Ingredient file // Fat or oil
Hemp Hearts
A fatty seed topping, not a protein upgrade
Hemp hearts are hemp seeds with the hard shell removed, and they are about half fat and a third protein. In dog food they add calories and linoleic acid. Their omega-3 is plant ALA, which dogs barely turn into the fish oil kinds.
- What it is
- Hemp seeds with the hard hull removed by machine, leaving the soft, oily kernel.
- Made from
- Seeds of industrial hemp grown for food
- Main job
- Fat with some plant protein
- Typical amount
- Not published; one dog trial fed 4% of the ration
- Watch for
- High phosphorus for dogs on kidney diets
- Not the same as
- CBD oil or hemp extract
Our read // In our catalog
In 1 of every 1534 foods we track
Share of foods that list it
0%
2 of the 3,068 foods with an ingredient list on file, from 1 brand. 1 freeze-dried dog food, 1 dog food topper.
Each square is 1% of the catalog
Where it sits on the label
Median position 2.5. In the top five of 2 foods, so it is usually a main ingredient.
Who leans on it
100%
of the foods that list it are from Grandma Lucy's. 1 brand use it in total.
What it is
How it is made
Hemp hearts are a human food product, not a leftover. FDA cleared hulled hemp seed for human food in 2018. Seed processors remove the hard hull because it is difficult to eat, leaving the soft kernel.1,7,8,9
- 01 // Source Hemp seed The small, hard seed of industrial hemp, harvested from varieties grown for food and oil.
- 02 // Process Husk cracked A dehulling machine splits the hard husk and pulls part of it away with built-in air suction.
- 03 // Process Husk separated A mixer and a final air stream separate the remaining husk pieces from the soft kernels.
- 04 // Output Hemp hearts Soft kernels of about 35% protein and 49% fat, dry basis. Husks tested at 300 mg/kg THC, kernels at 2.
What is in it
Composition, dry matter
49
% fat
Dry hemp hearts are about half fat, more fat than protein. Count them as a fat source that brings some protein along.
Removing the hull is what concentrates the seed. Whole seeds in the same study ran about 26 to 28% protein and 29% fat on a dry basis. Most fiber leaves with the hull.1
Why it is in the bag
What the manufacturer gets
-
01
Adds fat and calories
At about 49% fat on a dry basis and 553 kcal per 100 g as sold, a small amount raises the energy of a freeze-dried food or topper.1,2
-
02
Supplies linoleic acid
Hemp fat is about 55% linoleic acid, the omega-6 dogs need for skin and coat, plus 12 to 18% plant omega-3 ALA.1
-
03
Some plant protein
At about 35% protein dry, hearts lift the protein figure a little. Tryptophan runs short, so the protein needs a meat or other partner.1,3
-
04
Label appeal
Brands sell hemp hearts on heart, immunity, and skin and coat. The ingredient is familiar from human health food, which helps it on a bag.13
How much The only dog trial found fed hulled hemp seed at 4 g per 100 g of a homemade ration, in 12 dogs.4
Our read // The claims
What the evidence supports
Strong: controlled studies in dogs agree. Some: small or mixed dog data. Thin: mechanism or lab work only. None: nothing, or the evidence points the other way.
