Is Castor And Pollux Good Dog Food

Castor and Pollux is a pet food brand that focuses on providing certifiably organic “purposeful pet food” made with quality, responsibly-sourced organic ingredients. But do these factors make this brand’s dog food products a healthy, appropriate option for your best friend? Today, we’ll take a more in-depth look at Castor and Pollux with both an overview of the brand’s recall history and a careful content analysis of one of their dry food products.

Our Rating of Castor and Pollux Organix Dog Food

Castor and Pollux Organix is a grain-inclusive dry dog food using a notable amount of named meat meal as its dominant source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 5 stars.

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Quality of Ingredients

The Castor and Pollux company places a strong emphasis on being known as an organic product, and as such you can rest assured that all of the ingredients that go into each bag are free of chemicals, hormones, antibiotics, or any of the other stuff that some competitors have that might not be the best for your dog. To ensure this standard, a USDA accredited entity oversees all of the companies purchases, to make sure only the best make it through inspection and into your dog’s bowl.

All of Castor and Pollux’s food is manufactured at their facilities in Amarillo, Texas, so pet owners can rest assured that their product is always American made. Additionally, the company ensures that it sources all of its ingredients from farms right here in the United States, ensuring that they do not use any products containing some of the potentially harmful additives that might be found in meats and vegetables sourced from overseas.

Analyzing the first 10 ingredients in a dog food is a great way to understand the overall nutrient content of the dog food because AAFCO requires all dog food ingredients to be listed in order of predominance by their weight. Here’s a closer look at what’s inside Castor & Pollux Natural UltraMix Grain-Free Real Chicken & Sweet Potato Recipe.

Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Dried Potatoes, Dried Peas, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Salmon Meal, Pea Protein, Potato Protein, Natural Flavor, Chicken Liver, Bananas, Carrots, Apples, Cranberries, Blueberries, Dried Organic Alfalfa Meal, Salmon Oil, Salt, Minerals (Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Zinc Sulfate, Iron Amino Acid Complex, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Copper Amino Acid Complex, Potassium Iodide, Cobalt Amino Acid Complex, Sodium Selenite), Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Niacin, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Thiamine Mononitrate), Choline Chloride, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Dried Lactobacillus Plantarum Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Casei Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Rosemary Extract.

42.2% Protein

18.9% Fat

35% Carbs

This Ultramix Chicken and Sweet Potato recipe has incredibly high protein for a dry dog food, one of the highest we’ve seen. If you currently feed your dog a low quality food with low protein and plan on switching to this brand, be certain to slowly transition your pup to ensure minimal digestion issues.

Beyond the excellent protein contents, you’ll see a lot of fresh vegetables and fruits for the carbs.

Ingredients You May Wonder About:

Chicken: Chicken is an extremely common meat used in dog foods and typically the cheapest meat source available. There’s nothing wrong with feeding your dog chicken, but it’s also not uncommon for dogs to have a chicken allergy. If you find your dog excessively itching, it would be best to try a dog food with no chicken products.

Carrot: Carrots are high in fiber, beta-carotene, and Vitamin A.

Alfalfa: Alfalfa is an herb with many health benefits including arthritis pain relief and it’s loaded with important nutrients.

Mixed tocopherols: Tocopherol may sound like a nasty chemical, but it’s actually a naturally occuring organic chemical compound and a type of Vitamin E. Tocopherol can be derived from various nuts and vegetable oils. These serve as a natural preservative for dog foods.

Copper: Copper is found in nearly all living things and is required in the diet to keep a dog healthy. As a result, nearly all dog foods add small levels of copper in accordance to AAFCO guidelines.

Calcium pantothenate: This is another B Vitamin that’s healthy for your dog and considered a requirement for a complete diet by the AAFCO. Reference

Niacin: Also known as Vitamin B3.

Pyridoxine: Also known as Vitamin B6, a healthy part of your dog’s diet. Reference

Thiamine mononitrate: This is a scientific name for Vitamin B1. Too little Vitamin B1 can cause a variety of health issues and any excess is easily flushed from the body. Most manufacturers add this dog food to stay in line with AAFCO guidelines. Reference

Yucca: Yucca is a plant that has the primary benefit of having your dog’s stool smell less. It’s a very common dog food ingredient. Reference

Lactobacillus casei: Lactobacillus Casei is a probiotic with many known benefits in humans. Reference

Lactobacillus acidophilus: Lactobacillus Acidophilus is a probiotic added to help promote a healthy stomach and digestion in your dog.

Rosemary: Rosemary is a natural preservative and is very common in dry dog foods.

salmon meal: Salmon meal is made using off-cuts of salmon cooked at very high heat to make a high protein powder. Bones and other by-products are not used to make a salmon meal, so this is perfectly suited to your pup.

fatty acids: Animals need fatty acids in their diets, and omega 3 and omega 6 are popular ingredients to add to pet food to ensure our furry friends are getting the recommended dose.

About the Ingredient List

Every dog needs a form of protein in their diet, whether it is an animal protein or not. Castor and Pollux dog food has almost 19% protein in their food, which is towards the lower end of the recommended daily amount of protein per day.

Gluten-free and grain-free options are available from Castor and Pollux. These ranges are great for pups with allergies and sensitive stomachs.

Has Castor and Pollux Dog Food Been Recalled?

As of this review, there have been no official FDA recalls of Castor and Pollux brand dry dog food products. This is an excellent indication of the brand’s commitment to quality and safety standards. Although not an official FDA recall, it is of note that in 2018, Merrick Pet Care issued a voluntary recall of two Castor and Pollux dog treat varieties.

This recall affected Castor and Pollux Good Buddy Prime Patties Beef Recipe treats and Good Buddy Sausage Cuts Real Beef Recipe treats and was a result of an FDA consumer complaint shared with the company. The complaint revolved around temporary health impacts caused by Merrick Backcountry Great Plains Real Beef Jerky, and not Castor and Pollux dog treats, but the company recalled the related beef treat products as a safety measure.

The complaint indicated that the dog treats potentially contained elevated levels of a naturally-occurring beef thyroid hormone. Excessive consumption of this hormone could lead to increases in thirst, urination, weight loss, heart rate, and restlessness. This was a limited risk, as treats are only meant to be occasionally consumed, but the company chose to issue the recall out of interest in both caution and consumer trust.

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