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It’s not unusual for a dog to eat the occasional insect, but an entire diet built on bugs? The idea is less far-fetched than you might think. Dog food made with cricket protein is becoming popular, especially among pet parents with environmental and sustainability concerns.
But is dog food made with cricket protein a good choice for your dog? It depends. When properly formulated, an insect-based diet can provide your dog with the nutrients they need. There are, however, some important considerations to be made before you switch.
Whether you’re looking for an eco-friendly alternative to meat-based dog food or running out of options for a dog with allergies, cricket protein could be the solution. Here’s what scientists have to say about it.
The Benefits of Cricket Protein
Protein is an essential nutrient for dogs. Because dogs are omnivores, they’re not limited to obtaining dietary protein from animal sources like meat, poultry, and fish. Plant foods like whole grains, beans, and legumes also contain significant amounts of protein—and so do insects.
Because they’re easy to produce in large quantities, three insects are currently being used in pet food products: black soldier fly larvae (Hermetia illucens), mealworm larvae (Tenebrio molitor), and house crickets (Acheta domesticus). Of these, crickets have the highest crude protein content.
The benefits of cricket protein in dog food go beyond nutrition. Let’s explore some of the advantages.
Lower environmental impact than meat
Pet food and its byproducts are responsible for 25 to 30 percent of the total environmental impact of animal protein production in the United States. Here’s how the environmental impact of one pound of animal protein breaks down:
Feed required to produce 1 pound of animal protein | Water required to produce 1 pound of animal protein | |
Beef | 25 pounds | 2900 gallons |
Pork | 9 pounds | 460 gallons |
Chicken | 4.5 pounds | 300 gallons |
The ecological cost of raising crickets is significantly lower—just 1.7 pounds of feed and 1 gallon of water per pound of cricket protein.
Several factors account for this difference. First, crickets are more efficient than any warm-blooded animal at converting plant-based foods into protein. Given their size, the water and land requirements to raise crickets are much lower as well. Cricket farms require only about 10 percent of the land area required for raising beef.
Another benefit is that crickets can be raised on waste products from the production of other food. This includes vegetable scraps, spent grain from beer and liquor production, and pulp from the production of fruit juice.
Crickets are tiny compost-eating machines, and their greenhouse gas production is a tiny fraction of that created by larger livestock. One study found that broiler chickens produced 89 percent higher greenhouse gas emissions than crickets.
Potential health benefits for dogs
Nutritionally speaking, crickets offer one of the highest crude protein concentrations in farmed insects. Measured as dry matter, crickets are higher in protein than soybean meal and similar in protein content to poultry meat meal and fish meal.
Unlike plant-based proteins, cricket protein is a complete protein source for dogs. This means it contains all ten essential amino acids dogs require.
Because the entire insect is used in pet food, crickets are a whole food ingredient. This makes them nutritionally dense. On top of protein, crickets are rich in iron, magnesium, zinc, copper, vitamin B12, and calcium. Crickets also contain the dietary fiber that animal proteins lack.
Allergy-friendly alternative to meat
The most common allergens in dog food are protein sources: chicken, beef, dairy, and egg. A time-tested solution for food allergies is to feed sensitive dogs hydrolyzed protein, a type of protein that is predigested and does not spark a reaction in the immune system.
Recently, research has shown that cricket protein may serve a similar purpose.
A 2018 study concluded that insect protein-based dog foods are a promising alternative for dogs with food intolerances. Twenty dogs with diet-related skin problems were fed cricket protein-based food. Of those, 60 percent showed significant improvement in symptoms—only one dog showed negative impacts.
Is Cricket Protein Safe for Dogs? What Science Says
The concept of safety is nuanced in pet food. Commercial pet food products are generally considered safe when they’re made according to USDA and FDA regulations for food safety.
While the regulations that apply to pet food ingredients weren’t originally written with edible insects in mind, the same rules still apply. The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) clarifies that, under the amended Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C), insects are considered food if that is the intended use.
