Rating: 
Castor and Pollux Natural Ultramix Dog Food receives the Advisor’s second-highest rating of four stars.
Currently, the Castor and Pollux Ultramix product line includes four kibbles… one for puppies, two for adults and one for adult weight loss.1
- Castor and Pollux Ultramix Puppy Formula
- Castor and Pollux Ultramix Adult Formula
- Castor and Pollux Ultramix Large Breed Adult Formula
- Castor and Pollux Ultramix Weight Management Formula
Castor and Pollux Ultramix Adult Formula was selected to represent the others in the line for this review.
Castor and Pollux Natural Ultramix Adult Formula
Dry Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Chicken, chicken meal, turkey meal, milo, ground whole oats, ground whole barley, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), brown rice, dried bananas, peas, tomato pomace, ground whole flaxseed, dried carrots, dried sweet potatoes, natural chicken flavor, salmon meal, brewers dried yeast, dried egg product, dried cranberries, potassium chloride, salt, calcium carbonate, dicalcium phosphate, zinc sulfate, vitamin E supplement, choline chloride, ferrous sulfate, niacin, copper sulfate, calcium pantothenate, vitamin A supplement, manganous oxide, thiamine mononitrate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, sodium selenite, riboflavin, vitamin D3 supplement, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement, calcium iodate, folic acid, rosemary extract
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 3.3%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
The first ingredient in this dog food includes chicken. Raw chicken contains about 80% water. After cooking, most of that moisture is lost… reducing the meat content to just 20% of its original weight.
To reflect its lighter mass, this item should more accurately occupy a much lower position on the list.
Which brings us to chicken and turkey meals… the predominant meat ingredients in this dog food.
Chicken and turkey meals are both considered meat concentrates. Each contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh poultry.
The fourth ingredient is milo. Milo is another name for sorghum… a starchy cereal grain with a nutrient profile similar to corn.
Since it is gluten-free and boasts a smoother blood sugar behavior than other grains, milo can be considered a quality non-meat item.
The next two ingredients include oats and barley. Oats and barley are both rich in complex carbohydrates, fiber and other healthy nutrients.
The seventh ingredient is chicken fat. Chicken fat is obtained from rendering chicken… a process similar to making soup in which the fat itself is skimmed from the surface of the liquid.
Chicken fat is high in linoleic acid… an omega-6 fatty acid essential for life. Though it doesn’t sound very appetizing, chicken fat is a quality ingredient.
From here, the list goes on to include a number of other healthy items.
But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to have a significant effect on the overall nutrient quality of this product.
Tomato pomace is a controversial ingredient… a pulpy by-product left after processing tomatoes into juice, soup and ketchup.
Many praise tomato pomace for its high fiber and nutrient content… while others scorn it as a cheap pet food filler laden with pesticides found on the skin of the tomato before processing.
Just the same, there’s probably not enough tomato pomace here to make much of a difference.
Also, the minerals listed here do not appear to be chelated. And that can make them more difficult to absorb. Non-chelated minerals are usually associated with lower quality dog foods.
The Bottom Line…
Castor and Pollux Natural Ultramix Dog Food
It’s hard not to be a fan of Castor and Pollux. After all, these four Natural Ultramix products start with the same three meat-based ingredients… and finish with no critical Red Flag items.
But the number of meat ingredients can never be a substitute for meat quantity. So, the real question remains… how much animal protein does this C & P product most likely contain?
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 28%, a fat level of 17% and an estimated carbohydrate content of 48%.
Fair protein. Moderate fat. And average carbohydrates (compared to a typical dry dog food).
Featuring a brand average of 28%, protein percentages range from a low of 26% for the weight management recipe to a high of 31% for the puppy formula.
Decent numbers… but not exceptional. This is the profile of a kibble containing only an average amount of meat.
But lacking any plant-based protein enhancers or other crucial Red Flag items, this Castor and Pollux Natural Ultramix dog food surely qualifies for a higher category.
Bottom line?
Castor and Pollux Natural Ultramix is primarily a grain-based kibble using a moderate amount of chicken and turkey meal as its main source of animal protein… thus earning the brand a solid four-star rating.
Highly recommended.
Some Final Thoughts
Remember, no dog food can possibly be appropriate for every life stage, lifestyle or health condition. So, choose wisely. And when in doubt consult your veterinarian for help.
Have an opinion about this dog food brand… or maybe the review itself?
Please feel free to share your comments below.
- Castor and Pollux, 4/7/2010 ↩
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi-
I have a lab/terrier mix who is 7 months old and 17 lbs. I don’t think there is much lab in her, as she is very small. We have been having a really hard time finding a food she will eat without us having to doctor it up. Currently-she is on 1/2 Castor and Pollux Natural Ultramix Puppy and 1/2 Halo Spot’s Stew Puppy-both dry. We can’t get her to eat-unless we add warm water and peanut butter. She has been on a few different foods since we got her when she was 2 months: Puppy Chow- from the shelter, Wellness Super 5, Natural Balance LID and now this concotion-and she has never shown much interest in any of them. Any suggestions of a brand that you think will make her run to her bowl when it’s feeding time? Or do you think what we do now is ok?
Hi Melanie… We used to have the same problem with Bailey. But now, since we began using a canned dog food as a “topper”… he gobbles up his meals.
Dry food is popular to us (humans)… but kibble is as far as you can get from what a dog would ever choose to eat “in nature”. Canned foods (although certainly not natural… or perfect) come a lot closer to fresh food than any kibble.
So, try “topping” your baby’s quality kibble with a nice 4 or 5-star canned food. Mix ‘em together. See how that works for you. I know it sure works for Bailey.
Is this food available in Alachua County FL?
Hi Hilary… I would not have that information. Why not call Castor and Pollux or visit their website. Most dog food websites offer a “locator” where you can enter your zip code to find the closest retailers.
I was reading about Castor and Pollux dog food. I recently came across the food and bought a few cans for my doggies. They absolutely love it. But for very finicky eaters I tried the raw frozen nuggets. My dogs went crazy for this food, but i will switch from that to ultramix.
Does all dog food contain glucosamine? Avoderm large breed lists chicken cartilage as it’s source. Castor and Pollux has glucosamine but I don’t see cartilage listed in the ingredients.
Also, do rawhide bone contain glucosamine?
Hi Kathy… Glucosamine can be found in only trace amounts in meat… not enough to make much of a difference. However, the compound can be found in much higher concentrations in cartilage (like what you’d expect to find in the joints of chickens). There’s no appreciable glucosamine in rawhide chew bones.
Hi,
I’m new to dogs and dog care, I want to make sure I’m doing everything right. I have a 4 month old puppy that is a mix of Schnauzer and Chihuahua. Is there a difference between the Puppy mix or the Adult formula. I am interested in trying this one.
Also how come other brands don’t have puppy or adult to choose from?
Thanks again.
Hi John… Any dog food labeled complete and balanced for either “growth” or “all life stages” should be just fine for your new puppy. The “all life stages” category actually covers puppies through adults (and seniors, too). However, never feed adult maintenance type dog foods to your puppy. Hope this helps.