Insect Larvae Meal (Hermetia illucens) as a Sustainable Protein Source of Canine Food and Its Impacts on Nutrient Digestibility and Fecal Quality.

Abstract

Simple SummaryInsects are considered an optimistic component for animal diets as an alternative to some of the common feedstuffs. Therefore, the present research studied the effect of including black soldier fly larvae meal in a canine diet on nutrient digestibility and fecal quality compared to that of poultry meal. Within this study, it was possible to include the insect larvae meal to replace 30% of dry matter of the basic extruded diet. The research indicated that insect larvae meal showed the highest apparent digestibility for protein and fat without any negative effects on fecal scores, stating it as a potential alternative food ingredient for dogs. These findings suggest that insect larvae meal can be considered a suitable applicable ingredient for canine food that might potentially be included in pet food formulations.Insect larvae meal has been proposed as a sustainable protein source for animal diets. This study aimed to provide information on including black soldier fly larvae meal (BSFL; Hermetia illucens) in comparison to poultry meal (PM) in the canine diet with regard to digestibility and fecal characteristics. In light of this trend, the levels of PM or BSFL meal were added to replace about 30% of dry matter of the basic extruded diet. Six Beagle dogs (BW 9.64 kg) were included in a cross-over experiment. Dogs fed a BSFL meal-based diet showed higher (p < 0.05) apparent protein digestibility (82.3%) compared to those offered a PM-based diet (80.5%). Apparent digestibility for fat was higher (p < 0.05) in groups fed the BSFL meal-based diet (94.5%) compared to those offered the PM-based diet (91.6%). The fecal consistency scores for dogs fed both diets were within an acceptable range (well-formed and firm). Fecal dry matter content was higher (p < 0.05) for dogs fed the PM-based diet (33.0%) compared to those offered the BSFL meal-based diet (28.0%). Including BSFL meal in dog food can be an appropriate source of protein without any negative effects on nutrient digestibility and fecal quality.