Celtic Connection · Common questions
Organised by topic. If you cannot find your answer here, the contact page is the right next step — we respond to most enquiries within one to two working days.
Topics
At Celtic Connection, we believe health isn’t built one organ at a time. Too many pet foods focus on a single issue — the joints, the stomach, the coat — while ignoring everything else. But the stomach, the joints, the skin, the coat: every system in your pet’s body depends on the others, and we support them all, together, never in isolation. That’s why our recipes are crafted with an abundance of real meat, gently steam-cooked to preserve the full spectrum of natural vitamins and minerals. We include carefully selected functional herbs to nourish and stimulate the five detox organs, and therapeutic amounts of joint support to keep your pet comfortable, active and moving freely — because movement itself stimulates lymphatic flow and strengthens the immune system from within. For us, ‘holistic’ is not a label. It is a commitment to the whole of your pet, in every recipe we create.
Single-source protein recipes have their place — particularly for pets with sensitivities to specific proteins. However, they can sometimes fall short of providing the full range of nutrients your pet needs over time, which is why many owners find themselves searching for a new food after only a few months. At Celtic Connection, we took a different approach. By thoughtfully combining at least two protein sources from within the same animal group, our recipes achieve something rare: they remain hypoallergenic while delivering complete, balanced nutrition your pet can enjoy indefinitely. No compromises, no constant transitions — just consistent, considered nourishment, for life.
Every Celtic Connection recipe is formulated without grain or gluten — not as a marketing claim, but as a deliberate choice in every formulation we make.
Our recipes are produced in a facility that also manufactures other pet foods, some of which do contain grain. In any shared production environment, this means a very small possibility of airborne cross-contact — trace particles carried through shared air rather than anything present in the recipe itself.
We take this seriously, not lightly. Cleaning and separation protocols are in place specifically to minimise this risk, and we continue to look at what more can be done to reduce it further. If your pet has a diagnosed grain or gluten allergy requiring an absolute zero-tolerance environment, we’d encourage you to speak with your vet about whether this level of risk is appropriate for their specific condition — we’d rather you have the full picture than a reassurance that doesn’t hold up to it.
Glucosamine and chondroitin are well-established pillars of joint health — but at Celtic Connection, we believe in going further. MSM, or Methylsulfonylmethane, is a naturally occurring form of sulphur that research has shown to meaningfully enhance the effectiveness of both glucosamine and chondroitin in relieving joint discomfort and supporting tissue repair. Beyond the joints, MSM is also a powerful natural antioxidant with wide-ranging benefits for the immune system — meaning its presence in our recipes supports not just your pet’s mobility, but their whole-body vitality. Because for us, every ingredient must earn its place.
Calcium and phosphorus work in elegant opposition — each one governing how much of the other your pet’s body can absorb. Rather than focusing on individual figures in isolation, our veterinary nutritionists designed every Celtic Connection recipe around the precise ratio between these two minerals, ensuring the most harmonious balance for your pet’s long-term health. The calcium to phosphorus ratio in our dog food recipes sits between 1.01–1.40 : 1.0, while our cat food recipes are carefully maintained between 1.08–1.47 : 1.0 — each range thoughtfully established to support your pet’s wellbeing at every life stage.
The term ‘ash’ simply refers to the naturally occurring minerals present in our recipes — nothing more, nothing less. When all protein, fat, fibre, carbohydrates and moisture are accounted for, what remains are the essential minerals your pet’s body relies on: calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron and zinc, alongside our carefully considered therapeutic levels of joint support. In the 1970s and 1980s, ash was mistakenly linked to urinary tract issues in cats. Subsequent research revealed that grain in pet food was the true culprit, not ash content. Every ingredient in our recipes is there for a reason, and your pet’s long-term health is always at the heart of every decision we make.
In 2018, an FDA investigation into reports of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs led to a lasting association between grain-free food and heart disease.
Subsequent research identified legumes and pulses — peas, lentils, chickpeas, and similar ingredients used in high proportion as a carbohydrate base — as the relevant factor, not the absence of grain itself. DCM was reported in both grain-free and grain-containing diets.
