Can Dogs Eat Eggs? Yes, but Raw Ones Come With a Catch

Cooked eggs are a good treat for most dogs. Here's how much to give by weight, and why raw eggs, shells and deviled eggs need a second look.

Written byMiki Rapoport

Verified by expertAdam Polosetski, DVMVeterinarian & Pet Nugget co-founder

Published October 12, 2026Reviewed October 12, 2026 6 min

An adult yellow Labrador retriever lies on a kitchen floor beside a cracked raw egg, the kind of moment that makes owners ask if dogs can eat eggs

You're cracking eggs for breakfast, and she's right there, watching your hands. Yes, dogs can eat eggs, and a plain cooked egg is a good treat for most dogs.

The catch is serving them raw. There's the salmonella risk, plus avidin in raw egg white, a protein that binds biotin (a B vitamin) so her body can't use it.^[1]^[2]

Cooking takes care of both. Scrambled, boiled or poached eggs are the way to go. Deviled eggs are one of the dishes that aren't okay, though.

Are eggs good for dogs?

Yes, eggs have protein, fatty acids, iron, folate, riboflavin, selenium, vitamin A and vitamin B12, and the AKC points to those nutrients for her skin and coat.^[2]

The yolk has vitamins A, D, E and K and most of the fat.^[1]

One large egg has about 74 calories and about 5 grams of fat, while the white alone has about 19 calories and no fat.^[6]^[7] That's why the amount table gives a 20 pound dog half an egg, not a whole one.

Can dogs eat raw eggs?

You're better off cooking them. Raw eggs can carry salmonella, which can make her sick with fever, vomiting, diarrhea or low energy, and you can pick it up when you handle the eggs or clean up after her.^[2]^[3]

Then there's the avidin in raw egg white. It binds biotin and keeps her body from absorbing it. Biotin deficiency is rare in dogs, but feeding raw whites regularly is how it can happen.^[2]^[1]

Cooking neutralizes avidin.^[1]

You'll also see biotin on our Pet Nugget chew label: 50 mcg per 2 chews.

Can dogs eat scrambled eggs, boiled eggs or fried eggs?

A young tricolor beagle waits by her bowl as a spoonful of plain scrambled egg is added to her kibble, a simple way to serve eggs to dogs — A young beagle getting a spoonful of plain scrambled egg on her kibble.

Scrambled, yes. Hard-boiled and poached too. The one rule is plain: no butter, no oil, no salt, nothing sprinkled on top.^[1]^[2]

Honestly the easiest way is to make hers first. Crack one into a nonstick pan, stir it till it's set, scoop out her bit and let it cool on a plate while you finish yours. A spoonful on top of her kibble is plenty.

Hard-boiled works if you cook it until the yolk is completely firm, let it cool and cut it up small, because some dogs will swallow a big piece whole.^[1]^[3] Leftovers keep in the fridge for about four days.^[1]

Fried eggs are a skip, sunny side up or not. They're almost always made in butter or oil, which is the same problem as scrambled eggs with cheese melted in: more fat than she needs, and Hill's points out the extra fat turns into extra weight over time.^[3]

How many eggs can a dog eat?

Pet Nugget infographic for dog owners: can dogs eat eggs, which egg dishes are fine, which to go easy on or skip, and how much cooked egg by weight, with a young beagle — Can dogs eat eggs? A quick guide to egg dishes and amounts by weight.

Fewer than she'd like. PetMD's vet-reviewed guide puts it at one or two times a week, with the serving sized to her weight, and it counts as a treat.^[1] All her treats together should stay under about 10% of what she eats, and her regular balanced food covers the rest.^[1]

Cooked egg amounts by dog weight (PetMD)
Dog's weight	Egg per serving	How often
2 to 10 lb	1/4 egg	1 to 2 times a week
11 to 20 lb	1/2 egg	1 to 2 times a week
21 to 50 lb	1 egg	1 to 2 times a week
51 to 90 lb	1 1/2 eggs	1 to 2 times a week
91 lb and up	2 eggs	1 to 2 times a week

For her first try, give her less than the amounts in the table. Too much egg at once can give her gas, a bloated belly or diarrhea, especially if she hasn't had it before.^[1]

Puppies can have egg too, just in smaller amounts.^[1]^[2]

Can dogs eat eggshells?

