Castor & Pollux Grain-Free Organic Chicken | Dog Food Review

Nutrition

This food has a good amount of protein but is high in carbs, which is lowering the fat content somewhat and making it less nutritionally balanced compared to other dog foods we evaluated. Carbohydrates are cheap so they keep the food’s cost low. They are nutritionally useful to dogs in the right amounts, however, high amounts of carbs can reduce the much-needed meat-based protein and fat content.

To evaluate dog foods, we first calculate out the moisture. This is called the “dry matter basis” and shows you only the solid ingredients in the food. These estimated “dry matter” numbers are different from the food label, but a better way to understand the real nutritional value of the food. We also calculate the carbs. Find out more

Dry Matter

Min. Protein 29.21%

Min. Fat 16.85%

Min. Carbs 46.07%

Max. Fiber 5.62%

Max. Ash 7.87%

Max. Moisture 0.00%

Food Label

Min. Protein: 26.0%

Min Fat: 15.0%

Min Carbs: N/A

Max Fiber: 5.0%

Max Ash: N/A

Max. Moisture: 11.0%

Calories

369 Calories per Cup

This product has an average amount of calories. It’s important to understand how many calories you are feeding to prevent under or overfeeding. Average calorie foods like this are typically best for fairly active dogs who need a moderate amount of daily calories. Based on your dog's current weight and activity level you may want to feed more or less than the recommended amount. It's helpful to know that weight loss foods often have fewer than 340 calories per cup, weight maintenance foods typically range from 340-380 calories, and high-activity dog foods are usually over 400 calories.

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FDA Alert

Grain-Free Dog Foods

This is a grain-free dog food. The FDA is investigating a potential connection between grain-free diets and canine heart disease. There is not enough evidence yet to affect our ratings but we've created an article for you explaining the topic.

Learn More

96.5%

WATCHDOG
SCORE

Ingredients

96%

Total Ingredients

Controversial Ingredients

Salmon, Salmon Meal, Herring Meal, Menhaden Fish Meal, Dried Peas, Dried Potato, Tapioca Starch, Canola Oil (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid), Pea Protein Concentrate, Tomato Pomace, Dried Bananas, Natural Salmon Flavor, Ground Whole Flaxseed, Brewers Dried Yeast, Dried Carrots, Monocalcium Phosphate, Salt, Freeze Dried Peas, Potassium Chloride, Dicalcium Phosphate, Dried Cranberries, Dried Sweet Potatoes, Fructooligosaccharide, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2 Polyphosphate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Niacin, Riboflavin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Biotin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), Choline Chloride, Rosemary Extract.

The average dog food we reviewed has 39 total ingredients, with 1 controversial ingredient. This Castor and Pollux product does not have any controversial ingredients.

Top 5 Ingredients

Dog food ingredients are listed in descending order of weight. So when looking at a dog food label, take a close look at the first 5 ingredients. They make up about 80% of the total weight.

Organic Chicken
Organic chicken is generally a healthy dog food ingredient. It provides nutrients like protein, fat, B vitamins, selenium and choline. Organic dog food ingredients are free of antibiotics, synthetic hormones, pesticides, chemical fertilizers and artificial preservatives. They are also not allowed to be genetically modified.

Organic Chicken Meal
Organic chicken meal is generally a healthy dog food ingredient. Meat meals are the result of cooking. Water is removed from meats to create a protein-rich meal powder. Meat meals contain about four times the protein meats do, so generally, they're a good source of nutrients. Organic dog food ingredients are free of antibiotics, synthetic hormones, pesticides, chemical fertilizers and artificial preservatives. They are also not allowed to be genetically modified.

Organic Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are a root vegetable that are rich in complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber, beta-carotene and other vitamins. They are a high-quality dog food ingredient. Organic dog food ingredients are free of antibiotics, synthetic hormones, pesticides, chemical fertilizers and artificial preservatives. They are also not allowed to be genetically modified.
Organic Chickpeas
Chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans) are a legume that provides nutrients such as protein, fiber, folate, iron and phosphorus. They are generally a healthy dog food ingredient. Organic dog food ingredients are free of antibiotics, synthetic hormones, pesticides, chemical fertilizers and artificial preservatives. They are also not allowed to be genetically modified.
Organic Peas
Organic peas are a good source of carbs, fiber and protein. Peas are starchy but high in vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin K, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, iron, and zinc. We consider this a healthy dog food ingredient. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned that there is a potential link between peas and canine heart disease. It is still too early to draw conclusions so we cannot yet say if potatoes are a generally high-quality dog food ingredient or should be avoided. Organic dog food ingredients are free of antibiotics, synthetic hormones, pesticides, chemical fertilizers and artificial preservatives. They are also not allowed to be genetically modified.

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‍Controversial Ingredients

Castor & Pollux does not have any controversial ingredients in this product.

‍Country of Origin

Castor & Pollux makes this product in the United States.

Meat & Fat Quality

The quality of meat and fat in this product is great. Three animal-based ingredients, (organic chicken, organic chicken meal, and organic chicken liver) identify the species they come from which is very important. Noted above, this product has a lower than average fat content, which is surprising considering the six sources of fat. This leads us to wonder what the actual volumes are of the following ingredients: organic sunflower seed meal, organic coconut oil, organic chicken fat, organic flaxseed, salmon oil and organic sunflower oil. The volume question aside, it is a sign of quality that Castor & Pollux include only named meat and fat ingredients.

Artificial Preservatives

This product contains 0 of controversial preservatives. It’s good to know that ‍not all artificial preservatives are bad. That’s because they serve an important purpose, which is to prevent food from spoiling. However, we consider 11 artificial preservatives controversial because of their potential link to cancer and other serious health conditions.

Artificial Colors

No Artificial Colors.

Artificial Flavors

No Artificial Flavors, either. This food is free of artificial ingredients.

Recalls

100%

Brand Recalls

Castor & Pollux has no recalls in their history. This is a great sign of a company with thoughtfully enforced safety standards.

Transparency

95%

We love dog food brands that are committed to transparent business practices. If you make quality dog food you should be willing to openly talk about how it’s sourced and produced. That’s why we reached out to pet food companies, asking questions about all their brands and products. Each company had three weeks to reply to our messages.

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How Easy Was it to Reach the Company?
Castor & Pollux responded within 1 day with complete answers. Unfortunately, they have an aggressive disclaimer in their email that prohibits us from sharing the answers they provided.

Does Castor & Pollux have a veterinary nutritionist on staff? If so, who are they?‍‍‍