Eggshells – a natural source of calcium

I like using wholefoods and avoiding waste – reasons why I make my own dog treats and why I feed my dog a hybrid diet (incorporating raw, homemade and commercial foods).

In the case of egg shells, I used to put them in my compost pile.  But, they always seemed to the source of attraction for rats (yuck!). I could throw them in my  green organics bin that is collected each week; this is taken away to a commercial composting operation – but of course from a sustainability point of view, we’re using trucks and diesel to cart waste away.

There’s another option – making some natural calcium supplement for my dog.

And it’s very easy to do!

First, after I use eggs for baking or cooking, I gather the shells and leave them out on my kitchen bench to to dry for 24 hours.  After that, I store them in refrigerator to keep them from growing bacteria.

Then I arrange them on a baking tray and bake them for 5 minutes at 180 degrees C (roughly 350 degrees F).  Then I turn the oven off and let the shells cool in the oven.

This is what the look like when they are finished:

Final step:  into the coffee grinder.  After just a few pulses, I have a fine calcium powder.

I keep the calcium powder in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks; using 1/2 teaspoon mixed into raw food per meal.

Dogs need calcium in their diet and I am confident in feeding this to Izzy, who is a large-breed dog with no health problems.  For all dogs, we need to be confident in their health status before deciding to feed certain foods and supplements.

Kathleen Crisley, specialist in dog massage, rehabilitation and nutrition/food therapy, The Balanced Dog, Christchurch, New Zealand