A senior golden retriever with a grey muzzle rests her chin on the counter and sniffs a bowl of broken eggshells next to a basket of brown eggs — A senior golden retriever sniffing a bowl of eggshells.

They can, but you can't just toss a crushed shell into her food. Shells have calcium, but their sharp edges can scratch her throat or insides.^[2]

If you want to use shells, PetMD says to bake or boil them first (unless the eggs are pasteurized), then grind them into a fine powder. Add only a small amount, with your vet's OK.^[1] Calcium isn't something to guess at, and the AKC notes there are easier ways to add it.^[2]

The thin membrane inside the shell is sold as a joint supplement, and eating shells isn't the same as using that product. One 2016 study of 51 dogs with stiff or sore joints found some improvement in pain scores compared to placebo.^[4]

It's a "maybe", not proof. The company that makes that membrane product funded the study, and its main measure didn't hold up at six weeks.

Deviled eggs, egg salad and eggs with bacon

A young Pembroke Welsh corgi sits on a living room rug and gazes up at a platter of deviled eggs on the coffee table, a dish dogs should skip — A young corgi eyeing a plate of deviled eggs on the coffee table.

Keep these off her plate. Deviled eggs and egg salad usually have mayo and seasoning, and a lot of recipes add onion, chives or garlic, which are toxic to dogs. They can break down her red blood cells, and signs include vomiting, weakness, a fast heart rate, panting and red or dark urine.^[5]

If she's eaten something with onion or garlic in it, call your vet or ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 (a fee may apply).^[10]

Bacon and eggs is more of a fat problem than a toxic one. Bacon is salty and fatty, and fatty table scraps are a known trigger for pancreatitis in dogs.^[8] A plain egg on the side is fine, but the bacon grease isn't. Skip egg rolls too, since they're fried and the filling often has onion and garlic.

Can dogs with pancreatitis eat eggs?

Ask your vet first. It depends on her.

Most of an egg's fat is in the yolk, and PetMD says to give her only the whites or skip eggs if she's had pancreatitis, is overweight or is on a low fat diet.^[1] After a fatty snack, watch for not wanting to eat, vomiting, low energy, a sore belly and loose stools.^[8]

With your vet's OK, a little cooked egg white is the leanest option. Each egg white has about 19 calories and no fat.^[7]

What about duck eggs, and eggs with rice?

An adult brown-and-white mixed-breed dog lies by a bowl of plain rice with chopped egg, a brown chicken egg and a pale duck egg beside it — A mixed-breed dog by a bowl of rice and egg, with a duck egg beside it.

Cooked, plain duck eggs are fine, and egg with rice is a classic upset tummy meal. Hill's says eggs may help settle an upset stomach.^[3] If she's been throwing up, check the signs that mean it's time to call the vet about vomiting before you start cooking.

Use the same rules for duck eggs, but give her less. They're bigger and richer: one duck egg is about 130 calories and almost 10 grams of fat, close to double a chicken egg.^[9]

What if eggs don't agree with her?

If she shows signs of a reaction after eggs, stop feeding them and call your vet. Trouble breathing or a swollen face means you need to call right now.

Egg allergies aren't common, but they do happen.^[1]^[2] Watch for itching or hives, itchy ears, paws or face, swelling, vomiting, diarrhea, or coughing and trouble breathing.^[2]^[1]

Try new foods one at a time so you can tell which one causes trouble. If you're adding a few extras to her bowl, like plain yogurt for dogs or cooked cabbage, try them a few days apart.

Sources and further reading

Routine Skin & coat

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