# Eggs



## adamdude04 (Apr 15, 2010)

I've been giving my pup raw eggs mixed in with his food daily.. 

is this good?

I also mix in canned green beans, raw steak, an apples. Never mix everything together.. most the time it's eggs (cheap) and other meals it'll be other stuff.


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## Rott-n-GSDs (Jul 7, 2010)

When you say you're mixing eggs in with his food... do you mean kibble? Or are you just mixing in a bunch of stuff (eggs, beans, steak, apples, etc.) and using that as his main food?

If you're supplementing kibble, you just want to make sure you aren't giving too many "extras." You don't want him to get overweight.

If you're not feeding kibble, you'll want to make sure you feed a balanced diet. With a raw prey model (RPM) diet, you want to feed 80% meat, 10% bone, 10% organ (all raw). I am unfamiliar with the BARF diet, since I feed RPM, but I do know that the vegetables cannot simply be fed whole and raw, because they have to be pureed in order for the dog to be able to digest them enough to use them.

As far as mixing raw with kibble, it's generally not a good idea because of the different digestion rates. If you want to feed both raw and kibble, it's best to wait 12 hours in between a raw meal and a kibble meal.


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## adamdude04 (Apr 15, 2010)

kibble.. for example for dinner tonight I filled his bowl with food. Cracked an egg over it then used a fork to kinda mix it in. Dinner is served.

Same setup when mixing in meat or green beans.


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## Cluemanti (Jun 25, 2010)

Think he is referring to "his food" as kibble. I find it hard to believe someone who is feeding RAW is asking about supplementing eggs.

But yes eggs are fine. I would avoid mixing it everyday because you will find a very picky eater in the future. Many users give RAW eggs a few times a week. 

There was just a few threads on this. If you use the search on the forum you will find tons of responses.


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## Gib Laut (Feb 21, 2010)

Good for you for supplementing the diet with fresh foods. Eggs are a complete protein source and good addition though I would caution being reliant upon any one source of food for a dog. Try to find other foods to supplement when on sale and keep in your freezer to save on cost, including things like fish occasionally. As far as veg goes, you can add fresh if you puree it first. You should add a digestive enzyme since you are feeding kibble. Here are a few easy recipes for adding fresh food to the diet. 

http://www.homevet.com/petcare/documents/FreshFoodSupplement.pdf



Rott-n-GSDs said:


> As far as mixing raw with kibble, it's generally not a good idea because of the different digestion rates. If you want to feed both raw and kibble, it's best to wait 12 hours in between a raw meal and a kibble meal.


This is not necessarily true. Newer studies in gastric emptying times are refuting much of the scientific information that stated this previously. You can mix the two together, most dogs will have no issue with this. I don't know what kibble you are feeding but based on your post, I am guessing a decent one.


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## Rott-n-GSDs (Jul 7, 2010)

Gib Laut said:


> This is not necessarily true. Newer studies in gastric emptying times are refuting much of the scientific information that stated this previously. You can mix the two together, most dogs will have no issue with this. I don't know what kibble you are feeding but based on your post, I am guessing a decent one.


Thank you for this information. I had wondered why so many dogs seem to have no problem with it.

I'm not sure whether your comment about what kind of kibble was made to me or the OP, but I actually don't feed kibble... just straight raw.


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## Gib Laut (Feb 21, 2010)

Rott-n-GSDs said:


> Thank you for this information. I had wondered why so many dogs seem to have no problem with it.
> 
> I'm not sure whether your comment about what kind of kibble was made to me or the OP, but I actually don't feed kibble... just straight raw.


Sorry, was to the OP! Should have been clearer in my writing!!!


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## adamdude04 (Apr 15, 2010)

I thought about a RAW diet..but honsetly, I don't have the time/storage for such at this point in time. I am however, trying my best to add in added fresh stuff with the kibble so he can get the most out of life. I'm sure once I get back into a bigger home (place is only 1,200sq ft..) i'll switch to a raw diet as I plan to have a second fridge, and stand alone freezer. My garage is too small for luxury items right now..