-
Brands say
Hemp hearts give dogs omega fatty acids for skin and coat
Outruns the evidence
Evidence
- Strong
- Some
- Thin
- None
Hemp fat is about 55% linoleic acid and 12 to 18% ALA, but no study has tested hemp on dog coats. In an 18-dog flax or sunflower seed trial, coat gains were small and did not last past 28 days.1,5
-
Brands say
Hemp seeds strengthen a dog's antioxidant and immune defenses
Outruns the evidence
Evidence
- Strong
- Some
- Thin
- None
The evidence is one 12-dog trial: hulled hemp seed at 4% of a homemade diet lowered one serum oxidative stress measure. No study we found measured immune function or any health outcome in dogs fed hemp.4
-
Brands say
Hemp is a complete protein for dogs
Outruns the evidence
Evidence
- Strong
- Some
- Thin
- None
A rooster assay of 4 whole hemp seed varieties found every essential amino acid above NRC allowances for adult dogs except tryptophan. The authors say hemp needs a complementary protein. For a dog it is not complete.3
-
Owners say
Hemp hearts can make a dog high
Outruns the evidence
Evidence
- Strong
- Some
- Thin
- None
FDA says hulled hemp seed carries only trace THC, picked up from other plant parts at harvest. One analysis found 300 mg/kg THC in husks and 2 mg/kg in kernels, and hearts are the kernels.7,8
-
Owners say
Hemp hearts calm anxious dogs like CBD
Outruns the evidence
Evidence
- Strong
- Some
- Thin
- None
FDA says hulled hemp seed holds only trace CBD, picked up during harvest and processing. No dog study has tested hemp seed for anxiety, and a trace amount is not a dose.7
Straight answers
What owners ask
-
Q01
Is it just filler?
NoDry hemp hearts are about 49% fat and 35% protein, which makes them calorie-dense, the opposite of bulk. Filler means an ingredient with no job, and these carry calories, linoleic acid and protein.1
-
Q02
Is hemp approved for dog food?
Not federallyThe 2018 Farm Bill legalized growing hemp but did not authorize feeding it to animals. FDA's 2018 clearance covers human food, and AAFCO's 2025 approval covers hempseed meal for laying hens only.7,10,11
-
Q03
Can it replace fish oil?
NoIn a 6-week trial in 20 huskies, plant omega-3 from flaxseed oil dropped the omega-3 index from 1.6% to 0.96%, while krill oil raised it. Dogs need EPA and DHA already formed.6
Who uses it
Brands, best sellers and the company it keeps
Top brands, by foods that list it
Usually listed with, share of the foods that list it
- Pinto Beans 100%
- Carrots 100%
- Coconut 100%
- Pumpkin 100%
- Kale 100%
- Blueberries 100%
- Turmeric 100%
- Vitamin A 100%
- Beef 50%
- Vitamin D3 50%
On the shelf
Foods that list it
2 foods in our reviews list it. Here are some of them.
Our read // On the bag
Read it as a fat, not a protein
Expect hemp hearts behind the meat in freeze-dried foods and toppers. There they add calories and linoleic acid, which is fine. Do not count them toward protein quality or omega-3 needs. If you want EPA and DHA, look for fish oil or algae oil on the same list.
Sources
What we read
Checked October 1, 2026.
- 1 Proteomic Profiles of Whole Seeds, Hulls, and Dehulled Seeds of Two Industrial Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) Cultivars
- 2 Seeds, hemp seed, hulled (USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy, FDC 170148)
- 3 Nutrient profile, amino acid digestibility, true metabolizable energy, and indispensable amino acid scoring of whole hemp seeds for use in canine and feline diets
- 4 Effect of hulled Cannabis sativa L. seeds in a home-made diet for adult dogs
- 5 Effects of dietary flax seed and sunflower seed supplementation on normal canine serum polyunsaturated fatty acids and skin and hair coat condition scores
- 6 Enhanced omega-3 index after long- versus short-chain omega-3 fatty acid supplementation in dogs
- 7 FDA Responds to Three GRAS Notices for Hemp Seed-Derived Ingredients for Use in Human Food
- 8 Unlocking safety: a mathematical model and selective extraction for Δ9-THC removal from hemp seed husks
- 9 Comparative Characterization of Hemp Seed Cakes from Dehulled and Hulled Cannabis sativa L. var. oleifera cv. 'Henola': Nutritional, Functional, and Storage Stability Insights
- 10 Organizations Warn Against Hemp in Pet Food, Livestock Feed
- 11 2025 Regulatory Update Part 2: What We Are Watching In The CBD & Hemp Pet Product Sector
- 12 Nutritional Management of the Chronic Renal Failure in Dogs
- 13 Grandma Lucy's Macanna Freeze-Dried Dog Food, Salmon