Can Dogs Eat Eggshells? 3 Awesome Benefits Of Eggshells

Can dogs eat eggshells as part of their daily diet? Well, you have to read this article from start to finish to find out. You may already be aware that dogs can eat eggs, and that they are incredibly healthy. But, what about eggshells? Are they safe for your canine buddy?

The answer is, Yes! However, there are a few things to keep in mind. In this article, I’ll give you all the information you require regarding dogs eating eggshells. Also, you will learn about its benefits, the right amount to feed them as well as the right way to prepare them.

So, without much ado let’s get into the details of whether dogs can eat eggshells.

Table of Contents

What is An Eggshell?

An eggshell is the hard outer coating of chicken eggs. It mainly comprises calcium carbonate, a common calcium type, protein, and other minerals.

Eggshell powder from chicken eggs has been used as a natural calcium supplement for many years. As a result, it serves as a good calcium supplement for dogs too.

But the core question would be “Can dogs eat eggshells? Let’s find out below.

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Can Dogs Eat Eggshells?

The answer is, Yes! Dogs can eat eggshells because they are safe for them. However, you must not give them raw eggshells as this my expose them to the risk of contract salmonella.

Also, it is best to smoothly ground the eggshells before serving your dogs to prevent the sight of seeing them choke while eating.

The eggshell must be from cooked eggs because it will be more brittle and this makes them easier to grind up into a powder.

Although, your dog’s strong jaws and cutting teeth would quickly shred the delicate shell.

The shell, however, wouldn’t dissolve in your dog’s digestive system. Due to the hard shell’s inability to be entirely digested by your pup’s body, you would later see fragments of it.

So you should prepare the eggshells in advance to be on the safe side and prevent contamination or choking. This we will discuss more in this article.

Above all, you must check with your vet to be sure that your hound needs eggshells in its food as an added calcium.

Now we know how dogs can eat eggshells and the best way to give them, let’s learn about the benefits.

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What Are The Benefits of Eggshells To Your Dogs?

For your dog’s strong bones and healthy teeth, eggshells can be a great source of calcium and protein.

They may also strengthen the immune system and enhance the health of the heart, and muscles.

That said, let us look at some health benefits to dogs below:

1. It Improves Calcium In Dogs:

For healthy bones and teeth, dogs require calcium just like humans do. However, calcium has other functions in your dog’s body as well.

Furthermore, it supports healthy metabolism, heartbeat, vision, blood coagulation, muscular contraction, milk production in lactating dogs, and heart pumping.

If your dog is calcium deficient, calcium supplements may be beneficial, but always consult your veterinarian first.

Eggshells are a cheap supplement for your dog and a fantastic source of calcium.

2. Eggshells provide minerals to dogs:

Eggshells also include a few additional important minerals. They include vitamin A, magnesium, and phosphorus.

Calcium and phosphorus combine to strengthen bones and teeth.

On the other hand, Magnesium is crucial because it facilitates your dog’s absorption of calcium.

That said, skin and eye health depend on vitamin A.

3. Eggshells Contains Potassium:

Egg shells can also benefit your dog’s heart health since they include potassium, which helps muscles contract more effectively.

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What Amount Of Eggshells Can You Feed Your Dog?

There is probably no need to add extra calcium to your dog’s diet if they are already eating a high-quality commercial feed.

Before adding any additional vitamins to commercial food, you should consult your veterinarian.

For hounds on a homemade diet, it is typically a good idea. How much eggshell powder should I put then? The size of the dog and the food will determine this.

However, you would add 1/4 of a teaspoon of ground eggshell, or around 500 milligrams of calcium, for every 8 ounces (12 pounds) of fresh food.

Again, if you’re unsure of the amount, consult your vet because you don’t want to underfeed your young pup.

Which method is therefore the finest for producing eggshells that are secure for your hound? Find out by reading on.

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Which is The Safe Way To Make Eggshells For Dogs?

The ideal approach to feeding eggshells to your dog is powdered because it is simple to include in the diet.

