This cat blog will answer the main query, “Can cats eat egg yolk?” we will also discuss the benefits of consuming egg yolk for your cat, the major threats of consuming egg yolk for your cat, and how much egg yolk is healthy for your cat.
Can cats eat egg yolk?
Yes, cats can eat egg yolk. Egg yolk is healthy for your cat if consumed in adequate amounts. Consuming too much egg yolk can cause obesity and pancreatitis in your cat. The best way to give eggs is to boil them so that there are no bacteria in them.
What are the health benefits of consuming egg yolk for your cat?
Following are the health benefits of consuming egg yolk for your cat:
Omega-3 fatty acids
The first benefit is consuming omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids are healthy for your cat to consume because they can capture and kill the reactive free radicals in the body of your cat. The reactive free radicals can cause oxidative damage to the cells leading to deadly diseases like cancer in your cat.
Omega-3 fatty acids are the healthy fats in egg yolk if consumed in small amounts. The ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids is very important. If there is a balanced ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids then it would be good for your cat otherwise there is no benefit of omega-3 fatty acids in your cat.
The omega-3 fatty acids are also healthy for the heart and the kidneys of the body. Omega-3 fatty acids protect the heart from harmful reactive species in the body.
Healthy weight gain
The fat content in the egg yolk helps your cat to gain weight. This is only beneficial if your cat has recovered from a deadly condition and you want your cat to put on some healthy weight.
The fat content will be stored in the body leading to healthy weight gain in the body of your cat.
What are the health hazards of consuming large amounts of egg yolk for your cat?
Following are the health hazards of consuming a large amount of egg yolk for your cat:
Obesity
The first problem is obesity in your cat. Obesity is due to the high-fat content that is stored in the body of your cat.
This puts pressure on the joints which can lead to chronic joint inflammation known as arthritis in the body of your cat. Arthritis is a painful condition and it limits the physical activity of your cat.
Moreover, obesity can also cause heart problems in your cat. The heat problem is due to the fact that the high-fat content blocks the major arteries in the body of your cat. The blockage will push the heart to pump forcefully. This will lead to a heart attack in your cat.
The next thing is the high cholesterol level in the body of your cat. Consuming more and more fat can increase the cholesterol level in the body which can clearly cause heart issues in the body.
Pancreatitis
The next thing is pancreatitis in your cat. Pancreatitis is the inflammation of the pancreas in the body of your cat.
The pancreas is the major organ of the body which is responsible for releasing digestive enzymes in the intestine of the body. If there is a high amount of fat content in the intestine, it will lead to inflammation of the pancreas because the pancreas is unable to digest the high-fat content in the intestine.
Bacterial infection
The next thing is the bacterial infection in your cat. If you give raw egg yolk to your cat, it has many bacteria, the most common bacteria in it is salmonella which is responsible for gastroenteritis in your cat.
Following are the clinical signs of gastroenteritis in your cat:
- Blood in diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Lethargy
- Weakness
- Decreased appetite
- Abdominal pain
- Swollen intestine
How much egg yolk is healthy for your cat?
One egg for each 10 lb of body weight is healthy for your cat. You should boil the egg so that all the bacteria in it die. After that, you can reduce the egg to the bite-size which is given to your cat without adding any salt or seasonings.
The salt and the seasonings are not healthy for your cat to eat because of the toxic effects of salt and seasonings on your cat. Moreover, you can also give scrambled eggs to your cat.
Conclusion
In this cat blog, we entertained our important question, “Can cats eat egg yolk?” we also covered the benefits of consuming egg yolk for your cat, the major threats of consuming egg yolk for your cat, and how much egg yolk is healthy for your cat.