Yes — plain cooked eggs (scrambled, boiled, or poached without butter, oil, or seasoning) are safe occasional treats for most healthy dogs. They should not replace complete dog food.

Can dogs eat raw eggs?

Vets generally advise against raw eggs — salmonella risk to dogs and people handling food, and raw egg white can interfere with biotin absorption if fed in large amounts long term.

Can dogs eat eggshells?

Finely crushed cooked eggshell may provide calcium but is easy to over-supplement — unbalanced calcium is harmful. Do not feed shells without veterinary nutrition advice.

How many eggs can a dog eat?

One egg for a large dog occasionally is a common treat limit; less for small dogs. Treats including eggs should stay under 10% of daily calories per PDSA guidance.

Dog Health

Can Dogs Eat Eggs UK? Raw, Scrambled, Shells & Portion Guide

Published 25 June 2026Last updated 25 June 20262 min read

Quick answer

Plain cooked eggs are safe occasional treats for most UK dogs — scrambled or boiled without butter, salt, or onion. Avoid raw eggs due to salmonella and nutritional concerns. Eggs are not a balanced meal — complete dog food remains the main diet.

Can dogs eat cooked eggs?

According to the PDSA and RSPCA, plain cooked egg is a digestible protein source many UK owners use for training or bland diets when a vet recommends.

Safe preparation:

Boiled or poached — no shell unless vet advised
Scrambled with water only — no butter, milk, salt, or pepper
No onion, garlic, or chives in the pan — see onion poisoning

Raw eggs — why vets usually say no

Raw eggs carry:

Salmonella — risk to dogs and to people handling bowls and faeces (zoonotic diseases)
Raw egg white (avidin) — can reduce biotin absorption if fed in large amounts over long periods

Some raw feeding advocates use raw eggs — this should only be under vet-supervised raw diet plans. See Raw feeding dogs UK.

Eggshells

Eggshell is mostly calcium carbonate. Homemade calcium supplementation is easy to get wrong — excess calcium harms growing puppies and certain breeds. Do not add shells without veterinary nutritionist guidance.

Portion guide

Dog size	Occasional treat
Small	¼ egg
Medium	½ egg
Large	1 egg

Dogs with pancreatitis history or obesity need vet approval — egg yolk is fatty.

Eggs in bland diets

Vets sometimes suggest plain chicken and rice or egg and rice short term for mild stomach upset — follow your vet's duration and transition plan. Related: Dog diarrhoea.

Allergy

Egg allergy is possible — stop if itch or GI upset follows first introduction.

Sources & further reading

Facts in this guide are rewritten in plain English from publicly available UK advice. We name the organisation where a specific point comes from their guidance. Links below go to the original pages — use them to read the source material directly.

PETHEALTH+ is independent. These organisations do not sponsor, approve, or partner with this website. Guidance checked against sources listed below (last updated 2026-06-25).

Related guides

Frequently Asked Questions

Can dogs eat eggs?: Yes — plain cooked eggs (scrambled, boiled, or poached without butter, oil, or seasoning) are safe occasional treats for most healthy dogs. They should not replace complete dog food.
Can dogs eat raw eggs?: Vets generally advise against raw eggs — salmonella risk to dogs and people handling food, and raw egg white can interfere with biotin absorption if fed in large amounts long term.
Can dogs eat eggshells?: Finely crushed cooked eggshell may provide calcium but is easy to over-supplement — unbalanced calcium is harmful. Do not feed shells without veterinary nutrition advice.
How many eggs can a dog eat?: One egg for a large dog occasionally is a common treat limit; less for small dogs. Treats including eggs should stay under 10% of daily calories per PDSA guidance.