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Merrick vs Castor & Pollux

Merrick vs. Castor & Pollux

In this comparison article for Merrick vs Castor & Pollux, we'll highlight the key differences between these two pet food brands. To properly compare Merrick 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 Merrick comparison, we've utilized average data to make general comparisons. If you'd like to see individual product reviews, visit our Merrick Review Page or Castor & Pollux Review Page.

Guaranteed Analysis: Castor & Pollux vs. Merrick

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.

Merrick Dog Food vs. Castor & Pollux Dog Food

Dry Dog FoodMerrickCastor & Pollux
Crude Protein35.9%32.6%
Crude Fat17.2%17.1%
Crude Fiber4.2%4.2%
Wet/Canned Dog FoodMerrickCastor & Pollux
Crude Protein43.9%39.9%
Crude Fat21.1%23.5%
Crude Fiber8.3%6.5%

Crude Protein Comparison For Dog Food

Protein is an extremely important part of your dog's diet. Without sufficient protein, dogs can develop a wide-range of serious health problems.

According to our data, Merrick guarantees 3.28% more protein than Castor & Pollux. Although this difference is relatively small, it's still a notable difference. In addition, Merrick wet dog foods also provide more protein than Castor & Pollux wet foods.


Crude Fat Comparison For Dog Food

Fats are an absolutely vital component of a balanced canine diet. Not only do fats provide energy, but they also serve important roles in the normal development and function of your dog's body. For example, fats help dogs produce prostaglandins, which reduce inflammation among many other significant functions.

Castor & Pollux and Merrick both provide roughly the same amount of crude fat. For wet dog foods, Castor & Pollux typically provides a little more fat (about 2.38% more).


There is a relatively insignificant difference between the crude fiber content of the two brands. With regards to wet dog food, Merrick and Castor & Pollux also provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber.

Merrick Cat Food vs. Castor & Pollux Cat Food

Dry Cat FoodMerrickCastor & Pollux
Crude Protein40.5%38.2%
Crude Fat15.7%15.7%
Crude Fiber5.1%4.0%
Wet/Canned Cat FoodMerrickCastor & Pollux
Crude Protein46.9%43.3%
Crude Fat21.3%20.4%
Crude Fiber6.0%5.7%

Crude Protein Comparison For Cat Food

Protein is an extremely important part of your cat's diet. Without sufficient protein, cats can develop a wide-range of serious health problems.

There is a small difference between the protein content of Merrick and Castor & Pollux. We can see that Merrick guarantees about 2.28% more protein than Castor & Pollux. In addition, Merrick wet cat foods also provide more protein than Castor & Pollux wet foods.


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):

  • Fats help with the digestion and absorption of fat-soluble vitamins
  • Reduce inflammation associated with arthritis
  • Slow the growth of yeast infections
  • Prevent or reduce the likelihood of certain heart problems.
  • Aid in the development of the retina and visual cortex.

Both brands provide roughly the same amount of crude fat. With regards to wet cat food, Merrick and Castor & Pollux also provide roughly the same amount of crude fat.


As you can see, Castor & Pollux and Merrick guarantee a similar amount of crude fiber. With regards to wet cat food, Merrick and Castor & Pollux also provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber.

Merrick Pet Food Ingredients vs. Castor & Pollux Pet Food Ingredients

Merrick and Castor & Pollux both use the following controversial ingredients in many of their products:

Garlic
Pea Protein
Powdered Cellulose
Canola Oil (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols)

Here are some of the controversial ingredients used only by Merrick.

Canola Oil
Caramel Color
Meaty Femur Bone

Here are some of the controversial ingredients used only by Castor & Pollux.

Caramel
Garlic Powder
Tomato Pomace
Organic Pea Protein
Organic Caramel Color
Organic Garlic Powder
Pea Protein Concentrate
Canola Oil (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols And Citric Acid)

We believe that certain pet food ingredients are linked to adverse health affects; these ingredients are classified as harmful.

Merrick and Castor & Pollux both use the following harmful ingredients in many of their products:

Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex

Product Safety: Recall History of Merrick & Castor & Pollux?

Merrick has been recalled 6 times.

  • Jan. 28, 2011: Salmonella
  • Aug. 8, 2011: Salmonella
  • July 2, 2010: Salmonella
  • Aug. 3, 2010: Salmonella
  • Aug. 13, 2010: Salmonella
  • May 23, 2018: elevated levels of beef thyroid hormone

Castor & Pollux has been recalled once.

  • May 23, 2018: elevated levels of beef thyroid hormone

Price Comparison: Which Brand Is More Expensive?

Dry Dog FoodMerrickCastor & Pollux
Per Pound$6.15$5.01
Per Calorie$0.0036$0.0030
Dry Cat FoodMerrickCastor & Pollux
Per Pound$4.09$5.50
Per Calorie$0.0025$0.0033
Wet Dog FoodMerrickCastor & Pollux
Per Pound$5.97$8.32
Per Calorie$0.0126$0.0182
Wet Cat FoodMerrickCastor & Pollux
Per Pound$7.55$9.65
Per Calorie$0.0168$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 Merrick 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 Merrick 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 Merrick and Castor & Pollux. In addition, we currently have some great coupons for our readers.


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 Merrick Pet Foods

You can purchase Merrick pet foods from the following stores:


136 Recipes In-Stock Today

107 Recipes In-Stock Today

103 Recipes In-Stock Today

17 Recipes In-Stock Today

Where To Buy Castor & Pollux Pet Foods

You can purchase Castor & Pollux pet food products from these retailers:


46 Recipes In-Stock Today

10 Recipes In-Stock Today

35 Recipes In-Stock Today

Type Of Pet Foods Available

ProductMerrickCastor & Pollux
Dry Dog Food53 Recipes17 Recipes
Wet Dog Food58 Recipes28 Recipes
Dog Treats35 Treats22 Treats
Dry Cat Food18 Recipes6 Recipes
Wet Cat Food50 Recipes18 Recipes
Cat TreatsNone1 Treats

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