Celtic Connection recipes are not built around legumes or pulses. Our formulas are grounded in a high proportion of animal-based ingredients, with meat and organ meat as the primary source of protein and nutrition — not plant-based fillers used to bulk out a formula. This has been our approach from the start, independent of the 2018 headlines, because it reflects how we believe a dog’s diet should be composed in the first place.
We believe your pet deserves more than a mouthful to make up their mind. A sample is simply too small to reveal whether your pet truly loves our recipes — or whether our formulations are having the positive effect you are hoping to see. For pets with sensitive digestion or skin, a single serving will not give you the insight you need. That is why we offer the Discovery Pack — sized to feed your pet each recipe for several days. Enough time to see not only how enthusiastically the food is received, but how well it is working — from the first bowl to the last.
Online through this website, and through our network of independent specialist pet retailers and holistic veterinary practices across Europe. We do not supply supermarkets, pet chain multiples, or online marketplaces such as Amazon. The Stockists page has an up-to-date list of physical locations. If there is no stockist near you, online ordering ships to most EU countries.
Yes. We ship to most EU countries. Shipping rates and estimated delivery times are shown at checkout based on your delivery address. Discovery Pack pricing includes EU shipping. For standard orders, shipping is calculated at checkout. We do not currently ship outside the EU — this is under review as the distribution network expands.
If your order arrives damaged or there is a quality issue, contact us and we will resolve it. For food safety reasons, we cannot accept returns of opened products. For unopened products, EU distance selling regulations apply — you have 14 days from receipt to notify us of a return. Contact us before returning anything so we can arrange the correct process.
Absolutely. Every Celtic Connection recipe has been developed alongside our veterinary nutritionists to meet the needs of pets at every stage of life — from the first playful weeks of puppyhood and kittenhood, through to the more considered pace of their senior years.
The right amount of food for your pet is more nuanced than any table or percentage can capture. Age, breed, gender, activity level, season and environment all play a role — which is why we encourage you to use our feeding table as a starting point, not a definitive answer. Find the line that corresponds to your pet’s ideal adult weight and the column that matches their age and activity level. Feed this quantity for approximately two weeks, then use your hands: run them gently along the sides of your pet. You should be able to feel the ribs beneath a light, even layer of fat. If they feel prominent, increase the portion by around 10%. If they are difficult to distinguish, reduce it by the same. Reassess every two weeks and adjust as needed.
If your pet is currently experiencing digestive distress — vomiting or loose stools — we recommend making the switch immediately, rather than prolonging the transition. There is no benefit in continuing a food that is causing discomfort. For pets with no current digestive concerns, the transition can be made at whatever pace feels right. A standard transition runs seven to ten days: 25% Celtic Connection for the first two days, 50/50 for days three and four, 75% Celtic Connection for days five and six, then full Celtic Connection from day seven.
Our recipes are designed to be enjoyed interchangeably, with no disruption to your pet’s digestion. Some owners work through one recipe at a time before moving to the next; others rotate daily, or even at every meal. Whatever suits your pet’s preferences and your household routine is perfectly fine.
Yes. Both the dry and wet Celtic Connection recipes are nutritionally complete on their own, so mixing them is simply a matter of preference and palatability. If you mix, reduce the dry amount proportionally to avoid overfeeding. A common approach is to use dry food as the daily base and add wet food as a topper two or three times per week — this increases palatability and adds moisture to the diet, which is particularly beneficial for cats.
For dogs with a sensitive digestive system, we recommend beginning with our Salmon with Trout & Sweet Potato or Lamb with Goat & Sweet Potato recipes. Both are carefully formulated to be gentle on the gut while still delivering the full spectrum of holistic nutrition Celtic Connection is known for.
Chicken is one of the most common protein sensitivities in dogs, so if you are unsure which ingredient may be causing difficulty, we suggest introducing our Salmon with Trout & Sweet Potato, Duck with Goose & Sweet Potato, or Lamb with Goat & Sweet Potato recipes first. All Celtic Connection recipes are complete and balanced, so your pet can enjoy whichever suits them best — for life.
