Insect Protein for Dogs: The Complete Guide

Insect protein is a complete, highly digestible protein source for dogs, made from farmed insects such as black soldier fly larvae and crickets. It is approved for use in UK and EU pet food, supplies all the essential amino acids dogs need, and because most dogs have never eaten it, reactions to it are extremely rare.

Insect protein has gone from a novelty to one of the fastest-growing ingredients in dog food, and for good reason. It answers three questions owners are asking more and more: is my dog's protein actually good for them, is it kind to the planet, and will it suit a dog with a sensitive stomach or itchy skin?

This guide covers all of it. What insect protein actually is, how it stacks up nutritionally, why it matters for dogs with food sensitivities, the sustainability numbers, the rules that govern it, and how to introduce it to your dog without upsetting anyone's tummy.

What is insect protein, exactly?

Insect protein is exactly what it sounds like: protein made from farmed insects, reared specifically for food. The insects are grown in controlled indoor farms, then gently dried and ground into a fine, nutty-smelling meal or powder. That meal goes into dog food and treats the same way chicken meal or fish meal would.

Two species dominate pet food:

• Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) - the workhorse of insect pet food, and what we use at Some Grub. The larvae are naturally rich in protein and healthy fats, grow quickly, and are farmed on low-value plant material. Most insect-based dog food in the UK uses BSFL.
• Crickets - more common in human snacks and some dog treats, particularly in the US. Cricket protein is also complete and digestible, though crickets are slower and more expensive to farm at scale, which is why BSFL leads in pet food.

Other species such as mealworms are also permitted and occasionally used, but if you pick up an insect-based dog product in the UK today, it is most likely black soldier fly larvae inside.

Is insect protein good for dogs?

Nutritionally, yes - and this surprises a lot of people. Insects are not a filler or a compromise. They are what wild canines have snacked on for millennia, and the numbers hold up:

• Complete amino acid profile. Black soldier fly larvae and crickets supply all ten essential amino acids dogs need, including the ones commonly limiting in plant proteins. That makes insect protein a genuine like-for-like alternative to meat, not a partial substitute.
• High protein content. Dried insect meal typically runs at around 40 to 60 per cent protein, comparable to many meat meals.
• Good digestibility. Studies so far suggest dogs digest insect protein well, with digestibility figures broadly in line with conventional meat proteins such as chicken. The research base is younger than for traditional proteins, so figures vary between studies, but the picture is consistently positive.
• Healthy fats. BSFL are naturally rich in lauric acid, a medium-chain fatty acid also found in coconut oil.
• Extras you don't get from meat. Insects contain chitin, a natural fibre from their exoskeletons that may act as a prebiotic, feeding beneficial gut bacteria. Early research here is promising rather than proven, so treat it as a bonus, not a headline.

In short: on the measures that matter - amino acids, digestibility, palatability - insect protein performs like a quality animal protein, because that is what it is.

Why insect protein matters for dogs with allergies and sensitivities

This is where insect protein gets genuinely interesting, and it comes down to one idea: the novel protein.

Food sensitivities in dogs develop through repeated exposure. A dog's immune system can, over time, start reacting to a protein it has eaten for years - which is why chicken and beef, the most common ingredients in dog food, are also among the most commonly reported triggers. A dog cannot be sensitised to a protein it has never met.

Almost no dog in the UK has grown up eating insects. That makes insect protein about as novel as a protein gets - more so than the usual alternatives like salmon, duck or lamb, which many dogs have already encountered in foods and treats. So for a dog with a suspected chicken or beef sensitivity, insect protein offers a way to keep feeding a complete animal protein while stepping right away from the usual suspects. Reactions to it are extremely rare, simply because so few immune systems have ever seen it.

To be clear about what this is and is not: insect protein does not treat or cure allergies, and no treat or food can. What it offers is avoidance - a protein highly unlikely to be the thing your dog is reacting to. If you suspect a food sensitivity, the gold-standard way to find the culprit is a properly run elimination diet under your vet's guidance. Our step-by-step guide on how to conduct an elimination diet for dogs walks through the whole process, and novel proteins like insect are often exactly what vets reach for during one.

If you want treats that fit that picture, our hypoallergenic dog treats page explains how we build recipes around this single novel protein.

How sustainable is insect protein?

