Can I feed my Oscar a ladybug?
I caught a bunch of ladybugs and I wanted to feed some to my Oscar. You can feed them crickets so ladybugs should be fine right?
(it's a fish)
I caught a bunch of ladybugs and I wanted to feed some to my Oscar. You can feed them crickets so ladybugs should be fine right?
(it's a fish)
Anonymous
Favorite Answer
I am not certain what type of animal your Oscar is at this point. Assuming it's a dog... there was a paper on which the toxicity of the ladybug was explored, but as far as I know only one dog was involved and had ulcers and stomach complaints.
Some ladybugs are more poisonous than others, and overall the species is mild and eats pests around the garden. Ladybugs are also known to have a bad taste (rejected by animals after trying once). So my guess is your pet would not appreciate a large meal of ladybugs. Unless it is a praying mantis. Even then some ladybugs turn the stomach of birds and spiders as well. They also stink.
My guess is Oscar wouldn't suffer unduly, but might not take the second ladybug offered.
Note: I see this is posted in 'fish' category. Assuming it's a large fish, it probably wouldn't be bothered by eating some ladybugs, again, the taste may be an issue. I also wouldn't feed Oscar for long periods on nothing but ladybugs.
lostcrow31
Bad idea. The problem isn't the ladybugs, it's whatever the ladybugs have accumulated being outside, i.e. pesticides. I've often been tempted to grab some insects off the sidewalk outside my apartment to feed to my African Butterfly fish, but I know they spray for roaches. Basically, not worth the risk, better safe than sorry, spend a few bucks at PetSmart and buy some crickets.
Anonymous
You can feed them store-bought/bred crickets, or store bought/bred ladybugs, but not the ones you get outside. They can be covered in all sorts of nasty stuff, including herbicides, pesticides and other chemicals.
Even if you were to feed your oscar insects, it's best to stay away from winged ones. Insect larvae and wingless fruit flies are good.
?
Choose the right food. Oscars are most closely related to piranhas. These aggressive fish love their live food, but should not eat these treats every day. The food you choose for your Oscar will depend on the size of your fish. Baby Oscars will be happy consuming large flakes and small pellets. Once they grow larger, choosing a larger pellet is the best decision
Dale
I've no idea why you felt the need to go out and catch loads of ladybugs, but if you really like the idea of feeding them to your dog I can't imagine it causing him any harm.