Can you add water to raw dog food

Benefits and Risks of Adding Raw Egg to Dog Food

Whether you feed your dog an entirely raw food diet or are just looking for some fresh supplements to add to your dog's kibble, raw eggs for dogs are a popular choice. There are nutritional benefits to feeding raw eggs though risks as well that you should consider before adding them to your dog's meals.

Can I Feed My Dog Raw Egg?

You'll find differing opinions on whether it's safe to feed dogs raw eggs. Some experts contend that dogs have been eating eggs from nests for centuries and it's only recently that owners have fed them only commercially prepared kibble. On the other hand, veterinarians argue that there are real risks of not only foodborne illness but also nutritional problems inherent with putting a raw egg in dog food.

Risks of Feeding Raw Eggs to Dogs

One of the risks that veterinarians are concerned about is the possibility of foodborne illnesses, such as salmonella. Bacteria like e. coli, listeria, and salmonella can be a problem with any raw food where there is no cooking to kill these pathogens. PetMD does note that there as yet have not been any serious health-related events involving the feeding of raw eggs to dogs. However, this does not mean that one couldn't happen in the future. There's also always the risk to humans when handling raw food, and that should be a consideration if you're not following safe food handling practices.

If your dog is raw-fed, their gastric pH is lower, and better equipped to handle raw eggs and other raw foods than those that are fed kibble. That doesn't necessarily mean dogs that are kibble-fed shouldn't be fed raw eggs, but you may notice some diarrhea or loose stool when first starting to incorporate the raw eggs into a kibble-fed dog's diet.

Biotin Deficiency and Avidin

Another concern about adding raw eggs to a dog's food is the presence of the enzyme avidin. Egg whites are high in avidin, and it can cause problems with biotin absorption. Biotin, or vitamin B7, found in egg yolks, is critical for a dog's health, and disruption in biotin processing can harm cell growth and fat metabolism, as well as affect the health of a dog's coat and skin. Feeding a dog a raw egg occasionally is not likely to cause problems between avidin and biotin, but the more often they are fed, the higher the risk. However, raw egg feeders also respond that biotin deficiency is quite rare and you would have to feed the average dog eight to 10 eggs a day to create the conditions for it to occur.

Eggshell Hazards and Dogs

There's also a concern that allowing a dog to eat a raw egg, including the eggshell, can be a choking hazard. It could also cause dental problems if a shard cuts into a dog's gums. Some raw dog feeders take the raw egg shells and allow them to dry, then run them through a coffee grinder or a blender, thus removing the chance of choking and dental damage. You can mix the eggshell powder you create into their dog food and even keep it in an airtight container for future use.

Nutritional Imbalance

Eggs can also upset a dog's nutritional imbalance, especially if you're feeding them to a smaller dog and more often. While eggs contain many wonderful nutrients, they're also high in cholesterol, although there's little evidence that dogs get the same types of diseases that humans do from cholesterol. Another concern is the digestibility of protein. A study on humans found that when humans ate cooked eggs, they were able to absorb 90% of protein from the eggs whereas they only were able to absorb 50% from the raw eggs. However, while that's a striking difference, it should be noted this was a study on humans, not dogs, and the sample size of five patients for the study is very small.

Benefits of Mixing Raw Eggs With Dog Food

On the other hand, there are many raw dog food enthusiasts who contend that there are more benefits to feeding raw eggs to dogs than risks. Free-range eggs are better than caged eggs, and organic eggs are even better still. The more natural the egg, the better it is for your dog and the healthier it will be for you to eat as well. Some of the benefits of feeding raw eggs include:

• Eggs are an excellent source of protein, linoleic acid, riboflavin, folate, iron, selenium, and vitamins A and B12.
• Essential fatty acids are found in eggs. These nutrients serve as the building blocks for cell membranes and help your dog absorb the vitamins A, E, and K.
• Eggshells contain calcium and phosphorus, which are especially important for growing dogs. The shells also contain protein.
• Cooked eggs are good for dogs, but cooking destroys a portion of the nutritional benefits, such as the amino acids, making raw eggs a better option.
• Mixing raw egg into a dog's kibble can help entice a dog to eat and make it more palatable.

How Many Raw Eggs Can Dogs Eat?