Very - and this is the number that first drew many of us to insects. Farming black soldier fly larvae is a fundamentally more efficient way to make animal protein than farming livestock. Widely cited figures suggest that, compared with beef, insect farming can use:

• Up to 98 per cent less land per kilogram of protein, because larvae are farmed vertically in stacked trays rather than across pasture and feed cropland
• Dramatically less water - studies suggest a small fraction of the thousands of litres needed per kilogram of beef
• Far lower greenhouse gas emissions, with no methane-belching involved

There is one more trick livestock cannot match: black soldier fly larvae are champion recyclers. They are reared on surplus and by-product plant material that would otherwise go to waste, turning it back into high-quality protein in a matter of weeks. Exact figures vary between studies and farming systems, so treat any single number with sensible caution, but the direction of travel is not in dispute. Per gram of protein, insects are one of the lightest-footprint animal proteins you can feed a dog.

Given that our dogs' food accounts for a meaningful slice of a household's footprint, swapping even some meat-based treats for insect-based ones is one of the easier climate wins a dog owner can make.

Is insect protein safe and legal in UK dog food?

Yes. Insect protein is fully approved for use in pet food in the UK and EU, and it operates under proper regulation rather than a loophole:

• Only specific farmed species are permitted - black soldier fly, yellow mealworm and house cricket among them. Wild-caught insects are not allowed.
• The insects must be reared on approved feed substrates at registered farms, and processed under the same animal by-product and hygiene rules that govern other animal proteins in pet food.
• Finished products meet the same labelling and safety standards as any other complete food or treat.

In other words, the insect meal in a UK dog treat has been through a regulated, traceable supply chain - arguably a more controlled one than some conventional meat meals, since the insects' entire diet and environment is managed indoors from day one.

Will my dog actually eat it?

Almost certainly, and often with more enthusiasm than you expect. Dried insect protein has a savoury, nutty, slightly roasted flavour that dogs tend to find genuinely appealing - remember, insects are a natural part of the ancestral canine diet, and plenty of dogs will happily hoover up a beetle in the garden given half a chance.

Palatability studies and real-world feedback both point the same way: most dogs take to insect-based food and treats readily. In our own experience, the dogs are the easy ones to convince. It is usually the humans who need the guide.

How to introduce insect protein to your dog

Insect protein does not need any special handling, but as with any new food, a gradual start is kindest to your dog's gut:

• Start with treats. They are the lowest-stakes way to see how your dog likes it. A couple of insect-based treats a day for the first few days is plenty.
• Go gradually with food. If you are switching to an insect-based complete food, mix it into the current food over 7 to 10 days, shifting the ratio a little each day.
• Watch and note. Keep an eye on stools, energy and skin for the first couple of weeks, as you would with any diet change.
• Doing an elimination diet? Follow the protocol strictly - the new protein needs to be the only protein for the trial to tell you anything. Your vet and our elimination diet guide can keep you on track.

Insect protein for dogs: FAQs

Is insect protein a complete protein for dogs?

Yes. Black soldier fly larvae and cricket protein both supply all the essential amino acids dogs need, making them complete animal proteins comparable to meat, not partial substitutes.

Which is better for dogs, cricket protein or black soldier fly larvae?

Both are complete and digestible. BSFL dominates UK pet food because it is more efficient to farm, so it tends to be the more available and affordable option. There is no strong nutritional reason to prefer one over the other.

Can dogs be allergic to insect protein?

Any protein can theoretically trigger a reaction, but because almost no dogs have prior exposure to insect protein, reactions to it are extremely rare. That is exactly why it is valued as a novel protein for sensitive dogs. If your dog has a shellfish or dust-mite allergy, mention it to your vet first, as there is a theoretical cross-reaction via chitin.

Is insect-based dog food legal in the UK?

Yes. Specific farmed insect species, including black soldier fly larvae, are approved for UK and EU pet food and produced under regulated, traceable supply chains.

The bottom line

Insect protein is that rare thing: an ingredient that is genuinely better on several fronts at once. Complete nutrition, a novel protein most sensitive dogs have never reacted to, and a fraction of the environmental cost of conventional meat. It is not a fad, and the dogs, frankly, were never the sceptics.

If you would like to see what that looks like in practice, our insect dog treats are soft-baked around black soldier fly larvae as the single animal protein - and if you want to get smarter about what goes into your dog's snacks generally, grab our free safe treats cheat sheet and we will send it straight over.

Written by the Some Grub team

This article is general information, not veterinary advice.