Celtic Connection recipes integrate beautifully alongside a raw feeding routine. With 70% meat ingredients and a grain and gluten-free formulation, our recipes will not disrupt the pH balance in your raw-fed pet’s digestive system. Many of our pet parents feed raw for one meal and Celtic Connection for the next, or bring our recipes along when travelling as a trusted, nourishing alternative to raw when it isn’t practical.
We understand that purine levels are a particular consideration for Dalmatians. Our Duck with Goose & Sweet Potato comes out lowest in purines and is our recommendation for pets following a reduced purine diet. Our Salmon with Trout & Sweet Potato recorded the highest levels and is not recommended for pets where purine reduction is important. Contact us for detailed purine data on any recipe.
Once opened, our recipes will remain fresh for 6 to 8 weeks when kept in their original paper packaging. To preserve freshness for as long as possible, roll the bag down firmly after each use and place it inside a metal tin with a well-fitting lid. When feeding, always scoop rather than tip — this limits exposure to oxygen and helps maintain quality between servings. For even longer storage, the bag can be kept in the freezer in its original packaging for up to six months.
Once opened, refrigerate immediately and use within 48 hours. Do not leave wet food at room temperature for more than two hours. Pouches should be stored in a covered container or resealed if the pouch allows. Tins should be transferred to a covered container before refrigerating — do not store food in an open tin. Wet food left out longer than two hours should be discarded.
Caring for animals extends well beyond the bowl for us. Celtic Connection makes a monthly donation to the WWF’s general conservation fund, and over the years we have been proud to support a wide range of rescue organisations and shelters with one-off donations — including Critters Kitchen, HELLO KATty Kitten Rescue, Allerton Cat Rescue, Chippenham Cat Rescue, Villa Vagebond, Raise for Strays, StreetVet UK, Little Haven Rescue, De Katten Brigade Happy Cat House vzw, and Noodasiel Lommel.
We believe that every purchase should have the power to do good. Through our partner programme, a percentage of each Celtic Connection purchase goes directly to a rescue organisation or animal welfare charity of your choosing — so that the love you show your own pet can extend to animals still waiting for their forever home. Our first partner is Association Minous Magiques in France. To support them with your purchase, simply use the code MINOUS at checkout. We are actively adding more partners — if you would like to suggest an organisation close to your heart, we would love to hear from you.
Every ingredient in our recipes is ethically sourced and of human-grade quality. Our suppliers are carefully selected for the standards they uphold, and while we are unable to share their names publicly, we stand fully behind the integrity and provenance of everything that goes into our recipes.
Our paper bags are manufactured in France and PEFC certified — meaning the paper is sourced from sustainably managed forests. Each bag is lined with a food-starch PLA liner, printed with water-based inks, and assembled using solvent-free adhesives, making the entire bag 100% recyclable. For customers ordering directly from us, we ship in FSC certified, unbleached boxes sealed with paper tape, with bio-based corn-starch packing peanuts to protect your order in transit.
The factories we partner with share our commitment to responsible production. Their facilities are powered in part by solar energy, recycle and reuse water throughout the manufacturing process, cultivate bio-fields, and deploy air scrubbers to prevent air pollution. In our own warehouses, we recycle all paper, cardboard, metal and plastic wrapping foil as a matter of course. We also work with shipping partners who use electric vehicles in high-congestion urban areas, reducing the carbon footprint of last-mile delivery.
We would love to welcome you to the Celtic Connection family. For all trade and retail enquiries, please visit our worldwide distributor Emgee Trading BV at emgeetrading.com/enquire — where a member of their team will be happy to guide you through the next steps.
Wholesale profit details are provided after initial qualification and are not published publicly. We price to support a healthy retail profit at the premium end of the independent specialist market. We do not discount heavily to volume buyers — all qualified stockists are treated equally in terms of wholesale pricing. This protects the brand integrity and the margin available to every partner.
Yes. Qualified stockists receive a full brand and product briefing, printed point-of-sale materials, and access to our trade portal for digital assets. We also conduct in-store staff briefings where volume justifies it. The quality of the stockist relationship matters to us — we would rather have twenty well-briefed independent retailers than two hundred who stock the product without understanding it.
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