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Eggs
By
Pat McKay (as
posted to the Wellpet List)
Hi,
This is Pat McKay.
Eggs
are an excellent source of complete protein and are easily
digested. They contain all the essential amino acids and the
following nutrients: vitamins A, B2, D and E, niacin, biotin,
copper, iron, sulphur, phosphorus and unsaturated fatty acids.
The egg yolk is the richest known source of choline, which
is necessary for emulsifying or dispersing cholesterol throughout
the system.
By
the way, dogs and cats do not have the cholesterol problems
that people have. Because they are carnivores, their systems
assimilate fats and oils more efficiently. Raw fats and oils,
of course.
Egg
yolks should be fed raw. The whites should be cooked until
the clear part of the egg turns white. Egg whites can cause
a loss of biotin in the system. If you only feed one or two
eggs to a large dog occasionally, it is not a problem. If
you are feeding on a regular basis (once a week) one egg per
10 pounds of body weight, then you should soft-boil the egg.
One or two minutes is sufficient. You want the white to be
very gooey, and the yolk
(yellow) not cooked at all.
If
you are traveling or in some situation where you do not have
facilities for boiling water, just take very hot water from
the tap and let the eggs soak for five minutes to destroy
the avidin, which is the protein that interferes with the
absorption of biotin.
Hard-boiled
eggs should be fed very seldom, perhaps not at all, because
cooking makes them very hard to digest. Do not feed the shell
under any circumstances. When animals eat eggs or eggshells
in the wild, the shell is still very fresh and soft. If the
egg is a few hours old or has been cooked, the shell hardens.
The edges of the broken shell become very sharp, which can
cause internal bleeding.
The
main concern with eggs is their quality and freshness. Make
sure they come from healthy, free-range-fed chickens that
have not been fed antibiotics, hormones or other drugs. Of
course it goes without saying that chickens who are caged
and mutilated by having their beaks and nails cut are so stressed
that they cannot be healthy or produce quality eggs.
Organic
eggs are much higher in nutritional value than regular commercial
eggs. If the eggs are fertile as well, they will contain beneficial
growth hormones. keep eggs in a covered container because
they will stay fresh longer. Try to use the eggs within one
week of purchase.
One
to eight eggs at a meal, depending on the size of the animal,
is about right. Approx. 1 egg for every 10 pounds of body
weight. Under 10 pounds gets one egg. Over 80 pounds, 8 eggs
is still sufficient.
The
most important point is that the yolk should NOT be cooked!
This is probably more than you ever wanted to know about eggs.
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