poisoning might be slim, but its still possible.

In the event your dog chows down on a raw egg, make sure to watch out for the following symptoms:

• Fever
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Abdominal pain
• Diarrhea

Biotin Deficiency

Biotin, aka vitamin B, promotes healthy skin and coat. It also helps promote digestion and metabolism.

On the one hand, raw egg whites carry an enzyme that binds with biotin and prevents its absorption, leading to biotin deficiency.

Keep in mind, though, that this rarely happens. Your dogs would also have to consume many raw eggs for a long time before this happens.

The Right Way To Give Your Dogs Eggs & Eggshells

As mentioned, you need to follow the basic dos and donts of feeding eggshells and eggs to your dog. So, for an eggs-tatic and risk-free egg munching, keep these tips handy:

Serve it cooked and plain. Feeding raw eggs to your dogs is a no-nosince raw eggs (or any raw foods) may carry salmonella.

To avoid this, make sure to only let your dog eat cooked eggs. You can either serve it boiled or scrambled. Whats important is that the cooked eggs are served without any seasoning and oil.

Start small. Since your dogs tummy may not tolerate cooked eggs, its always best to start by feeding them a small amount. This way, you can check for your dogs reaction.

Cut it into small pieces. To avoid obstruction, take your time to cut the cooked eggs and feed your dog only bite-sized pieces.

Eggshells are best served in powder form. Your dog will have a hard time digesting calcium-dense eggshells as is. So, to help your dog eat shell and reap all its yummy health benefits, its best if you give your dog eggshells powder.

How To Make Eggshell Powder?

If your dogs diet needs a boost of calcium, you might as well turn those eggshells (an excellent source of calcium) into easy-to-digest and -absorb eggshell powder.

Wondering how you can make this at the comfort of your home? Just follow the easy steps stated in the recipes below.

How Much Eggshell Can Your Feed Your Dogs Per Day?

The amount of shells and cooked egg you can give your dog depends on their size, age, activity level, and health condition. As such, seeking your vets expert advice is still a must.

Once your vet says your dogs can eat shells and shells can be added to their daily diet, a good rule of thumb is to add a quarter teaspoon of eggshell powder to a half-pound of fresh dog foodalternatively, one teaspoon of powdered shell per day (which is equivalent to one egg).

Our Final Verdict

Can dogs eat eggs? Yes. Can dogs eat cooked egg? Yes. Can you feed your dog the eggs shell? Yes. The answer to all these questions is YES. So, its safe to say that eggs plus its shell can be a part of your dogs diet.

Now, if youre already feeding your dog a well-balanced and complete diet, your dog can live happily even without the added calcium found in eggshells. Although giving them eggs and eggshells can still be done as long as its only given as an occasional treat.

Its a different answer, though, if you want to know if can dogs eat raw eggs. For this one, the answer is a big NO.