Whether you decide to feed raw or cooked eggs, they should be fed to your dog in moderation. You can start with one a day or every other day and monitor your dog's weight to see if you need to modify this schedule if they start to pack on pounds. You also want to keep an eye on your dog for any signs of vomiting or diarrhea as eggs could possibly upset a sensitive dog's stomach. Another way to determine the proper amount is to keep eggs to 10% of your dog's daily calories, and an egg is about 70 calories.

Is Adding Raw Eggs to Dog Food Healthy?

There are definite pros and cons to the debate over feeding dogs raw eggs. There's no doubt that eggs, whether raw or cooked, provide many beneficial nutrients to dogs. As with any decision about your dog's diet and health, speak to your veterinarian to help you decide how you want to feed eggs to your dog, and make sure you monitor your dog's health for negative, as well as positive, side effects of feeding raw eggs.

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Raw dog food the big questions

Raw dog food diets have been around as long as dogs and their ancestors have been around. Until the creation of dry dog food and canned dog food, dogs lived off raw meat, scraps and anything they could scavenge.

You may have heard of the old English expression as fit as a butchers dog, which implies that a dog living off meat, bones and offal is likely to be in fine fettle.

However, after the creation and growth of mass-market dog food, domestic dogs diets changed and the feeding of raw dog food became less common. That is until recent years

Raw food for dogs has increased in popularity in recent years; some of it homemade, some produced by cottage industries, but increasingly provided by medium to large companies for a national market.

What are the best raw dog foods?

Some work on the prey model, which is an 80% meat, 10% ground bone, 10% organ meat (offal) blend. Others use the recipes akin to the Biologically Appropriate Raw Food (BARF) model, which includes a small percentage of vegetables.

Both kinds profess an authenticity based on dogs evolutionary diets.

It being something new (but also very old) it has generated a lot of doubt, cynicism and questions alongside its popularity.

We put some of the questions we most frequently get asked by readers to Amy Zalneraitis, the CBO at 5-star-rated We Feed Raw.

Is raw dog food safe for dogs?

AZ: Raw dog food is not only safe for dogs, its what is most biologically appropriate for them. Dogs have thrived on a raw, meat-based diet since the dawn of their existence. While weve domesticated dogs and bred them for their appearance, behavior, and temperament, in form and function, their digestive system is identical to their ancestors. With highly acidic stomachs, sharp, pointy teeth, and short, simple digestive tracts, a dogs biology tells us what they should be eating.

So any raw food will do?

Not all raw pet foods are created equal. We use only high-quality, USDA, human-grade meats. We produce our recipes in a USDA-certified facility and all ingredients must comply with rigid incoming quality assurance specifications. Most importantly, to ensure safe raw feeding in the home, we use HPP (high-pressure processing) a non-thermal pasteurization technology that uses extreme cold water pressure (up to 87,000 psi) to ensure our food is free of pathogens such as Listeria, E. coli, and Salmonella.

While not all raw companies in the U.S. do this, we incur the extra cost because it ensures a safe product. Because the process uses pressure rather than heat, there is no change in product taste, texture, or nutritional value.

Is raw dog food safe for humans?

It depends if you mean to eat or handle. While our food is sourced from USDA, human-grade meats, our recipes are not intended for human consumption. Our formulas contain the correct ratio of muscle meat, organ meat, finely ground bone and a high-quality vitamin and mineral mix for full and proper canine nutrition, not full and proper human nutrition.

As for handling, dogs can cope with bacteria in ways that humans cant, but HPP offers extra peace of mind while feeding raw in the home. HPP is used by many reputable raw pet food companies because its a natural way to reduce harmful bacteria while preserving nutrients.

When youre purchasing raw pet food from a reputable company, its easy to feed raw food safely you use the same basic hygiene practices you use when preparing your own raw meats to cook, like washing hands, surfaces, and bowls.

Its more expensive than kibble why should I spend extra?

Because the quality of the food our dogs eat has a direct impact on how well they live. Eighty percent of immune capability is in the gut and low-carb raw diets help to promote healthy gut microflora. Raw food will always be more expensive because quality costs more. Hands down, raw costs more to source and make and its not packed with cheap fillers. While youll pay more upfront with raw, youll save money down the line because youll have a healthier, happier dog and far fewer vet visits.

Why wouldnt I just make raw food at home?

