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Indulge your dogs sophisticated palate with dishes made in the same flavors youd put on your own plate.
Made with the same human-grade ingredients you’d feed yourself, these culinary-inspired rolls are sure to keep your four-legged friend happy, healthy and satisfied.
Dog Food Insiders Rating
Cesar Canine Cuisine is owned by Mars, Incorporated, a worldwide manufacturing concern probably best-known as a candy manufacturer. Mars has annual sales of some $30 billion and is headquartered in McClean, Virginia. They are entirely owned by the Mars family. Their pet care division is headquartered in Franklin, Tennessee. In addition to Cesar, they also own the bestsellingPedigree, Nutro and Royal Canin pet foods, as well as a number of cat foods.
The company has numerous manufacturing facilities through the United States and several plants in Canada. They also have manufacturing facilities in Europe.
The well-known company logo for Cesar is the adorable West Highland White Terrier. The company donates to therapy dog groups and dogs in school reading programs.
There are no listings of FDA recalls or any voluntary recalls for Cesar products that we could find at the time of this review.
Cesar Cuisine and Treats specializes in wet or canned foods. Their original Cesar product was a pate but they have expanded their products to include savory delights, gourmet filets in sauce, treats, a sunrise breakfast, puppy & senior food, and canned meaty selects. Their products are probably most popular with owners of small and Toy breeds though the company also encourages people with larger dogs to buy their products.
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This food has a good amount of protein but is high in carbs, which is lowering the fat content somewhat and making it less nutritionally balanced compared to other dog foods we evaluated. Carbohydrates are cheap so they keep the foodâs cost low. They are nutritionally useful to dogs in the right amounts, however, very high amounts of carbs can reduce the much-needed meat-based protein and fat content.
To evaluate dog foods, we first calculate out the moisture. This is called the âdry matter basisâ and shows you only the solid ingredients in the food. These estimated âdry matterâ numbers are different from the food label, but a better way to understand the real nutritional value of the food. We also calculate the carbs. Find out more
Min. Protein 29.55%
Min. Fat 14.77%
Min. Carbs 47.73%
Max. Fiber 5.11%
Max. Ash 7.95%
Max. Moisture 0%
Min. Protein: 26.0%
Min Fat: 13.0%
Min Carbs: N/A
Max Fiber: 4.5%
Max Ash: N/A
Max. Moisture: 12.0%
This product has an average amount of calories. Itâs important to understand how many calories you are feeding to prevent under or overfeeding. Average calorie foods like this are typically best for fairly active dogs who need a moderate amount of daily calories. Based on your dogs current weight and activity level you may want to feed more or less than the recommended amount. Its helpful to know that weight loss foods often have fewer than 340 calories per cup, weight maintenance foods typically range from 340-380 calories, and high-activity dog foods are usually over 400 calories.
This is a grain-free dog food. The FDA is investigating a potential connection between grain-free diets and canine heart disease. There is not enough evidence yet to affect our ratings but weve created an article for you explaining the topic.
Beef, Chicken By-Product Meal, Ground Yellow Corn, Ground Wheat, Brewers Rice, Meat & Bone Meal, Animal Fat (Preserved with BHA & Citric Acid), Corn Gluten Meal, Soybean Meal, Natural Flavor, Dried Beet Pulp, Glycerin, Salt, Phosphoric Acid, Sugar, Water, Potassium Sorbate, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Fish Oil (stabilized with Mixed Tocopherols), Filet Mignon Smokey Natural Flavor, Dried Peas, Vitamin E supplement, Zinc Sulfate, Monocalcium Phosphate, Colors (Red 40, Blue 2, Yellow 5 & 6), Niacin, Dried Carrots, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Copper sulfate, Riboflavin Supplement, Sodium Selenite, Pyridoxine hydrochloride, Potassium Iodide, Vitamin A supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin D3 supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement.
The average dog food we reviewed has 39 total ingredients and 1 controversial ingredient. This product has 11 total controversial ingredients and 3 of them are found in the first five ingredients. This is concerning because the first 5 ingredients make up most of the product.
Top 5 IngredientsDog food ingredients are listed in descending order of weight. So when looking at dog food, take a close look at the first 5 ingredients. They make up about 80% of the total weight.
âControversial Ingredients
Country of Origin
Cesar Filet Mignon Flavor is made in the United States, a country known for high dog food quality standards. So this is a plus.
Meat & Fat Quality
The meat quality of this product is mixed. Two of the ingredients, Beef and Chicken By-Product Meal, identify the species they come from which is very important. However, Meat & Bone Meal, as well as Animal Fat, do not make it clear where these ingredients originate. Missing information on meat sources is often a sign of lower quality dog food. The same concern exists for added fats in this product. Fish Oil is used, which is generally very nutritious. However, this specific ingredient doesnt identify the species it comes from, making it questionable and intransparent.
Artificial Preservatives
Cesar Filet Mignon Flavor contains BHA (Butylated hydroxyanisole), a very controversial artificial preservative we never want to see on dog food labels. To be clear: âNot all artificial preservatives are bad. Thatâs because they serve an important purpose, which is to prevent food from spoiling and making your dog sick. However, 11 artificial preservatives are controversial because of their potential link to cancer and other serious health conditions in dogs. BHA is one of them.
