Insect protein for dogs and cats? Ew.

We know what you’re thinking; finally a dog treat that fulfills my dog’s innate desire to catch flies, but overcomes his significant lack of skill in actually doing so.

You’re welcome.

Grossed out? Good. That’s the point, fool! No, but in all seriousness, we know bugs are kinda gross and maybe you’re wondering if we’ve actually lost it and are now just taking the piss with anything we can find on Alibaba.

Not so. Norm was co-founded and is formulated by an industry leading pet nutritionist, and we carefully source all of our ingredients for both safety, and their nutritional benefits. Everything is manufactured by us, in-house.

Our new Beetle Juice freakshake has – you guessed it – beetles. Well, not technically beetles, but insect protein - black soldier fly larvae, to be specific. We thought we’d go through some of the goss on insect protein, before you chicken out and decide you can’t stomach it.

For starters, we only use Australian farmed and processed insects. This is important, not just for quality control reasons, but also for safety reasons. Dried meat that is imported to Australia is irradiated, which makes it unsafe for cats, and questionable for dogs. It’s actually illegal to sell irradiated cat food in Australia because it can cause neurological damage, among other things (including death). That’s why imported insects (and dog treats) will say they’re not safe for cats.

As for why we chose to add them to our new Beetle Juice freakshake, it’s mainly because they’re nutritious af! Black soldier fly larvae contain around 50% protein when dried, as well as anti-inflammatory omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, calcium and glucosamine for joint health, and a compound chitin, which is also found in the shells of crustaceans (aka the bugs of the sea). Chitin is a polysaccharide and acts as a prebiotic in the digestive system, making it a beneficial addition to support the health of the gut.

Generally speaking insect protein is also a hypoallergenic choice, so great for pets with lots of allergies – but we put it with lamb, so maybe not in this case… whoops. 

The other reason we love black soldier fly larvae is because it’s good for the environment. We’re not talking a little bit better; some stats put insects farming emissions at 96% lower than beef farming! These little guys also live off organic waste that’s diverted from landfill, so another win for our mama there.  

We’re not completely sold on insect protein as a main food source for dogs and cats, except in the case of major food allergies, but we love it for a sometimes food that adds cool nutritional variety, without doing harm.

Beetle Juice and 3 other freaks are dropping May 22.

Make sure you know your bug dealer. Shop local. The end.