If youre a DIY raw feeder, amazing! Great job! But weve found that many pet parents dont have the time, energy, interest, or resources to make properly balanced raw food at home. Thats where we come in. We plan, portion, package, and deliver. All you have to do is thaw and feed. No concern that your dog is missing important nutrients, no trips to the pet food store, no guesswork.

Do dogs need vegetables?

Our recipes are based on the Prey Model Raw diet: approximately 80% muscle meat (with connective tissue and fat), 10% organ meat (all of which is secreting organ), 10% finely ground raw meaty bones plus a small amount of a high-quality vitamin and mineral mix.

Some of our customers will choose to add veggies to the meals, and thats great, as long as they dont overdo it. If your dog does well with a bit of extra fiber, our Ph.D. nutritionist suggests around a 5-8% veggie inclusion. With dogs, plant matter usually passes out as part of the stool, undigested because their bodies have to work much harder to break it down.

We usually recommend pureeing veggies: dogs do not have natural cellulase, an enzyme that helps to break down fiber, so pureeing them will help aid in digestion.

Do I need to add supplements?

Not with our food. Our food is complete and balanced as is. No need to add supplements. That said, its totally fine to add a small amount of your preferred probiotic, prebiotic, fish oil or omega-3 oil, etc. We just advise that pet parents dont add a multivitamin, as we already include a high-quality vitamin and mineral mix to our recipes.

When it comes to adding other whole foods, like canned pumpkin, phytoplankton, sardines, green-lipped mussels, etc, these can be wonderful, healthy additions and we totally support those as toppers to our meals.

Are there any proven benefits to a raw diet?

A dogs digestive system is identical to its ancestors. They didnt lose the ability to digest their evolutionary diet just because kibble was invented mere seconds ago in geologic time. Therefore, isnt it prudent to imitate what nature provided as a guideline?

As for specific studies, were excited about the work being done at the University of Helsinki on the benefits of a raw dog food diet. Led by veterinary scientist Dr. Anna-Hielm Bjrkman (DVM and PhD), The Dog Risk Study is a university-led, cruelty-free study using 16,000 dogs of all breeds and ages.

The program has already proven that puppies fed raw (vs kibble) have fewer environmental allergies as adults and a reduced risk of developing IBD later in life. Some of the other specific studies its exploring include hip dysplasia, GI issues, chronic ear infections, cancer and tumors.

How do I transition my dog to raw food?

Our intro plan helps to gradually introduce dogs to raw food over a 10-day period. The detailed directions instruct pet parents on how to mix their pups current food with We Feed Raw and increase the percentage of We Feed Raw over the course of 9 days until theyre feeding 100% raw.

What are the best raw dog foods?

Will there be side effects?

While some dogs transition to raw with no issues, other dogs with sensitive stomachs may require a bit more TLC and time. Its all normal. The long-term effects of a healthy, species-appropriate diet make it all worth it: smaller, less smelly stools, shiny skin and coat, cleaner teeth, improved digestion, stronger immune system, better weight control the list goes on.

Can I mix raw food with cooked food?

Yes, absolutely. We encourage pet parents to feed what works for their budget and lifestyle. Adding even 25% raw food to your dogs diet can have life-changing health benefits. Raw feeding isnt an all-or-nothing approach. Using it as a base, mixer, or topper with cooked food or kibble can still have amazing overall health benefits.

Why are some vets anti-raw food?

Were seeing a real shift with conventional vets becoming more raw-friendly. In fact, we work with many conventional vets who not only recommend raw to their clients but feed it to their own pets.

So while the tide is changing, here are some reasons that conventional vets may not be pro-raw: 1) Theyre not taught about raw diets in vet school; 2) Theyve seen homemade raw diets go wrong (imbalanced, missing important nutrients, incorrect ratios); 3) They think its a danger to the humans feeding it. However, serious and reputable raw brands in the U.S., like our company, use HPP to neutralize pathogens for safe feeding in the home.

Is raw dog food human-grade?

Raw dog food is meant to be fed raw and usually contains bone, and therefore cannot technically be labeled human-grade as a whole. So while our food is sourced from high-quality human-grade meats and produced in a USDA-certified facility, we do not make the human-grade claim on our labels.

Are bones and offal actually good for dogs?

Not only are they good for dogs, theyre essential to a complete and balanced raw diet. Organ meats, particularly liver, are packed with vitamins and minerals. Bones are an excellent source of calcium and phosphorus.