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35% OFF
Essence &
Castor & Pollux
First Auto-Ship
20% OFF
Essence &
Castor & Pollux
First Auto-Ship w/ Code: PAWDIET20
Essence vs. Castor & Pollux
In this comparison article for Essence vs Castor & Pollux, we'll highlight the key differences between these two pet food brands. To properly compare Essence and Castor & Pollux, we'll use up-to-date nutritional and price information.
There are many factors to consider when choosing the best pet food brand for your pet. Factors such as ingredient quality, guaranteed analysis, product safety, brand history, and cost are among the most important factors to consider.
Throughout this Castor & Pollux vs Essence comparison, we've utilized average data to make general comparisons. If you'd like to see individual product reviews, visit our Essence Review Page or Castor & Pollux Review Page.
Guaranteed Analysis: Castor & Pollux vs. Essence
According to AAFCO, all pet food labels must provide a guaranteed analysis of nutrient content. The analysis must provide guaranteed minimum percentages of crude protein and crude fat, and maximum percentages of crude fiber and moisture.
All percentages used in this comparison are averages reported on a dry matter basis.
Essence Dog Food vs. Castor & Pollux Dog Food
| Dry Dog Food | Essence | Castor & Pollux |
| Crude Protein | 40.9% | 32.6% |
| Crude Fat | 19.3% | 17.1% |
| Crude Fiber | 5.7% | 4.2% |
| Wet/Canned Dog Food | Essence | Castor & Pollux |
| Crude Protein | 46.2% | 39.9% |
| Crude Fat | 32.6% | 23.5% |
| Crude Fiber | 6.0% | 6.5% |
Crude Protein Comparison For Dog Food
Dogs require twenty-two amino acids to sustain life. Twelve of these amino acids are synthesized naturally, the remaining ten are consumed. Protein is the nutrient which provides some or all of these ten essential amino acids.
On average, Essence dry dog food recipes contain 8.27% more protein than Castor & Pollux recipes. Clearly, there is a significant difference between the protein content of Castor & Pollux and Essence. For wet dog foods, Essence provides more protein (about 6.35% more).
Crude Fat Comparison For Dog Food
Like protein, fats are an essential part of a dog's body. Fats are needed for the proper development and function of the canine body.
If you look at the average percentages of crude fat, you'll notice that Essence typically guarantees 2.20% more fat. This is a fairly small difference between Essence and Castor & Pollux, but still worth mentioning. In addition, Essence wet dog foods also provide more fat than Castor & Pollux wet foods.
As you can see, Castor & Pollux and Essence guarantee a similar amount of crude fiber. With regards to wet dog food, Castor & Pollux and Essence also provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber.
Essence Cat Food vs. Castor & Pollux Cat Food
| Dry Cat Food | Essence | Castor & Pollux |
| Crude Protein | 44.1% | 38.2% |
| Crude Fat | 18.5% | 15.7% |
| Crude Fiber | 4.8% | 4.0% |
| Wet/Canned Cat Food | Essence | Castor & Pollux |
| Crude Protein | 46.2% | 43.3% |
| Crude Fat | 31.8% | 20.4% |
| Crude Fiber | 4.8% | 5.7% |
Crude Protein Comparison For Cat Food
Cats require twenty-two amino acids to sustain life. Eleven of these amino acids are synthesized naturally, the remaining eleven are consumed. Protein is the nutrient which provides some or all of these eleven essential amino acids.
The table shows that Castor & Pollux provides far less protein than Essence. The difference in protein content is roughly 5.87%. For wet cat foods, Essence typically provides a little more protein (about 2.90% more).
Crude Fat Comparison For Cat Food
There are many ways in which dietary fat contributes to the overall health of our feline friends. Here is a short list of benefits provided by fats (not exhaustive):
- Help transport nutrients across cell membranes
- Fats produce metabolites, which help control inflammation
- Maintain healthy blood pressure
- Slow the growth of yeast infections
- Fats improve the taste/texture of food.
According to our data, Essence guarantees 2.79% more fat than Castor & Pollux. Although this difference is relatively small, it's still a notable difference. In addition, Essence wet cat foods also provide more fat than Castor & Pollux wet foods.
Castor & Pollux and Essence both provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber. With regards to wet cat food, Castor & Pollux and Essence also provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber.
Essence Pet Food Ingredients vs. Castor & Pollux Pet Food Ingredients
Here are some of the controversial ingredients used only by Castor & Pollux.
We believe that certain pet food ingredients are linked to adverse health affects; these ingredients are classified as harmful.
Here are some of the harmful ingredients used only by Castor & Pollux.
Product Safety: Recall History of Essence & Castor & Pollux?
According to our records, Essence has never been recalled.
Castor & Pollux has been recalled once.
- May 23, 2018: elevated levels of beef thyroid hormone
Price Comparison: Which Brand Is More Expensive?
| Dry Dog Food | Essence | Castor & Pollux |
| Per Pound | $4.11 | $5.01 |
| Per Calorie | $0.0024 | $0.0030 |
| Dry Cat Food | Essence | Castor & Pollux |
| Per Pound | $4.64 | $5.50 |
| Per Calorie | $0.0027 | $0.0033 |
| Wet Dog Food | Essence | Castor & Pollux |
| Per Pound | $4.99 | $8.32 |
| Per Calorie | $0.0090 | $0.0182 |
| Wet Cat Food | Essence | Castor & Pollux |
| Per Pound | $5.98 | $9.65 |
| Per Calorie | $0.0103 | $0.0214 |
The average cost-per-lb is heavily influenced by the varying amounts of moisture present in each brand's food products (wet vs. dry food, dry vs. freeze-dried food, etc). However, the average cost-per-kcal eliminates the influence of moisture. Therefore, the average cost-per-kcal is the better metric to consider.
If you'd like to calculate the average cost-per-day or cost-pet-year of feeding Essence or Castor & Pollux, input your pet's weight into our cost analyzer widget.
Averages price data can identify whether or not there exists a significant price difference between two brands. However, the actual price that you'll pay for Essence or Castor & Pollux will depend on your shopping habits.
Pet owners who use our price comparison feature typically save more than 25% off retail prices for Essence and Castor & Pollux. In addition, we currently have some great coupons for our readers.
- 20% Off First Auto-Ship @ PetFlow (Use Code PAWDIET20)
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- 15% Off The Entire Site @ OnlyNaturalPet (Use Code AFPAWDIET)
Disclosure: PawDiet has an affiliate relationship with stores featured (or linked-to) in this article. We are compensated for referring customers. Thank you for shopping with our retail partners!
Where To Buy Essence Pet Foods
You can purchase Essence pet foods from the following stores:
Where To Buy Castor & Pollux Pet Foods
You can purchase Castor & Pollux pet food products from these retailers:
Type Of Pet Foods Available
| Product | Essence | Castor & Pollux |
| Dry Dog Food | 6 Recipes | 17 Recipes |
| Wet Dog Food | 6 Recipes | 28 Recipes |
| Dog Treats | None | 22 Treats |
| Dry Cat Food | 3 Recipes | 6 Recipes |
| Wet Cat Food | 3 Recipes | 18 Recipes |
| Cat Treats | None | 1 Treats |
Top Rated Essence Recipes
Top Rated Castor & Pollux Recipes
