Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Effects of black soldier fly meal in dog food on digestion and gut
By Kanber Kara et al.·Published in Italian Journal of Animal Science·2025·Department of Animal Nutrition and Nutritional Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Erciyes University, GB·View original on DOAJ →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Digestion, faeces microbiome, and selected blood parameters in dogs fed extruded food containing Black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) meal
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 18 Golden Retrievers were fed dog food made with black soldier fly larva meal instead of chicken meal to see how it affected their digestion and gut health. The study found that using up to 15% black soldier fly meal did not harm the dogs' weight or overall health, and it even changed the types of beneficial bacteria in their poop. The dogs showed no negative effects on their kidney or liver function either. This means that black soldier fly meal could be a good alternative protein source in dog food without any downsides.
People also search for: dog food with black soldier fly · Golden Retriever digestion issues · alternative protein for dogs · benefits of black soldier fly meal for dogs
Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine the effects of using black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) (HI) at 0% (HI0), 7.5% (HI75) and 15% (HI150) larva meal instead of chicken meal in extruded dog food. A total of 18 Golden Retriever were used. In the study, HI larva meal was obtained and after detailed nutrient analysis, it was extruded as a dog food formulation instead of chicken meal. The foods were first subjected to in vitro digestion. Then, in vivo feeding in dogs was performed to determine preference test, digestion, blood variables and faecal microbiome, faecal score and organic acids. The HI larva meal up to 15% in dog food linearly increased the molarities of acetic (AA) and propionic (PA) acids in faeces (p <.05), but linearly decreased the molarities of butyric (BA) and valeric (VA) acids (p < 0.05). Iso-butyric (IBA), iso-valeric (IVA) and iso-caproic (ICA) acids in faeces decreased linearly with HI larva meal (p < .05). The relative abundances of Phascolarctobacterium, Megamonas, Collinsella and Fournierella genera were higher in faeces of HI75 than those of HI0 (p <.05). The relative proportion of Ligilactobacillus increased with HI larva meal (p < .05). As a result, HI larva meal can be used up to 100% instead of chicken meal in extruded dog food without any negative effects on body weight, digestibility, faecal score, consumption preference, kidney-liver enzyme activities and immunological parameters. Besides, HI larva meal at 7.5% and 15% in extruded dog food had different effects on the faecal microbiome.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on DOAJ: https://doi.org/10.1080/1828051X.2025.2456682