If you are curious about feeding your dog, then be assured that you do not have much to worry about. dogs derive their food from two sources depending on their species. From the diverse 300 species of dogs, they are classified into two food groups. dogs can make either fall into the group of Omnivores or Herbivores. Herbivores are those who derive their food from a plant source like vegetables and fruits. Omnivores munch on food that can either be from plants like vegetables and fruit but also does not leave the plate uneaten if they are given meat or insects.
So, you are curious about if it is okay to feed your dogs beetles. Are they good for them, and what are the benefits of these? Let’s find out.
feeding your dog beetles:
The beetle you are curious about feeding your dog is called darkling beetles. They are the fully grown state of the mealworms, which make excellent dog food. They have a full life cycle. The life cycle of a darkling beetle begins from an egg. The egg then hatches. This hatchling is a larva, which is called a mealworm. These mealworms then undergo a series of transformations, which later develop into a darkling beetle.
Now, if you feed your dog in a mealworm or the darkling stage is up to you. They are safe to eat and have phosphorus and calcium. However, this diet is not a sustainable daily diet. A dog diet mainly consists of proteins and vegetables. It is inherently what they need for their required growth and life sustainability. So beetles are not good food for them if you plan on feeding them daily.
But do you know what good foods are? Let me explain more.
what should you be feeding your dog:
dogs are not very choosy when it comes to their diets. However, you have to take care of the two things they will always need—vegetables for vitamins and some sort of a meat source for proteins.
When your dog is juvenile, it will need a lot of proteins. You should make sure that 80 percent of their food is proteins. These proteins help in their bone and skeletal development. You should, however, feed them some vegetables as well to balance their diet. A juvenile dog should be fed once every day.
As your dog grows a lot, you will have to balance out its vegetables and protein intake. They can be fed once every two days.
However, if you have a fully grown adult dog, be sure to give them a lot of vegetables. Their diet should consist of 80 percent vegetables and 20 percent proteins. They can be fed once every three days.
But what is safe to feed your dog? Surprisingly you do not have to look for much when trying to feed your dog. Here are a few things that you can safely feed your dogs.
VEGETABLES:
Vegetables are a very important diet that needs to be a part of your dog food; dogs also like to eat vegetables as well. They will dig into almost every vegetable you can find, and it will be perfectly safe for them. An exception to this rule is all the vegetables that are grown in bulbs. These can include onions and garlic. These sorts of vegetables are extremely toxic for your dog and can give them digestive and other serious issues.
FRUITS:
Almost all fruits are acceptable to feed your dog. They also like to eat them as well. However, things like oranges and lemons are not good for their digestive system and cause diarrhea.
PROCESSED DOG FOOD:
Many specialized foods are made for dogs available in the market. They can be special dog vegetable pellets or frozen fish food. They are very easy to find in supermarkets and vet offices.
FEEDER FISHES:
You can also give your dog some fishes to eat and consume. These fishes can also be live fishes, and your dog can act as a predator to catch and eat them.
INSECTS AND WORMS:
You can also feed your dog some worms and insects. These worms and insects can be anything like mealworms, beetles, and even caterpillars. However, many worms are off-limits due to them having defensive mechanisms and toxins built into their bodies.
MEATS:
You can also give your dog some meat to eat from time to time. These meats can be cooked and come from animal sources like beef and chickens.
foods that are off-limits:
Even though there is not much that is off-limits for your dog, you will have to understand there are a few things that your dog cannot have under any circumstances. These things are not good for your dog and can disrupt its system.
Dairy is one of those food items that your dogs cannot eat. dogs are lactose intolerant and do not have the required enzymes that can break down dairy into energy. Hence this remains undigested and gives your dog a bad case of diarrhea.
Onions or any other vegetables that might grow in bulbs are toxic for your dogs.
Citrus fruits like oranges and lemons are also known to cause digestive problems in dogs.
Feeding your rabbits frogs will also be dangerous as amphibious animals release toxins through their skins, and if your dog eats the frogs, then it will have to endure some consequences that will step from it.
conclusion:
Even though feeding your dog, some beetles are completely safe; it does not do much for them, keeping their dietary need in check. dogs mostly need vegetables and proteins, which should mostly constitute their diet. Beetles only have some phosphorus and calcium. You can do very well if you look for something else to feed your dog-like vegetables and fruits.