Don’t Walk on Eggshells, Give them to your Dog!

While raw eggs are not recommended to feed to dogs because of the high risk of salmonella contamination, eggshells are a great source of calcium for your pets. Calcium is needed for normal growth, strong bones, teeth, and claws, as well as optimum muscle contraction. Using raw meaty bones as a calcium source is the most common way to provide calcium to your pets. Raw bones can usually be fed whole. Although, some people who prefer to feed ground up bones find it hard to get a hold of the equipment needed to grind the bones for homemade raw meat diets.

However, eggshells present a healthy, balanced calcium source mainly due to some trace amounts of other minerals contained in the shells. There is a combination of 27 different mineral micro-elements in eggshell and the composition is very similar to those found in bones and teeth.

• The advantages of using eggshells include:
• Eggshells provide one of nature’s best natural sources of calcium
• Powdered eggshells are easy to digest and are adequately absorbed by the digestive system
• Using powdered eggshells in combination with magnesium and vitamin D3 (like cod liver oil) improves bone mineral density.

A great way to powder the shells is to use a coffee grinder. This works much better than a food processor or blender. Feel free to use a variety of eggshells sourced from either chicken, duck or goose eggs. When supplementing your dog’s diet with calcium, it is important to note that the calcium and phosphorus levels are correct. They need to be delicately balanced in order to keep the body healthy. A ratio of 1.5 parts calcium to 1 part phosphorus is appropriate for most dogs. Feeding any of our complete and balanced diets will give you piece of mind, as they are properly formulated with the appropriate calcium and phosphorus ratios for proper skeletal growth.