Is this dog food safe for crickets

[SkittlesTheJumpingSpider]

Hey everyone! I know this is a bit of a weird question, as I am asking about the safety of the ingredients in dog kibble to feed to crickets.

Someone recently recommended to get dog food for my feeder crickets. I just wanted to make sure the ingredients in it are safe for crickets, because I will be feeding these crickets to my beloved jumping spider, and if the ingredients aren't safe for crickets, then they probably won't be safe for jumping spiders.

The brand is Kibbles 'n Bits. Here are the ingredients (It's apparently chicken flavor):

Corn, pork and bone meal, Soybean meal, Beef tallow (Preserved with mixed tocopherols), Chicken by-product meal, Poultry digest, Calcium Carbonate, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Carmel color, Choline Chloride, Titanium dioxide (color), minerals (ferrorus sulphate, Zinc oxide, manganous oxide, Copper sulphate, calcium iodate, Sodium selenite), Vitamins (Vitamin E supplement, Niacin, D-calcium pantothenate, Vitamin A supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Thiamine mononitrate, Vitamin D3 supplement, Vitamin b12 supplement, Pyridoxine hydrochloride, Folic acid, Biotin), Red 40, Yellow 6, Yellow 5, Latic acid, DL-Methionine, Rosemary extract.

Sorry that this thread was quite long, but, It's better to be safe then sorry!

I would appreciate any response.
Thanks,
-SkittlesTheJumpingSpider

 

[Albireo Wulfbooper]

I've never heard of anyone having trouble from feeding any brand of cat or dog food to crickets - they seem to be pretty effective garbage disposal units.

 

[SkittlesTheJumpingSpider]

I've never heard of anyone having trouble from feeding any brand of cat or dog food to crickets - they seem to be pretty effective garbage disposal units.

Thanks for the reply!

 

[xraphaelxx]

I've read the only thing you need to keep an eye on is calcium content, as if it's too high the T can have trouble molting as it's exoskeleton is thicker.

I generally feed my crickets & locusts etc salad mix (I get bags for the tortoise & beardie so its easiest thing.) I know citrus is bad for reptiles so I don't feed my feeders oranges etc. But carrots, mango, tomatoes, most scraps going tbh.

 

[Tarantuland]

I've read the only thing you need to keep an eye on is calcium content, as if it's too high the T can have trouble molting as it's exoskeleton is thicker.

Where have you read this? I've heard this claim before but I don't think it's true.

Spider Chitin: An Ultrafast Microwave-Assisted Method for Chitin Isolation from Caribena versicolor Spider Molt Cuticle

Chitin, as a fundamental polysaccharide in invertebrate skeletons, continues to be actively investigated, especially with respect to new sources and the development of effective methods for its extraction. Recent attention has been focused on marine crustaceans ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

"In contrast to sponges, worms, mollusks and crustaceans (Figure 2), the cuticle of spiders is free from mineral phases like calcium carbonates, with the exception of Zn-based biominerals localized within the fang of some species"

Does calcium from mice ACTUALLY interfere with molting?

I've seen tons of contradictory information on this subject. On the one hand, a lot of people claim that mice, which contain tons of calcium, can make a tarantula's exoskeleton harder and stop it from being able to molt properly. But I've also seen people claiming that tarantula and scorpion...

arachnoboards.com

MYTHS: MICE CALCIUM AND MOLTING

 

[Hakuna]

Give your crickets repashy bug burger instead ( not an ad lmao )

 

[SkittlesTheJumpingSpider]

Give your crickets repashy bug burger instead ( not an ad lmao )

Thanks for the reply. Do you think the dog food is safe, though? Bug burger is kind of expensive where I'm at.

 

[Westicles]

Not sure about for crickets, but I certainly wouldn't give Kibbles N Bits to a dog. But again, completely different animals.

 

[Malum Argenteum]

know citrus is bad for reptiles

Why?

 

[xraphaelxx]

Why?

Citric acids can irritate the stomachs of reptiles, resulting in stomach upsets, vomiting and diarrhoea.

 

[xraphaelxx]

Where have you read this? I've heard this claim before but I don't think it's true.

Why Calcium Can Be Harmful To Tarantulas

Do tarantulas need calcium? If you have owned different lizards and serpents, you know the drill in terms of feeding them and you need to always dust their food with the magical calcium powder. But…

cutecaremonster.wordpress.com

If they don't need it I'd rather err on the side of caution and avoid it.

 

[Tarantuland]

Why Calcium Can Be Harmful To Tarantulas

Do tarantulas need calcium? If you have owned different lizards and serpents, you know the drill in terms of feeding them and you need to always dust their food with the magical calcium powder. But…

cutecaremonster.wordpress.com

If they don't need it I'd rather err on the side of caution and avoid it.

Thanks for linking, but this website has no credibility. This article in particular is harmful:

https://cutecaremonster.wordpress.com/2020/03/04/8-awesome-tarantulas-that-can-be-handled/.

I linked you to a peer reviewed paper that that states spiders do not have calcium in their exoskeleton

 

[xraphaelxx]

Thanks for linking, but this website has no credibility.

I linked you to a peer reviewed paper that that states spiders do not have calcium in their exoskeleton

I'm not vouching for the website, you asked me where I read it so I linked it.

Your link took me a couple of read throughs (its 6am here and I'm only one cup of tea into the day) but I read where it states "the cuticle of spiders is free from mineral phases like calcium carbonates". Very interesting article, thank you.

 

[viper69]

I'm not vouching for the website, you asked me where I read it so I linked it.

Your link took me a couple of read throughs (its 6am here and I'm only one cup of tea into the day) but I read where it states "the cuticle of spiders is free from mineral phases like calcium carbonates". Very interesting article, thank you.

And you provided the link- perfect

He then told you what he thought of the link.

It’s not personal

That calcium post is nothing short of

Not a single reference to support the claims made.
Dont believe everything you read because it’s on the net.

 

[xraphaelxx]

Dont believe everything you read because it’s on the net.

Incuding this forum?

 

[viper69]

Incuding this forum?

Yes

 

[Malum Argenteum]

Citric acids can irritate the stomachs of reptiles, resulting in stomach upsets, vomiting and diarrhoea.

Oh. That's the case for humans, too.

It isn't relevant for feeder insects. The insects turn the citrus fruits into more insect. It is only relevant for feeding those fruits directly to the reptile (most reptiles simply avoid those fruits anyway).

Folks who breed roaches for feeding to herps know well that oranges are the #1 best water source -- they're what I use when they're in season.

 

[Tarantuland]

I'm not vouching for the website, you asked me where I read it so I linked it.

Your link took me a couple of read throughs (its 6am here and I'm only one cup of tea into the day) but I read where it states "the cuticle of spiders is free from mineral phases like calcium carbonates". Very interesting article, thank you.

And you provided the link- perfect

He then told you what he thought of the link.

It’s not personal

That calcium post is nothing short of

Not a single reference to support the claims made.
Dont believe everything you read because it’s on the net.

Yeah as Viper said I wasn't trying to make anything person or come at you...I just dont find any merit in that website. I do appreciate you sharing when I asked where you read it.

Incuding this forum?

This forum is better that many other sites for info on spiders, because people with experience will generally come in and discredit false claims...but like anywhere else you have to read and ingest as much info as you can before making your own opinions on whatever it is. Peer reviewed articles are tough to read sometimes, but they are usually the most reliable.

 

[viper69]

claims...but like anywhere else you have to read and ingest as much info as you can before making your own opinions on whateve

True - but many do not verify the info they read, they parrot, or don’t qualify their answer with “not sure this is accurate”