Like other food ingredients, the insects must be produced, packaged, stored, and transported under sanitary conditions. The USDA adds that the scientific name of the insect must be included on the product label.
In terms of food handling safety, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) reports that insects are likely safer than beef, chicken, or pork, which can transmit food-borne pathogens if undercooked or handled improperly.
Nutritional adequacy in insect-based dog foods
Another measure of a dog food product’s safety is its long-term nutritional adequacy.
According to the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), a nutritionally adequate diet for adult dogs consists of at least 18 percent crude protein and 5.5 percent crude fat, both measured as dry matter. The organization also offers minimum requirements for specific amino acids, fatty acids, minerals, and vitamins.
Theoretically, a commercial pet food made with insects would be considered nutritionally adequate if it meets these minimums. It may depend, however, on how significantly the insects contribute to the food’s overall nutrient composition. Nutrient content varies considerably between insect species.
The science is yet unclear about the long-term nutritional effects of diets where insect protein makes up all or most of the food’s total protein content.
The results of limited research suggest that extruded foods made with insect protein offer similar or higher digestibility to conventional dog foods. Without more data, however, it’s hard to say whether cricket protein and other insect-based alternatives are a good long-term option in dog food.
Cricket- and Insect-Protein Options on the Market
Many pet food manufacturers have started to include insects like crickets in their formulas. The availability of products made with protein only from insects, however, is still limited. Insect-only formulas are more common for dog treats than nutritionally complete diets.
The most common dog food products with cricket protein are dry foods.
Jiminy’s Cravin’ Cricket dry dog food features crickets as the main ingredient, with supplemental protein from whole grains, legumes, and potatoes. This product was formulated by a veterinarian and is both sustainable and humane.
There aren’t currently any wet dog food products on the market featuring insect protein. Dehydrated products like Chippin’s Cricket Recipe, however, can be rehydrated with water to create a similar effect.
For dogs with allergies to animal proteins, Go! Solutions offers a limited-ingredient insect recipe kibble. It features black soldier fly larvae (BSFL), not crickets, but is formulated with stomach sensitivities in mind.
Pet parents concerned about sustainability might consider Open Farm’s Kind Earth insect recipe, also made with BSFL. All Open Farm products are made with sustainable and humanely-raised ingredients. Rover test pups have tried their BSFL recipe and been impressed (though one pet parent did notice some equally impressive dog farts with the diet switch).
If you’re not ready to commit to a fully insect-based diet, dog treats made with cricket may be a good introduction. Jiminy’s offers several varieties including soft-baked biscuits and chewy training treats. Chippin offers several cricket-based biscuits as well.
Should You Feed Your Dog Cricket Protein Food & Treats?
When selecting a dog food product, it’s important to balance your personal preferences or beliefs against your dog’s nutritional needs.
As with vegan dog diets, dog food made with cricket protein might be nutritionally adequate, but the long-term effects of such diets are still being studied. That said, insect protein could be a viable option in cases where animal protein isn’t an option—such as for dogs with food allergies.
Talk to your veterinarian if you’re considering feeding your dog cricket protein. Your vet is the best person to make dietary recommendations based on your dog’s specific needs and health status. They can also help you balance your dog’s diet to avoid nutrient deficiencies.
Should you decide an insect-based diet is right for your dog, be sure to choose a formula that meets AAFCO minimum requirements for protein and other essential nutrients.
How We Chose
We selected the products featured here based on a combination of our own hands-on testing, comprehensive analysis of customer reviews across a wide variety of retail platforms, and interviews with veterinary experts.
We prioritized dog food featuring insect protein—especially from crickets—that is formulated according to AAFCO’s nutrient profiles for dogs. Our picks are also influenced by the experience of living and playing alongside our own much-loved and strongly opinionated pets, who are never stingy with their feedback.