Dog food made from insects. Anybody using it?

[newnamethanks]

My dog's developed sensitivities to all kinds of foods. Everything results in liquid diarrhoea a few times a day. Vet has said try Royal Canin which may or not stay in lone enough to be digested, first day today. Pet shop suggested I try him on dog food made from insects,free from flavouring, colours etc so I've got a couple of packs in the cupboard for future. Has anyone fed this to their dog? How was it? Don't want to try until I've heard some owners accounts.

My friend does. Her working lab is allergic to virtually everything else. He looks great, fit and lean.

Oh thank you, that's good to know.

Royal Canin is terrible for giving dogs diarrhoea. My Labrador is sensitive to chicken and is on a salmon and rice kibble made by Pero.

What Royal Canin has your vet recommended?

Insect food may work but it depends on the sensitivities that your dog has.

Most insect food has potato maize etc as ingredients same as many other dog foods.

If the vet has suggested Royal Canin Hydrolysed food then the insect food will also give your dog an upset stomach

Well one of mine catches flies & eats them 😂
But seriously though, one of my old ladies had IBD all her life, died last year aged 16. Tried everything when she was young, including course after course of pills from the vet. What finally worked was tinned Chappie, the basic cheap one that’s been going for years, an old exhibitor recommended it. So she had that with just a little kibble, which was Royal Canin, with sometimes a bit of cooked white fish. The usually recommended chicken & rice used to make her worse for days after even a tiny bit. She was also on a small pill a day from the vet, salazopyrin, which is used to treat inflammatory bowel disease, cheap for a prescription drug ( it’s used for humans too) & I always, always kept a tube of this in stock in case she got a flare up which were much fewer once on her regular regimen
https://www.vetuk.co.uk/vetuk-own-brand-vetuk-supplements-c-1392_1396/vetuk-probiotic-kolin-paste-for-cats-and-dogs-p-20356

Thank you all, that's very helpful. He's had gastrointestinal Royal Canin, wet, today with a shot of ProKolin. No poo puddles so far. No hydrolysed protein ever qqas far as I know. No kibbles, all off the list. No chicken or rice. He's been fed for years on Butchers tripe loaf but it looks to me - apologies Butchers if this is wrong - as if they've reduced the meat content and made up the weight per tin by topping up with a dark brown jelly. It think its the jelly which has got to him. Very annoying. Fingers crossed this tinned food will calm his digestion. I'll keep him on this for a couple of weeks - if continues no reaction - and introduce the insect protein gradually. And I'll get some Chappie in. I don't want to be feeding him Royal Canin forever if its avoidable.

My dog has insect kibble from Yora. He had never been happier. Lovely coat and stools.

Has your dog been checked for EPI?

Be careful with Chappie. It is always recommended on threads when dog have digestive issues.

However its main ingredient is meat and fish derivatives- it does not specify the protein source and this can change if the ingredient is listed a meat derivatives. It may be chicken it may be fish it may be beef, lamb etc it may be a combination of many proteins. (Always very low quality protein)

So if you know you dog has sensitivities avoid any food that has meat derivatives as an ingredient as you do not know what they are getting and it may not be the same with each batch of food you buy

It also has Derivatives of Vegetable Origin what the f is that! ,

Butchers has no grain so jumping to Chappie would not be a great idea as that is full of grains.

Royal Canin G is chicken based so if he is ok with that - then that would rule out chicken sensitivities I guess

Royal Canin is absolutely awful nutritionally. All of them. They have really low proportions of ‘meat’ and I use that word loosely.

have recently started my dog on a cold pressed 85% high quality fish product which costs the same if not a bit less as things like royal canin.

there a very few mystery allergens in high quality freeze dried or cold pressed foods … they all have everything listed. Currently using Orijen as I got some at a serious discount. After that will revert to Alpha Spirit cold pressed fish stuff.

Thank you-. No he hasn't been tested for EPI, don't know what it is, will Google. He doesn't have any parasites or any infections. No vomiting, no blood, doesn't appear to be remotely ill, is happy and energetic as usual, just every food item turned to water as it exits fairly rapidly. I'm not keen on either Chappie or Royal Canin long term, as said, ingredients can change without notice, like Butchers seems to have done. I've been feeding him white fish and potato with carrot, which ends up semi digested and have found a butchers nearby who sells tripe which I will buy but that's not sustainable nutritionally either, I think, maybe with a vitamin supplement? Not ideal though. So I'll be trying the insect food after a couple of weeks on Royal Canin.

Update. Just presented with one perfectly formed 💩. First for ages, feels like a gift! Thank you Royal Canin and the MN Doghouse.

@newnamethanks our last dog had exactly the same. Liquid poo no matter what we fed. She lost weight and finally diagnosed borderline EPI, unfortunately it is quite common these days. The pancreas cannot make enough enzymes so requires supplementing to digest food. It is easy to manage once diagnosed ( a fasting blood test) just means you cannot give any food without enzymes.

I'm glad your dog had a proper poo

It's very popular on MN to bash Royal Canin but it absolutely has its' uses in animals with diagnosed dietary or health issues.

Thank you for the EPI information, I hadn't heard of it before. He's 9 now and has always had fragile digestion, I'll get him tested, thanks everyone for sharing my 😊. Hopefully will never have to post on subject again🐶all have a lovely Sunday.