Can Dogs Eat Raw Eggs? Benefits, Risks & How Often to Feed

Can dogs eat raw eggs? Yes—but there are a few things you need to get right first.

Raw eggs can be a highly nutritious addition to your dog’s diet, providing protein, healthy fats, and essential vitamins.

But questions about salmonella, eggshells, and how often to feed them come up again and again.

I’ve been feeding raw eggs to my dogs since 2015—starting with my Boxer mixes Missy and Buzz, and now with Wally and my Lab puppy Pepper. In this guide, I’ll show you exactly how I do it safely and how you can add raw eggs to your dog’s diet with confidence.

Now, in this blog post, I’ll talk about the benefits of raw eggs for dogs as well as:

• Benefits of raw eggs for dogs
• Which eggs to feed
• How often to feed raw eggs
• When it’s safe to include the shell
• Salmonella: what you actually need to know
• Easy ways to add raw eggs to your dog’s meals

The Benefits Of Raw Eggs for Dogs

Raw eggs for dogs are a great, inexpensive, and complete source of protein.

That’s because they contain all 8 essential amino acids, the building blocks of protein.

They also contain lots of minerals & vitamins:

• Iron
• Vitamin A
• Vitamin D
• Phosphorus
• Calcium
• Thiamine
• Folate
• Riboflavin

To top it all off, adding a few raw eggs to a dog’s diet will result in a shiny, glossy, healthy coat, because they also contain Omega-3 fatty acids!

Raw eggs also help dogs with itchy skin. More on that in the next section.

Since the membrane is rich in natural glucosamine, collagen and hyaluronic acid, (organic) raw eggs also support your dog’s joint health.

Which Raw Eggs Should I Feed My Dog?

You can feed your dog chicken eggs, duck eggs or quail eggs. If you’re lucky, you can find all 3 at your local grocery store.

My Harris Teeter in NC carries all three.

If your dog doesn’t do well with chicken in general, he likely also won’t do well with chicken eggs – like my pup Wally!

So in that case, the chicken eggs won’t help your dog with itchy skin.

But the good news is that you can feed them duck eggs and/or quail eggs instead.

Other than that, you can buy them at Farmer’s Markets, on Etsy and even on Amazon – I’ve found fresh duck eggs on Etsy and quail eggs on Amazon.

But either way, it’s best to feed your dog organic raw eggs from pasture-raised birds.

That’s because they’re a lot more nutritious than eggs from caged birds that never get to enjoy sunlight (which means lower vitamin D levels) and are fed a soy- and grain-rich diet.

Soy and grains are rich in Omega-6 fatty acids that can increase inflammation in the body and lead to issues like itchiness, excessive licking, and hot spots.

Just like eggs, vitamin D is also found in whole oily fish—so learning how to feed raw fish for Omega-3s and vitamin D can be another powerful way to support your dog’s overall health.

Good to know: Organic eggs must come from birds fed organic, vegetarian feed.

The picture below features organic raw eggs from Pete and Gerry’s. I like to store them in the fridge in this pretty ceramic egg holder.

They’re also GMO and pesticide free, and have been produced without any added growth hormones or antibiotics. 

The organic Pete & Gerry’s eggs I buy at our local grocery store are raised and handled in a certified humane way on small family farms in the Northeast.

Of course you can also buy organic, fresh eggs from a local farm or Farmer’s market in your neck of the woods!

Just make sure to ask how their chickens (or ducks/quails) are raised and what they’re fed.

Dog Food Ideas with Raw Eggs

I’ve experimented with a few different ways of how to actually feed the raw eggs to my dogs.

Cracked Raw Egg Over Dog Food

One option is to mash the raw egg up with the raw dog food right inside the food bowl. 

Poke a Hole Into The Raw Egg

Another option is to place the raw egg into the food bowl and simply poke a hole into the egg.

This is a little more challenging on a mental level as the pups will have to break up the rest of the egg themselves.

Feed Your Dog The Raw Egg Whole

Taking it up yet another notch as far as the mental challenge is concerned would be to add the raw egg to the food without poking any holes into it.

The very first time I did this for Missy & Buzz it took them both 5+ minutes to figure out how to eat it. 

They actually both ate the food surrounding the egg first, then grabbed the egg with their mouths, and placed it outside of their food bowls.

