Castor & Pollux Organix Dog Food Review
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Castor & Pollux Natural Petworks offers the only complete line of USDA-organically certified pet food. According to the company, they are the leader and maker of America’s #1 organic pet food.
They have two product lines. Organix is well-known and people often assume that it is part of the company’s name. The other product line is called Pristine. Castor & Pollux makes both dog and cat food.
Keep reading to find out if Castor & Pollux dog food is right for your dog.
[ultra_elite_rating id=13139]About Castor & Pollux Dog Food
Castor & Pollux Natural Pet Works describes itself as a leader in organic and natural pet products. They make Organix and Pristine dog foods and Good Buddy pet treats.
Organix was founded in 1999 in Clackamas, Oregon. Organix, certified organic food and treats for dogs and cats, debuted in March 2003. In 2011, the first organic, grain-free food for dogs was launched by Castor & Pollux.
In April 2012, the company was purchased by Merrick Pet Care, based in Amarillo, Texas. Merrick has canning and dry pet food operations in Texas and they have organic certification under the USDA National Organic Program (NOP) for all of their Texas manufacturing facilities. Merrick Pet Care, Inc., is the only organically certified manufacturer of both dry and canned food for pets.
Merrick, along with Castor & Pollux, were purchased by Nestle Purina PetCare in 2015. They appear to remain semi-autonomous from Purina at this time.
Since that time, Castor & Pollux has raised all of their Organix recipes to be USDA organic certified. The company also introduced a product line called Pristine, a complete line of foods made with responsibly sourced ingredients.
Sourcing And Manufacturing
Many people are often under the impression that any product with organic ingredients can be called “organic.” There are a lot of regulations concerning the use of the term “organic” in the U.S., along with strict labeling standards. It is impressive that Castor & Pollux has an entire line of dog food with numerous recipes that are USDA organic certified.
Since Organix foods are USDA organic certified, that means several things with regards to the ingredients. The organic ingredients are produced without chemical pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, artificial preservatives, or added growth hormones or antibodies. The recipes contain no corn, wheat, or soy. The organic ingredients are always non-GMO. Ten of the recipes are non-GMO Project Verified. And they are cooked in the U.S. in an organically certified kitchen.
The Organix recipes always use organic free-range chicken or turkey.
According to customer service, all of their ingredients are sourced from the United States, depending on availability. If, for some reason, they are unable to get them within the United States, they will then source vitamins from Germany or Canada, their rabbit from France, and their venison from New Zealand.
You can read more about the ingredients here.
Castor & Pollux are made at the Merrick facilities in Texas. Merrick is organically certified to make both dry and wet/canned foods for pets.
Recall History
The most recent recall we found for Castor & Pollux is from May 2018. It refers to two of their Good Buddy products, along with several Merrick Backcountry products. The recall was announced due to elevated levels of beef thyroid hormone.
There were previous FDA recalls of Castor & Pollux Natural Ultramix and Good Buddy pressed rawhides but they were years ago.
Merrick Pet Care, Inc. has had a number of FDA recalls in the past, but they were prior to 2012, when the company purchased Castor & Pollux.
What Kinds of Dog Food Does Castor & Pollux Offer?
Castor & Pollux offers a range of organic products, including their Organix line, which is USDA Organic Certified and made with 95 to 99 percent certified organic ingredients. The products include dry, wet/canned, freeze-dried raw, meal toppers, and treats.
Most recipes are grain-free, but some are grain-inclusive. The Pristine formulas use some organic ingredients, but not all are organic. The first ingredient is responsibly raised meat or poultry without antibiotics or hormones, or wild-caught fish.
Fruits and vegetables are grown without synthetic fertilizers or chemical pesticides.
The recipes do not contain grain, corn, soy, wheat, or gluten, and do not use artificial preservatives, flavors, or colors. All formulas are grain-free.
Castor & Pollux Dog Food: Top Five Recipes Reviewed
Here’s a look at some of the bestselling Castor & Pollux dog food recipes on Chewy.com to give you an idea of what’s popular and what other dog lovers are choosing for their dogs.
