Quote:
Originally Posted by Love4himies
No raw egg whites for cats. It has a toxin in it that is killed when partially cooked. I only add the yolks for their vit B. Egg whites are an important protein component for cats who need low phosporus, though.
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It's not actually a toxin in the egg whites, it's a glycoprotein called avidin, which binds to biotin (vitamin B7) and can result in a deficiency if an excessive amount of
raw egg whites are consumed. However, egg yolks are a plentiful source of biotin and counteract the avidin, so as long as
whole raw eggs are fed, it isn't typically a problem. But you're right, cooking the whites deactivates the avidin, so that would be the way to go if you wanted to be extra sure. Here's more info:
http://www.provet.co.uk/health/diseases/eggwhite.htm