Right now he's on Puppy Chow, the blue bag of death from wally world. This is what the breeder had him on. I've decided to wait until he is older to start researching other brands to switch too. Costco's "Kirkland Signature" scored a 110 of a 100 and is $40 per 40lbs (or something like that) so cost meats quality in my eyes! 

But like I said..I mix in fresh stuff with his food to give him some added quality. I also have him on 100% all natural pet treats from Petco (dunno if they 100% good tho) and he loves em..esp the "chocolate chip cookies" which look good sitting on my counter!

I also give him apples or carrats durring the day as a snack/treats. This I use for training/snack times. Apples to him are as exciting as Christmas to a 8yr old! The cookies, he gets on multiple commands, such as "Sit. High-five (he knows hand signal so it's mixed). Shake. Lay down (hand signal). Stay (also backed by hand signal). Then I walk to the farthest point. Lay down the cookie, walk back to him or my seat. Wait for about 10 seconds, then say "go get it" and he runs to it, picks it up, brings it back to me, lays down, then eats it.


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## Rott-n-GSDs (Jul 7, 2010)

adamdude04 said:


> Right now he's on Puppy Chow, the blue bag of death from wally world.


Honestly... brand bias aside, I wouldn't have a GSD puppy on a puppy food. Large breed dogs need the proper balance of calcium/phosphorus... and most puppy foods don't have it (though I will say that Wellness Super5mix Large Breed Puppy does have the proper ratio, but it's nearly identical to their Large Breed Adult formula... except the puppy formula is $20 more expensive ). Puppy food is really basically just a marketing gimmick and rarely contains the right nutrition for puppies, ironically enough.


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## Relayer (Apr 29, 2010)

I can't say with certainty, but I'm not so sure an egg every day is a great idea. I wouldn't eat eggs every day. I feed mine an egg about twice a week. He does get something raw with one of his three meals every day, but I rotate what he gets... one day raw burger, next day raw liver, next turkey neck... so on and so forth.


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## Whitedog404 (Mar 25, 2010)

Just a comment on the canned green beans. I think they're probably high in sodium and low in nutrients. Maybe consider steaming fresh or using frozen without added salt? Just a thought. I'm using Kirkland puppy food as a base and supplement with my homemade doggie stew. Just "whipped" up 15 quarts yesterday. It does take up freezer space but worth the effort. I add a dollop of plain yogurt or cottage cheese a few times a week. And since I have adult GSDs, too, I've been adding some of the adult kibble to the puppy one.


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## Gib Laut (Feb 21, 2010)

Rott-n-GSDs said:


> Puppy food is really basically just a marketing gimmick and rarely contains the right nutrition for puppies, ironically enough.


Umm, no not necessarily; this topic has been covered many times here. Puppies, like babies are not little versions of the big ones. They have very specific needs during growth stages that IS NOT the same as what is used in an adult maintenance formula. There is a very distinct difference between puppy food for large breed pups and small breed pups. Now, having said that, many puppy specific foods are not formulated correctly, but some are, Orijen is by far the most accurate. I shall refrain from the Puppy Chow comments, especially since that's what my boy was on when adopted....he was off it in less than 4 days.


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## Stosh (Jun 26, 2010)

I too add something fresh...frozen green beans, cooked sweet potatoes, Greek yogurt, egg, raw meat. I use Nature's Variety kibble and their raw frozen chicken patties but I add something else mostly for interest and variety. I think they're probably getting all the nutrition they need from the NV but who wants to eat the same thing every day? I don't have a problem with picky eating, even a bowl of just dry kibble gets polished off.


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## Rott-n-GSDs (Jul 7, 2010)

Gib Laut said:


> Puppies, like babies are not little versions of the big ones. They have very specific needs during growth stages that IS NOT the same as what is used in an adult maintenance formula.


Yet... when feeding raw, puppies get the exact same food as they would as an adult?



> Now, having said that, many puppy specific foods are not formulated correctly, but some are


That is basically what I was saying. Many foods are not formulated correctly. It's best to ignore what it says on the front (puppy, large breed puppy, all life stages, etc.) and look at the label to determine whether it's appropriate for a GSD puppy. 