Castor & Pollux Organix Grain-Free Organic Chicken & Sweet Potato Recipe Dry Dog
Product Info
- Protein: 26% Min
- Fat: 15% Min
- Fiber: 5% Max
- Moisture: 11% Max
- Calories: 3,689 kcal/kg, 369 kcal/cup
Here’s a look at the main ingredients in this food:
Organic Chicken, Organic Chicken Meal, Organic Sweet Potatoes, Organic Chickpeas, Organic Peas, Organic Tapioca, Organic Pea Protein, Organic Sunflower Seed Meal, Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), Organic Flaxseed, Natural Flavor, Organic Chicken Liver, Organic Blueberries, Organic Alfalfa Meal, Organic Sunflower Oil, Salt, Salmon Oil, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid), Choline Chloride, Minerals (Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Iron Amino Acid Complex, Copper Amino Acid Complex, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate), Potassium Chloride, Dried Bacillus coagulans Fermentation Product, Organic Rosemary Extract.
Many people will like the organic ingredients in this food, as well as the free-range chicken. We are concerned about the legumes in the first five ingredients. Even if you are not worried about legumes as a cause of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), they are often used as a replacement for meat protein.
The dry matter basis (DMB) figures for this food are: 29.2 percent protein, 16.9 percent fat, 5.6 percent fiber, and 42.7 percent carbohydrates. It has 369 kcal/cup.
Our rating for this food is 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Castor & Pollux Organix Grain-Free Organic Small Breed Recipe Dry Dog Food
Product Info
- Protein: 26% Min
- Fat: 15% Min
- Fiber: 5% Max
- Moisture: 11% Max
- Calories: 3,679 kcal/kg, 368 kcal/cup
Here’s a look at the main ingredients in this food:
Organic Chicken, Organic Chicken Meal, Organic Sweet Potatoes, Organic Chickpeas, Organic Peas, Organic Tapioca, Organic Pea Protein, Organic Sunflower Seed Meal, Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), Organic Flaxseed, Natural Flavor, Organic Chicken Liver, Organic Blueberries, Organic Alfalfa Meal, Organic Sunflower Oil, Salt, Salmon Oil, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid), Choline Chloride, Minerals (Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Iron Amino Acid Complex, Copper Amino Acid Complex, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate), Potassium Chloride, Inulin (from chicory root), Dried Bacillus coagulans Fermentation Product, Organic Rosemary Extract.
Similar to other grain-free Castor & Pollux formulas, this recipe for small breeds also has legumes in the first five ingredients.
Castor & Pollux Organix Grain-Free Organic Small Breed Recipe Dry Dog Food has 29.2 percent protein and 16.9 percent fat, according to the dry matter basis (DMB). It has 5.6 percent fiber. Our estimate of the carbohydrates is 41.6 percent. It has 368 kcal per cup.
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Castor & Pollux Organix Organic Chicken & Oatmeal Recipe Dry Dog Food
Product Info
- Protein: 26% Min
- Fat: 16% Min
- Fiber: 5% Max
- Moisture: 11% Max
- Calories: 3,710 kcal/kg, 371 kcal/cup
Here’s a look at the main ingredients in this food:
Organic Chicken, Organic Chicken Meal, Organic Oatmeal, Organic Barley, Organic Chickpeas, Organic Peas, Organic Pea Protein, Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Chicken Fat (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), Organic Sunflower Seed Meal, Organic Flaxseed, Natural Flavor, Organic Chicken Liver, Organic Blueberries, Organic Alfalfa Meal, Salt, Organic Sunflower Oil, Salmon Oil, Minerals (Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Iron Amino Acid Complex, Copper Amino Acid Complex, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate), Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid), Choline Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Dried Bacillus Coagulans Fermentation Product.
This is one of Castor & Pollux Organix’s few remaining grain-inclusive recipes. We were surprised to find legumes in the ingredients as the fifth, sixth, and seventh ingredients, and lower.
