All of us who have a dog wonder what is the best diet for our pet. There is a wide variety of feed available on the market and it is sometimes difficult to choose.
But, would you give your dog a feed made from insects? What if you knew that you were helping to protect the environment? Next, we present the benefits that an insect-based diet can have.
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Index of contents
- 1 Are there insects-based dog feeds in Spain?
- 2 Are insects a suitable source of nutrients for dogs?
- 3 What are the benefits of an insect diet?
- 3.1 Nutritional benefits
- 3.2 Environmental benefits
- 4 Do dogs like insects?
Are there insects-based dog feeds in Spain?
The answer is yes, for a few months we have had several brands of dog food in Spain that use insects as the main source of protein.
To make these foods, the insects are dried, ground and then mixed with other ingredients of plant origin to finally achieve a nutritionally balanced and healthy feed.
Some of the brands that sell insect-based dog food are:
- Green Petfood InsectDog
- Yora
Are insects a suitable source of nutrients for dogs?
As confirmed by specialized organizations such as FAO (United Nations Food Organization), insects provide high-quality protein and other nutrients comparable to those provided by meat and fish.
Insects are especially important as a food supplement because most insect species contain high levels of fatty acids (values comparable to those of fish).
Furthermore, they are rich in fiber and micronutrients such as copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, manganese, selenium and zinc.
This is coupled with the fact that they are highly digestible, becoming easier to digest than the proteins derived from chicken. As far as we can confirm, insects can be a source of nutrients for our dog, alternative to meat or fish.
What are the benefits of an insect diet?
The use of insects as an ingredient in the manufacture of dog food has nutritional and environmental benefits.
We could say that feeding our dogs with insect-based feed is good for pets and for the planet.
Nutritional benefits
Insects provide high quality, easily digestible nutrients for our dogs.
They are not only a source of protein, but also provide other beneficial and necessary substances for health such as folic acid, fatty acids and minerals.
In addition, this type of diet is considered hypoallergenic, since insects have not been previously used in the manufacture of animal food, so practically no risk of causing intolerance.
There have been clinical studies that have shown that a diet based on insect proteins improves the clinical signs of dogs with food intolerance. This makes this type of feeding an ideal option to feed not only healthy dogs, but also those with intolerance problems.
Environmental benefits
The advantages of feeding our dog with this type of food based on insects go beyond the benefits it has for the pet itself, since it is a more sustainable form of food than the conventional one.
20% of the world’s meat and fish production is used to manufacture food for domestic dogs and cats.
Taking into account that the intensive production of meat and fish is one of the sectors that produces the most greenhouse gases, if we feed our pets with an alternative protein source, we will be contributing to the reduction of the environmental impact produced by the meat sector.
Using insects as a source of animal protein instead of meat or fish is a sensible and environmentally friendly alternative, since the level of resources necessary for the production of insects is radically lower than those used in meat production.
Do dogs like insects?
Once we know that insects are a source of high-quality animal protein, and that they are also a sustainable form of food, we may have doubts about whether this type of feed will please our dog.
To answer this question, we must bear in mind that our pet will not ingest raw insects, but that they undergo a process of preparation and mixing with other ingredients, to finally give rise to what we commonly know as “croquette or pellet” of feed. .
Our pet will not be aware that the feed we are giving him is made with insect protein. There are already opinions about this feeding on the Net, and the owners indicate that dogs like this type of feed, even some owners perceive that it improves the digestive health of their pet with their consumption (better consistency of feces and less flatulence).
As in everything, when it comes to eating, everyone has their tastes, so the best option will be for our dog to try this type of feed and be the one to show us if he really likes it.