I compared the Super5mix labels and the only difference is that a few ingredients WAY down the list (and therefore pretty insignficant) are switched up, and that's all. Oh, and the kibble size is smaller... the package is a different color, and the price is considerably higher. What is that, if not clever marketing?


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## Gib Laut (Feb 21, 2010)

Rott-n-GSDs said:


> Yet... when feeding raw, puppies get the exact same food as they would as an adult?


*First, comparing a species appropriate, properly fed raw diet cannot be compared to feeding dried nuggets of overcooked, nutrient depleted ingredients. Puppies need increased digestible protein, calories, fat and nutrients; raw or not.* *Do they get the same foods, perhaps; are their nutritional needs and actual diet the same, no.* *It's about what they need from a nutrient and nutrition stand point NOT just an ingredient stand point; it's not that simplistic. That would be why simply reading ingredients alone won't tell you the story you want to know. Nutrient requirements are different for growing puppies and for adult dogs, that would be why there are different AAFCO standards for each.*


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## Rott-n-GSDs (Jul 7, 2010)

I guess I'm just confused because a canine nutritionist on another board (she specializes in giant breed dogs...) always counsels against feeding puppy food. While giant breed nutrition is certainly a bit different than large breed nutrition... I still can't understand why it would be okay to feed a giant breed puppy an all life stages formula, but not okay to feed a large breed puppy an all life stages formula.

And... if we shouldn't get our information out of reading the label (ingredients and nutritional information), where should we be getting it from?


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## GSDSunshine (Sep 7, 2009)

You don't want to feed a Large or Giant breed puppy, a formula intended for regular, or small breed puppies. Smaller breeds of dog will close the bone plate earlier and reach their adult weight quicker. Larger dogs however requirer a slower growth. Because of this you want to avoid puppy food, puppy (regular) will encourage rapid growth. 

On the other spectrum not all adult foods (IMO) give enough of what the puppies need to grow. Some foods that has the bare minimum in protein, or is chuck full of fillers is not going to give the puppy enough of what it needs. 

The basic thing I would look at when choosing a food for a puppy would be to watch the Ca and Ph levels in the food, and choose a food with higher protein content (26-28% min) The protein should also be animal derived. So no soy, or corn gluten, or pea protein.


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## Gib Laut (Feb 21, 2010)

I never said not to read the label. What I said was the Ingredient list alone does not tell you all you need to know. You need to examine the vitamin/nutrient/mineral, fat and protein contents. If you are looking at a LBP food and an adult maintenance food and the vitamin, mineral, fat and protein amounts are identical, you have a poorly and potentially unhealthy LBP formula you are looking at. Their needs are not the same. Like GSD Sunshine said, Cal-Phos is one of the critical areas to examine; too much is bad, too little is unhealthy. The key is a properly formulated puppy food,which does exist, just not all are and not all are for LBP's.


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## Rott-n-GSDs (Jul 7, 2010)

Gib Laut said:


> If you are looking at a LBP food and an adult maintenance food and the vitamin, mineral, fat and protein amounts are identical, you have a poorly and potentially unhealthy LBP formula you are looking at. Their needs are not the same. Like GSD Sunshine said, Cal-Phos is one of the critical areas to examine; too much is bad, too little is unhealthy. The key is a properly formulated puppy food,which does exist, just not all are and not all are for LBP's.


I did also look at the nutritional label in the food.  The Calcium/Phos ratio was spot on... and identical in both the LBP and LBA formulas.


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## adamdude04 (Apr 15, 2010)

Whitedog404 said:


> Just a comment on the canned green beans. I think they're probably high in sodium and low in nutrients. Maybe consider steaming fresh or using frozen without added salt? Just a thought. I'm using Kirkland puppy food as a base and supplement with my homemade doggie stew. Just "whipped" up 15 quarts yesterday. It does take up freezer space but worth the effort. I add a dollop of plain yogurt or cottage cheese a few times a week. And since I have adult GSDs, too, I've been adding some of the adult kibble to the puppy one.


SOrry it's habbit.. when I say canned green beans, I actually mean the frozen stuff in a bag, or the "steamables" also in the frozen section. Growing up we always had the can stuff and very rare the frozen bags..

An being a Jersey boy, I say "Pop" instead of "Soda"


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