Eating egg shells

A friend of mine told me recently that when she has a boiled egg, she gives her dog the shell after. This surprised me. I didn’t know dogs would eat egg shells. Are there any health benefits in them doing so?

John Burns advises…

There is no harm in your dog eating egg shells. Traditionally, dogs and cats have been known to scavenge eggs from nests, but domesticated dogs no longer have access to such nests to scavenge. Egg shells are an excellent source of calcium for your pet, but also the latest research shows that the egg shell membrane has benefits in both dogs and people who require extra joint support.

Egg shell membrane is a natural source of glucosamine, chondroitin and hyaluronic acid, and studies in human medicine have shown these to have positive results for sufferers of joint pain as a natural anti-inflammatory.