Castor & Pollux Dog Food Review 2023

A pioneer of natural and organic dog food, Castor & Pollux prides itself on offering “the most comprehensive portfolio of purposeful pet food.” According to the Texas-based brand, purposeful pet food means nutritious recipes made with the best organic and responsibly sourced ingredients. In addition to ensuring the quality of ingredients, Castor & Pollux only works with suppliers who responsibly raise, grow, or catch those ingredients, setting a new standard in pet food. 

Let’s check out the different products from Castor & Pollux so you can decide if this brand is right for your furbaby!

Castor & Pollux offers several wet and dry foods, we well as treats, under two sub-brands. Let’s take a closer look at each one!

ORGANIX

ORGANIX is a complete line of USDA Organic certified pet food. In order to obtain organic certification, all ORGANIX recipes, including dry, wet, and treats, must meet extremely detailed and rigorous third-party standards. Some ORGANIX canned recipes are Non-GMO Project verified as well. 

All ORGANIX recipes feature chicken or turkey as the first ingredient and include a blend of superfoods such as flaxseed, blueberries, and spinach. Select recipes also contain probiotic and prebiotic fiber to aid digestion or omega-3 fatty acids to support skin health. While most of the recipes are grain free, the Organic Chicken & Oatmeal dry food recipe, Organic Chicken & Brown Rice wet food recipe, and Tiny Feasts Organic Chicken and Turkey recipes offer grain-inclusive choices.

ORGANIX dry food flavors:

• Organic Chicken & Oatmeal Recipe
• Grain Free Organic Chicken & Sweet Potato Recipe
• Grain Free Organic Small Breed Recipe

ORGANIX wet food flavors:

• Organic Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe
• Grain Free Organic Chicken & Vegetable Recipe
• Grain Free Organic Turkey & Vegetable Recipe
• Tiny Feasts Grain Free Organic Chicken Recipe
• Tiny Feasts Grain Free Organic Chicken & Potato Stew
• Tiny Feasts Grain Free Organic Turkey & Potato Stew
• Tiny Feasts Grain Free Organic Turkey Recipe
• Tiny Feasts Organic Chicken, Quinoa & Carrot Stew
• Tiny Feasts Organic Turkey, Quinoa & Carrot Stew
• Butcher & Bushel Grain Free Organic Carved Turkey Dinner with Carrots & Sweet Potatoes in Gravy
• Butcher & Bushel Grain Free Organic Chopped Turkey & Chicken Dinner with Chicken Liver & Peas in Gravy

PRISTINE

PRISTINE is a complete line of pet food made with responsibly sourced ingredients. It was created out of the belief that ingredients that are responsibly raised, grown, or caught provide better quality and nutrition. 

All PRISTINE recipes start with antibiotic- and hormone-free meat, poultry or wild-caught fish as the first ingredient. They also contain fruits and vegetables, such as apples, carrots and sweet potatoes, and legumes like lentils and chickpeas grown without the use of synthetic fertilizers or chemical pesticides. Moreover, all PRISTINE seafood recipes are MSC certified. 

PRISTINE dry food flavors:

• Healthy Grains Wild-Caught Salmon & Oatmeal Recipe with Raw Bites
• Grain Free Grass-Fed Beef & Sweet Potato Recipe with Raw Bites

PRISTINE wet food flavors:

• Grain Free Small Breed Grass-Fed Beef Stew
• Grain Free Small Breed Free-Range Chicken Stew

PRISTINE wet meal topper flavors:

• Grain Free Grass-Fed Beef Bone Broth Seasoned with Turmeric
• Grain Free Free-Range Chicken Bone Broth
• Grain Free Free-Range Turkey Bone Broth
• Grain Free Grass-Fed Beef Bone Broth

Here are some reasons why we like Castor & Pollux dog food!

Made with high-quality ingredients

All ORGANIX and PRISTINE recipes are made with high-quality animal proteins, fruits, and vegetables that are certified organic or responsibly sourced. Recipes are also cooked in the US and do not contain soy, corn, wheat, or artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.

Committed to pets’ health

Castor & Pollux was created by pet parents who understood how people consider their pets as family and want to feed them healthy food. The goal to provide pet parents with innovative choices for their furkiddos continues to drive the brand today. 

Supports rescue groups

Castor & Pollux works with several rescue and adoption groups to give adoptable animals access to high-quality food as they wait to find their forever homes. The company has donated over 4 million healthy meals and helped thousands of pets to date.

Available in stores and online

Castor & Pollux can be found in pet supply stores, natural grocery stores, and online retailers, making shopping convenient for pet parents. 

What do pet parents need to consider before buying Castor & Pollux?

On the pricey side

Since Castor & Pollux recipes are made with high-quality ingredients, you can expect to pay more for this brand of dog food. For example, a 4-pound bag of ORGANIX Organic Chicken & Oatmeal Recipe retails for $25.98, which is $6.50 per pound. 

May not appeal to picky eaters

Some pet parents reported that their dogs turned their noses up at certain recipes. 

Limited or no choices for specific life stages and diets

If you’re looking for puppy, senior, chicken-free, or grain-inclusive recipes, you might find a greater selection from other brands. 

“This is the best food ever! My dogs attack it like [it's] going out of style! I have used this food for many years now. It's organic so in my mind, that makes this food the best ever!”

“This food has changed my [dog's] gut health. She has solid healthy poops instead of constant soft stools. Never seen her healthier.”

“It is the best food that I've bought to help my German Shepherd who has many food and skin allergies. She loves the food, has significantly less itching, her fur is soft and full and she no longer requires daily antacids or antihistamines. The oatmeal version is soothing on her gastrointestinal system and it doesn't contain any concerning legume ingredients that are under review in association with [dilated cardiomyopathy].”

Read more reviews on Chewy.

Castor & Pollux was founded in 1999 by Shelley Gunton and Brian Connolly after they adopted their dog Joey from the humane society. They started a pet food business to keep Joey happy and healthy, as well as to provide options for other pet parents who wanted to feed their furbabies high-quality, nutritious food. Shelley and Brian sought help from experts in animal nutrition, organic and natural ingredients, veterinary medicine, packaging, and more to create the first premium brand of natural specialty pet food and supplies.

In 2003, Castor & Pollux launched ORGANIX, the first complete line of organic pet food and treats. In 2012, the brand was acquired by Merrick Pet Care, Inc., and in 2017, it set a new standard in the pet food industry by obtaining USDA Organic certification for all of its ORGANIX recipes and introduced the responsibly sourced PRISTINE line. 

Today, Castor & Pollux continues to be driven by its goal to provide pet parents with healthy, safe, and innovative products for their companion animals. The brand is also committed to constantly improve its offerings.

In May 2018, two treat recipes under the Good Buddy treats line were voluntarily recalled due to potentially high levels of beef thyroid hormone. Products under the ORGANIX and PRISTINE lines have never been recalled.