This formula has 29.2 percent protein and 18 percent fat, according to the dry matter basis (DMB). It has 5.6 percent fiber. Our estimate of the carbohydrates in the food came out to 40.4 percent DMB. It has 371 kcals per cup.
Our rating for this food is 4 out of 5 stars.
Castor & Pollux Organix Grain-Free Butcher & Bushel Organic Chicken Wing & Thigh Dinner in Gravy Adult Canned Dog Food
Product Info
- Protein: 8% Min
- Fat: 4% Min
- Fiber: 1.4% Max
- Moisture: 81% Max
- Calories: 810 kcal/kg, 292 kcal/12.7 oz can
Here’s a look at the main ingredients in this food:
Organic Chicken, Organic Chicken Broth, Organic Chicken Liver, Organic Sweet Potatoes, Organic Carrots, Organic Pea Protein, Organic Blueberries, Organic Dried Egg Product, Organic Coconut Flour, Organic Flaxseed, Calcium Carbonate, Salt, Sodium Phosphate, Organic Alfalfa Meal, Organic Guar Gum, Choline Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Sodium Alginate, Minerals (Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Iron Amino Acid Complex, Copper Amino Acid Complex, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate), Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid), Organic Rosemary, Organic Sage, Xanthan Gum.
According to the dry matter analysis for this food, it has 42.1 percent protein, 21 percent fat, and 7.4 percent fiber. Our estimate of the carbohydrates in the food came out to 13.7 percent. It contains 292 kcal per 12.7 oz can .
Our rating for this food is 4 out of 5 stars.
Castor & Pollux PRISTINE Grain-Free Wild-Caught Salmon & Sweet Potato Recipe
Product Info
- Protein: 28% Min
- Fat: 15% Min
- Fiber: 3.5% Max
- Moisture: 11% Max
- Calories: 3651 kcal/kg, 365 kcal/cup
Here’s a look at the main ingredients in this food:
Salmon, Lamb Meal, Organic Pea Protein, Organic Peas, Organic Chickpeas, Organic Sweet Potatoes, Organic Tapioca, Whitefish Meal, Organic Coconut Oil, Pork Fat (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), Organic Sunflower Seed Meal, Natural Flavor, Whitefish, Organic Flaxseed, Organic Alfalfa Meal, Organic Apples, Organic Blueberries, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid), Organic Dried Potatoes, Minerals (Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Iron Amino Acid Complex, Copper Amino Acid Complex, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate), Choline Chloride, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Gelatin, Dried Bacillus Coagulans Fermentation Product.
This formula has 31.5 percent protein and 16.9 percent fat, according to the dry matter basis (DMB). It has 3.9 percent fiber. Our estimate of the carbohydrates in the food came out to 41 percent DMB. It contains 365 kcal per cup.
Our rating for this food is 3.5 out of 5 stars.
How Much Does Castor & Pollux Dog Food Cost?
The Castor & Pollux line of dog foods costs much more than other premium dog foods.
What Do Customers Think of Castor & Pollux Dog Food?
Castor & Pollux gets good ratings from most customers. Most customers (over 90 percent) say they would recommend various Castor & Pollux dog foods to others. Many recipes (over 70 percent) get 4- or 5-star reviews.
Overall, is Castor & Pollux Dog Food a Good Choice?
We don’t think that this brand is as good as it once was. Many people will be happy with the organic label and overlook the fact that virtually all recipes have been stuffed with legumes, including grain-inclusive recipes. Even organic legumes (peas, chickpeas, and lentils) are still legumes.
Some of these ingredients are very high on the ingredient list. If you are concerned about these ingredients in your dog’s food, you should not buy dog foods that contain them just because they are organic.
If these ingredients don’t bother you or your dog, you will be happy with this brand.
Where Is Castor & Pollux Dog Food Sold?
You can find Castor & Pollux dog food at Chewy.com and other online retailers. You can also buy Castor & Pollux at some pet supply stores.
