Cricket vs Black Soldier Fly Protein for Dogs: What’s the Difference?
the short version
- Cricket and black soldier fly are different ingredients, not interchangeable versions of one label. Black soldier fly names a species, while a cricket label may not name the precise cricket species; nutrient profiles and research vary by species and processing.
- There is no honest universal winner for every dog. Evidence from a black-soldier-fly recipe cannot automatically tell you how a cricket recipe will perform.
- A food can be protein-rich without being a complete daily food. Check the precise insect identity, whole ingredient list and complete/life-stage statement.
- Neither cricket nor black soldier fly is proven hypoallergenic. A protein is novel only when that individual dog has not eaten it before.
Cricket and black soldier fly protein are not interchangeable labels. Black soldier fly names a species, while cricket can cover more than one species. Protein, fat, amino-acid profile and digestibility can differ with the precise species, life stage, rearing substrate and processing. Research on one insect or one finished recipe should not be pasted onto another.
The practical choice is not "which insect wins?" It is whether a named ingredient and a complete recipe fit the job you have in mind. If your vet has set a diagnostic food trial, use the exact plan rather than selecting a food from this comparison.
The short comparison
Cricket
An insect ingredient label that may not name the precise cricket species. Ask which species and form are used before applying evidence.
Black soldier fly
A named insect species often used as larvae or meal. It has direct studies in healthy adult dogs, but those findings belong to the tested recipes and conditions.
The finished food
The food's complete or complementary statement, life stage, other ingredients and feeding role matter more than a front-of-pack protein label.
The most useful evidence for this question is a comparison of ten insect substrates intended as potential dog- and cat-food ingredients, including house cricket and black soldier fly larvae and pupae. It found meaningful variation between insects in nutrient composition, amino-acid score and in-vitro digestibility (Bosch et al., 2014). That is enough to reject the idea that all insect protein is one uniform ingredient. It is not a dog feeding trial and it does not name a single best insect for every recipe.
What evidence can compare, and what it cannot
| Question | What the evidence can tell you | What it cannot tell you |
|---|---|---|
| Are cricket and black soldier fly the same ingredient? | No. Black soldier fly names a species, while cricket may cover more than one; species and substrate differ materially in composition and in-vitro measures. | Which one will suit an individual dog. |
| Does black soldier fly have direct canine research? | Yes, some complete black-soldier-fly diets have been studied in healthy adult dogs. | That a cricket diet will have the same acceptance, safety or digestibility. |
| Is either insect protein automatically hypoallergenic? | No. Novelty depends on the dog's own food history. | That any novel protein is reaction-proof or a treatment for allergy. |
| Does a high-protein ingredient make a food complete? | No. Complete refers to the whole daily ration for the stated species and life stage. | That a complete recipe is right for every dog or veterinary plan. |
Black soldier fly has the more direct dog-feeding evidence in this comparison. Controlled research in healthy adult dogs supports acceptance, safety monitoring and digestibility under the tested conditions (Freel, McComb and Koutsos, 2021). That is useful for understanding the ingredient's research base, but it is not a licence to call black soldier fly universally better than cricket. Studies of black-soldier-fly diets in healthy adult dogs do not measure a head-to-head cricket comparison, allergy treatment or what every dog will tolerate.
The inverse is important too. A cricket ingredient may be a legitimate protein source without needing to inherit black-soldier-fly claims. Ask the maker which cricket species and form they use, then judge the whole food rather than borrowing an outcome from a different insect.
Use the pack, not the category name
-
1
Identify the insect precisely
Look for black soldier fly, a declared cricket species, mealworm or another named species. "Insect protein" alone is a category, and "cricket" may still need a species and form check.
-
2
Read every animal ingredient
An insect recipe may also contain chicken, fish, egg or animal fat. That matters when you are checking prior exposure or following a plan.
-
3
Check complete and life stage
A complete food is intended to supply a daily ration for the stated species and life stage when fed as directed. A complementary product has a different job (FEDIAF, 2025).
-
4
Match evidence to the recipe
A feeding study supports the tested species, ingredient form, inclusion and recipe conditions. It does not automatically support another insect food.
-
5
Keep a veterinary trial strict
If a vet has set a food trial, the permitted food, treats, chews, toppers and flavoured medicines come from that plan.
This checklist is deliberately less dramatic than a winner table. It protects against two common mistakes: choosing an ingredient because it sounds unusual, and treating a research result from one insect as a promise for a different food.
Novel does not mean hypoallergenic
A protein is novel only when the individual dog has not eaten it before. That is why food history matters more than a general label. Veterinary guidance on adverse food reactions uses previously untried protein and carbohydrate sources as part of an elimination-diet approach (Mueller and Unterer, 2018).
Neither cricket nor black soldier fly is proven hypoallergenic for dogs. A novel ingredient may be relevant to a veterinary-led plan, but it does not diagnose a food reaction, guarantee tolerance or replace a prescribed diet. If your dog's signs are persistent or you are considering an elimination diet, use the plan set with your veterinary team.
Good question
Has this dog eaten this named protein, or a food, treat or chew containing it, before?
Not enough on its own
Is the bag marketed as novel, natural, sustainable or hypoallergenic?
Better next step
Check the whole food history and the exact ingredient declaration before changing a clinical diet.
For the broader food-history principle, see our guide to what counts as a novel protein for dogs. The route is different from deciding whether an insect ingredient is adequately identified on a pack.
Where Some Grub fits
Some Grub makes dog food, so this is a disclosure, not a verdict. Our adult food uses black soldier fly as its sole animal protein. It is a complete adult food, but that does not make it suitable for every dog or a substitute for a prescribed diet. Use the same precise-ingredient, full-recipe and life-stage checklist whenever you check a food's current label.
If you want the direct canine evidence and its limits, read our separate guide to black soldier fly insect protein in dog food. It explains the healthy-adult-dog studies without turning them into an allergy claim.
Frequently asked questions
Is cricket protein better than black soldier fly for dogs?
There is no evidence-based universal winner. Cricket and black soldier fly are different ingredients, and a cricket label may not identify the precise cricket species. The whole recipe, life stage and individual dog matter. Direct black-soldier-fly feeding studies should not be copied to cricket foods.
Can dogs eat cricket protein?
Cricket is used as an ingredient in some dog foods. Check that the finished product is complete for the required life stage and read the entire ingredient list. For an individual dog, a new food still needs a sensible transition and the right veterinary route where symptoms are involved.
Is black soldier fly protein hypoallergenic?
It is not proven hypoallergenic. It can be novel when the dog has not eaten it before, but no protein is a guarantee against a reaction and a clinical food-allergy diagnosis needs a veterinary-led approach.
Does insect protein mean a food is complete?
No. Insect protein describes an ingredient category. Look for the complete or complementary statement and the stated life stage to understand the intended role of the whole food.
How do I tell which insect a dog food uses?
Look for a named species in the ingredient list or ask the maker. If the label says only "insect protein", ask what species and form are used; if it says "cricket", ask whether it names the precise cricket species. Do that before transferring claims from another insect food.
Keep reading
- Black soldier fly dog-food evidence: what the studies show
- Novel proteins: when a protein is genuinely new to a dog
- Chitin in dog food: evidence and limits
- How to read a dog-food label
This guide is general information. It does not diagnose food allergy, prescribe an elimination diet or replace veterinary advice.
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