Review of Cesar Wet Dog Food
Rating:
Cesar Classics Wet Dog Food receives the Advisor’s second-lowest tier rating of 2.5 stars.
The Cesar Classics product line includes the 22 recipe cups listed below.
Each recipe includes its AAFCO nutrient profile when available… Growth (puppy), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.
Cesar Grilled Chicken Flavor Classic Loaf in Sauce was selected to represent the other products in the line for detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.
Label and nutrient data below are calculated using dry matter basis.
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient ContentProtein =
Ingredients: Chicken, chicken liver, beef lung, chicken broth, water, pork by-products, chicken heart, calcium carbonate, sodium tripolyphosphate, carrageenan, potassium chloride, xanthan gum, magnesium proteinate, dried yam, dl-methionine, salt, erythorbic acid (preservative), grilled chicken flavor, guar gum, natural flavor, zinc sulfate, vitamin E supplement, monocalcium phosphate, copper sulfate, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), sodium nitrite (for color retention), d-calcium pantothenate, vitamin D3 supplement, potassium iodide
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 5.6%
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 9% | 4% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 47% | 22% | 23% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 38% | 44% | 18% |
The first ingredient in this dog food is chicken. Chicken is considered “the clean combination of flesh and skin… derived from the parts or whole carcasses of chicken”.
Chicken is naturally rich in the ten essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life.
The second ingredient is chicken liver. This is an organ meat sourced from a named animal and thus considered a beneficial component.
The third ingredient is beef lung. Beef lung is a protein-rich organ meat that’s also low in fat.
The next ingredient is chicken broth. Broths are of only modest nutritional value. Yet because they add both flavor and moisture to a dog food, they are a common component in many canned products.
The fifth ingredient is water, which adds nothing but moisture to this food. Water is a routine finding in most canned dog foods.
The sixth ingredient includes pork by-products, slaughterhouse waste. This is what’s left of a slaughtered pig after all the prime cuts have been removed.
With the exception of hair, horns, teeth and hooves, this item can include almost any other part of the animal.
The quality of this ingredient can vary, depending on the caliber of the raw materials obtained by the manufacturer.
The seventh ingredient is chicken heart. Although it doesn’t sound very appetizing, heart tissue is pure muscle — all meat. It’s naturally rich in quality protein, minerals and complex B vitamins, too.
The eighth ingredient is calcium carbonate, likely used here as a dietary mineral supplement.
From here, the list goes on to include a number of other items.
But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to have much of an effect on the overall rating of this Cesar product.
With 3 notable exceptions…
First, carrageenan is a gelatin-like thickening agent extracted from seaweed. Although carrageenan has been used as a food additive for hundreds of years, there appears to be some recent controversy regarding its long term biological safety.
The article, The Carrageenan Controversy, published in Scientific American, does a good job of addressing this topic.
Next, with the exception of magnesium, the minerals listed here do not appear to be chelated. And that can make them more difficult to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually associated with higher quality dog foods.
And lastly, we note the inclusion of sodium nitrite, a controversial color preservative. Sodium nitrite has been linked to the production of cancer-causing substances (known as nitrosamines) when meats are exposed to high cooking temperatures.
Based on its ingredients alone, Cesar Classics Dog Food looks like a average wet product.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 47%, a fat level of 22% and estimated carbohydrates of about 23%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 47% and a mean fat level of 23%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 22% for the overall product line.
And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 49%.
Above-average protein. Near-average fat. And below-average carbs as compared to a typical wet dog food.
Free of any plant-based protein boosters, this looks like the profile of a wet product containing a significant amount of meat.
We really like this dog food. However, it’s unfortunate the company chose to include so many controversial ingredients in its recipe. Otherwise, we may have been compelled to award this product a higher rating.
The Cesar Dog Food ingredients don’t seem to be the best option for your pup, but every dog is different. If you have any concerns, reach out to your veterinarian and determine if this is the right dog food for your pup! Only you and your vet can determine that for you.
So the top ingredients found in Cesar Dog Food are not quite what you would expect from this highly recognized dog food. While the top ingredient is chicken by-product meal and other meat by-products, one might be concerned with the meat that is used and the fact that by meat by-products like chicken by-product meal are typically a part of the animal that is undesirable.
Small puppies are just the cutest little pups that light up our lives every day. And those small fur babies deserve the best food for their tiny bellies.
While Cesar Dog Food is a trusted name in the dog food industry, there are some concerning factors to take note of before purchasing this dog food. Some of the Cesar Dog Food ingredients are less-than-ideal that does not mean that the food is not good enough for your dog. You may currently still be wondering “Is Cesar Dog Food good for my dog?” And that is an answer only you and your vet can determine for your pup.
However, as you can’t feed them filet mignon or a T-bone steak every day, Cesar Dog Food is perfect for your pup with gourmet recipes and high-quality ingredients. You might be asking yourself, “Is Cesar Dog Food good for my dog?”
Which Type of Dog is Cesar Dog Food Best Suited For?
Cesar dog foods meet the AAFCO guidelines for nutrition for adult dogs. These foods are in small packages to reduce food waste for small dogs. Most of the recipes are high in protein, making them ideal for active dogs. They also offer puppy food recipes, which are ideal for small to medium breed puppies.