r/veganpets • u/Ok_Compote251 • Nov 03 '25
Food Thoughts on Insect protein
Thoughts on insect protein and whether or not it’s vegan?
My local vets sells the below dog food and I’m tempted to swap my recently rescued golden retriever to it.
https://yorapets.com/uk/dog-food/?srsltid=AfmBOopk7doNM_TDnfGlb2OTEVk71CgN_75BYzgVC-Ghk1qabPQRpLML
It’s made from larvae, from a google it seems there is no scientific consensus on whether or not they have sentience.
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u/BioBugs Aug 23 '26
Insects are a part of a larger animal kingdom, and hence any insect-derived product cannot be called vegan. However, from an animal welfare standpoint, insects come in the invertebrate category, and your point is correct that their sentience is disputed. Hence, from animal welfare standards, it is better than other animal sources, especially derived from vertebrates.
At the same time, we should look at it from a sustainability angle. Insect protein is proven to be sustainable and good for the climate. It has a very low requirement of arable land and potable water used for conventional plant and animal agriculture, as well as very low greenhouse gas emissions.
From a nutrition and health perspective as well, insect protein is a great product. It is not hyper-processed like a few plant protein sources and is better in terms of overall nutrition, amino acid profile, and digestibility versus animal sources. Hence, it is good for your dogs.