To me, that was OK because I would line their eating area in our dining room with doggie towels.

The pups liked to drag their edible raw meaty bones onto their towels as well.

Tip: You can also feed your dog the whole egg outside.

What followed next was interesting to watch and I wish I had videotaped it!

They nudged the egg with their muzzles and rolled it around, licked it every now and then, and finally picked it up with their mouths and gave it a good crunch.

My Feist mix Wally loves his raw eggs, too!

He mostly eats raw duck eggs these days because he has chicken and quail allergies.

When I give him a whole raw egg outside in the yard, he pokes a hole into it, sucks out the egg, and leaves the shell behind on the grass.

Add Raw Eggs to Dry Kibble For An Extra Nutrient Boost

You can also add a raw egg to your dog’s dry food if you feed kibble.

It will not only add variety to the meal, but also a ton of nutritional value!

Remember that eggs are a complete source of protein as they contain all 8 essential amino acids.  

I suggested this approach to one of my pet sitting clients whose Boxer mix Rebel had skin issues where she was itchy and dandruffy quite a bit.

My neighbor’s pup Jack gets a raw cracked egg over his kibble twice per week as well.

He’s a German Shepherd mix and the picture below features him in my kitchen when I watched him for a few days.

Can Dogs Eat Eggshell?

You can probably guess the answer since one of the pictures above features eggshells – yes, they can.

As a matter of fact, eggshells are filled with nutritious calcium.

The membrane lining between the eggshell and the egg is also highly nutritious because it contains chondroitin, glucosamine, collagen and hyaluronic acid.

All of those are particularly great for dogs with joint pain.

But you can only feed your dog the eggshell if your eggs are organic.

If they’re not organic, you should toss the shell because it will have been sprayed with a chemical to reduce bacteria.

Good to know: Although eggshells are rich in calcium, they can’t be used as a replacement for raw meaty bones because they don’t have any phosphorus.

What About The Risk Of Salmonella?

The risk of a dog getting sick with salmonella from eating raw eggs is slim to none. 

Remember that a dog’s digestive system differs tremendously from our human one and is a lot more acidic.

That’s exactly why they don’t have trouble consuming a raw meat diet in the first place! 

After all, that’s what they would be eating in the wild.

Or have you ever heard of a dog who stole a live chicken and roasted it over a campfire or boiled the egg in hot water first?

Of course not!

However, if you’re unsure of feeding your dog raw eggs, you can also offer them hard boiled eggs or scrambled eggs.

Just make sure you serve them without salt or any other condiments.

Bottom Line

So, can dogs eat raw eggs? Why yes, they certainly can!

Raw eggs are a superfood for dogs because they’re a complete source of protein as they contain all 8 essential amino acids.

Additionally, they’re also rich in other nourishing vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin D, Calcium and Iron.

As a raw feeder, I add raw eggs to my dogs’ food bowls several times per week.

But even if you don’t feed raw dog food, your dog will benefit from a cracked raw egg over their kibble or canned dog food.

Remember, it’s great for coat health and can really help turn your dog’s dull coat into a shiny one.

Does your pup get an occasional raw egg or have you been thinking about introducing them?

As always, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section below this blog post! For more raw feeding resources, visit my full homemade raw dog food library.

Content Related to Raw Eggs for Dogs

• Quick start guide to raw dog food
• Your raw feeding FAQs answered
• Can I feed raw duck eggs for dogs?
• How to make eggshell powder for dogs
• Raw chicken for dogs: How to feed, where to buy & more

Barbara Rivers

Barbara Rivers is the founder of K9sOverCoffee and a raw feeding educator with over a decade of hands-on experience.

She has fed raw in the US and Europe since 2015, after her Boxer mix Missy’s cancer diagnosis led her to move away from processed kibble and commit to species-appropriate nutrition.

As a former professional dog walker, she developed deep insight into canine behavior, conditioning, and the essential link between proper exercise and long-term health.

Barbara completed online training with veterinarian Dr. Marion Smart and Labrador breeder Dana Scott and works for one of Germany’s leading raw dog food brands, BARFER’S.

In 2026–2027, she is completing a year-long raw nutrition certification for dogs and cats at THP School, founded by raw feeding pioneer Swanie Simon.

Through her blog and weekly newsletter, she provides clear, experience-based guidance to help dog owners feed raw safely and confidently.