Furthermore, in this form, the minerals from the eggshells can be absorbed by your dog’s digestive system.

Eggshells can be cooked in two different ways.

First, you can cook some eggs and keep the shells for later or crush them with a rolling pin or ground in a food processor by placing them in a plastic storage bag.

Also, you can bake the egg in your oven according to Modern Dog Magazine follow these simple instructions:

Set your oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit for best results.
On a baking sheet, evenly spread the eggshells.
Then bake for 5 to 7 minutes
The eggshells shouldn’t turn dark; they should still be white or light brown.
Allow the eggshells to cool, then process them in a food processor or coffee grinder until they are powdered.
The eggshell powder can be kept for up to two months at room temperature in an airtight container.

So, from the above, we can see that the safe ways to prepare eggshells for your hound are by crushing boiled eggs shells or baking the egg.

Now, let’s find out if there are any safety concerns you should take note of before feeding eggshells to your pooch.

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Are There Any Safety Issues To Feeding Eggshells To Dogs?

Calcium, a mineral that is essential for the health of a dog, is abundant in eggshells. However, there is such a thing as having too much of a good thing.

Dogs are referred to as hypercalcemic when they have an excessive amount of calcium in their blood.

Numerous health difficulties, including digestive difficulties, excessive thirst, bladder stones, hypertension, and drowsiness, are brought on by this illness.

Dogs typically develop hypercalcemia when they suffer from other illnesses that hinder their thyroid glands from correctly regulating their calcium levels.

Be sure to discuss any potential negative effects for your dog with your veterinarian before supplementing it with eggshells.

If you are aware that your hound suffers from a thyroid disorder, there is typically no need to add calcium to your dog’s diet if you feed it well-balanced commercial dog food.

As a result, you run the danger of giving your pooch too much calcium in the blood by feeding them too much calcium

But if you feed your dog a raw food diet, you’ll also need to give it calcium. The best source for this is eggshells.

That said, feeding bleached eggshells from the grocery store to your dog is another issue.

The ideal eggshells to give your dog are those that haven’t been bleached because these have been chemically sanitized.

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What Other Alternative To Eggshells Can Dogs Eat?

Eggshells can give your dog extra calcium and important amino acids, but giving your dog too much calcium has hazards. Here, moderation is crucial.

We developed a list of other options and their health advantages to keeping your canine companion content and developing.

Honey: Vitamins A, B, C, D, E, and K, as well as potassium, calcium, magnesium, copper, and antioxidants, are all found in abundance in honey. Because it introduces little amounts of pollen into their systems and helps them develop an immunity to allergens, feeding dogs small amounts of honey can assist with allergies.

Bones: it contains a lot of calcium. You can offer your dog raw bones as a treat. Dog bones can be safely included in your dog’s diet. You don’t have to be worried they might choke on them, simply crush the bones into a powder and add it to your dog’s food.

Coconut: Coconut’s lauric acid, which has antibacterial and antiviral qualities, makes it safe for your dog to eat. It can aid with bad breath in addition to treating skin conditions like hot spots, flea allergies, and itchy skin.

Unsalted Peanut Butter: An excellent source of protein is unsalted peanut butter. Also, it is a rich source of niacin, heart-healthy lipids, and vitamins B and E. Read the label carefully to ensure that the peanut butter does not include xylitol, a sugar alternative that can be harmful to dogs.

Conclusion

By now, it’s clear to you that dogs can eat eggshells because of the nutritional value to your hound’s health.

However, if you want them to have full health benefits, you will have to prepare the shells properly.

Your dog’s digestive tract can’t break down shells, so they will need to be in powder form.

Calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium are three crucial minerals that can be found in abundance in eggshells.

These minerals are essential for your dog’s overall health, strong bones, and teeth.

Before introducing eggshells to your dog’s diet, be sure to consult your veterinarian because, for some dogs, too much calcium might be harmful.

That said if this article has provided you with the information you need about dogs and eggshells then make sure you share this with your friends and loved ones.