A fly in your lunch? Bon Appetit!

Question:

I know that AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) has accepted a certain kind larva as an approved ingredient in pet diets. What are your thoughts about insect-based food formulations as an alternative protein source?

Dr. Nichol:

Are you talking about feeding bugs to pets? Well, why not? I’m all for it because it’s sustainable. We want our next generations to be able to live and thrive on planet earth.

Chickens, cattle, pigs, and sheep are animals we’ve been happily feeding to our pets for generations. Bugs should also be fair game; they’re smaller and their brains are really tiny. It turns out that insect protein has been the subject of significant research as a dog food ingredient. Black soldier fly larvae are already tentatively approved as an additive. Crickets and house flies may be next. Seriously.

Black soldier fly larvae are quite attractive, scientifically anyway. They are efficient to farm, provide excellent nutrition, and they’re environmentally low impact. Raising these insects uses much less space than livestock and they’re not subject to animal welfare concerns. They do best when crowded, they thrive on food scraps, and they have no need for water. Best of all, fly larvae provide a lot more protein and healthy fat than the residents of old McDonald’s farm we’ve been slaughtering for our pets’ dining pleasure. And there’s been very little push back from the end consumers. Dogs adapt quickly to insect supplemented diets, with reduced gas and very possibly a healthier gut microbiome. What’s not to like about that?

Raising fewer farm animals would mean more agricultural land available for fruit and vegetable production. Processing plants and distilleries can offload their byproducts to feed the larvae. We could improve everybody’s nutrition while releasing less climate damaging CO₂.

There are already dog foods with added black soldier fly larvae. Jiminy’s is a good choice but beware of insect-based diets that are also “grain-free.” This popular marketing feature can risk a serious heart disease called dilated cardiomyopathy. A few bugs, along with grain, make for balanced nutrition.

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Dr. Jeff Nichol is a residency-trained veterinary behaviorist. He provides consultations in-person and in groups by Zoom (drjeffnichol.com). Each week he shares a blog and a video to help bring out the best in pets and their people. Sign up at no charge at drjeffnichol.com. Post pet questions through my website, drjeffnichol.com/contact/ or by US Post to 4000 Montgomery Blvd. NE, Albuq, NM 87109.