Artificial Colors
This food uses several artificial colors: Red 40, Blue 2, Yellow 5 and Yellow 6. Dogs happily eat foods of any color, so these are just added to make the food look better to us humans and are completely unnecessary. Theyâre also potentially unhealthy, so all four of them should not be in this food.
Artificial Flavors
Cesar Filet Mignon Flavor does not include any artificial flavors. The food label shows Filet Mignon Smokey Natural Flavor, but as the name implies thatâs not an artificial ingredient.
Cesar has a below-average number of dog food recalls.
We love dog food brands that are committed to transparent business practices. If you make quality dog food you should be willing to openly talk about how itâs sourced and produced. Thatâs why we reached out to pet food companies, asking questions about all their brands and products. Each company had three weeks to reply to our messages.
How Easy Was it to Reach the Company?
Cesar is part of the Mars family of brands and was pretty responsive. It only required one email, and they responded in 4 days. Not lightning fast, but compared to the average it was not a bad response time. They provided relatively complete answers, although they were very much crafted from a marketing perspective and in some ways did not answer the questions directly.
Does Cesar have a veterinary nutritionist on staff? If so, who are they? âââ
We have two nutritionists on staff for better checks and balances. One is full time and has done 7 years post-graduate work in nutrition, his work has been published in peer-reviewed Veterinary and Nutrition journals for over 30 years. His work is also cited in the NRC Nutrient Requirements for Dogs and Cats. The other is a Board Certified Veterinary Nutritionist (DVM, Ph.D., DACVN, DACVSMR) who has an office in our headquarters but is considered part-time so he can continue his work in academia.
The detail here is great, but they were unable to share the specific names of these individuals.
Who formulates your recipes, and what are their credentials?âââ
Developing pet foods involves teams of Associates with expertise in many different fields including nutrition, food science, animal science and veterinary sciences. Mars Petcare has been developing pet foods for over 80 years and the nutritional knowledge and expertise of our associates goes into every diet we produce.
This response felt more like a marketing response, and dodges the actual question. They were unable to provide any names of the individuals involved in the formulation of the product.
Do you test your products using the AAFCO feeding trials? Why, or why not? âââ
This depends on the diet. Both ways of ensuring nutritional adequacy are acceptable methods and the method employed on a particular diet is listed on the diet itself within the nutritional adequacy statement. For those products that are formulated to meet nutrient profiles, we utilize our extensive database of the nutrient content of our ingredients and well as analytical values of key nutrients in order to ensure the delivery of the nutrient profiles of our diets.
Every dog food label will list of the AAFCO Statement, which tells you if a feeding trial has been done. There is much debate on the effectiveness of these trials, but we feel it is insightful to hear how a manufacturer views them as part of their product development.
What country are your products manufactured?âââ
Cesar: Our main meal & treats are currently manufactured in the USA. Our SIMPLY CRAFTED⢠is made in Thailand.
Can your manufacturing facilities be visited?âââ
No, they cannot be visited by the public.
We found that most large multinational companies like Mars have manufacturing facilities that are not open to the public.
What quality measures do you use to assure consistency and quality?âââ
Quality is the cornerstone of every aspect of our business and the number one responsibility of all our employees, suppliers and distributors. At Mars Petcare, we have a vision for making A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS®. The health and wellbeing of pets is our absolute priority. Our products are manufactured in strict compliance with the stringent guidelines set down by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), as well as each states feed regulations and in many cases our own guidelines far exceed them. Under the Mars Supplier Quality Assurance Program, all of the raw materials that we and our suppliers use must meet our strict global internal quality and safety requirements, in addition to local laws and regulation. Our robust global standards, which apply at every stage of the supply chain, allow us to ensure that all of our products are safe, nutritious and enjoyable, meaning owners can feel confident that their pets will thrive on our products.
Does Cesar own its manufacturing facility? If it is another company, what company is it?âââ
In the U.S. we employ 25,000 Associates across 6 segments: Mars Food, Mars Drinks, Mars Petcare, Mars Chocolate, Mars Symbioscience and Wrigley. We employ more than 75,000 Associates worldwide. We have 37 manufacturing plants in the U.S. and 43 U.S. states have Mars operations. For more than 100 years, Mars has been committed to making our products in the markets where we sell them. By growing our footprint in the U.S., we are better able to introduce new products to meet consumer demand for greater choice and variety.
In short, they own the facilities.
Do any parts of your product come from China?âââ
We source our ingredients for our North American plants as close to our facilities as possible. We do not purchase meat-based ingredients from China. Our vitamins and minerals often come from China, as that is often one of the only locations to source these ingredients globally, similar to human foods. Mars has an extensive Supplier Quality Assurance program, which includes audits and visits from our own associates to these suppliers.
We learned from speaking to many companies that sourcing quality ingredients at scale is a significant challenge. This reality means that companies like Mars who are supplying massive distribution channels will often use a variety of sourcing options, including China.
Cesar Dog Food | Chewy
The Cesar Filet Mignon Flavor With Spring Vegetables Dry Dog Food puts taste and nutrition in one convenient bag. Made with high-quality meat as the first ingredient plus a garnish of spring veggies, it’s just the type of high-protein meal that your pup deserves. And with meaty, tender chunks throughout the crunchy kibble pieces, he’ll love the texture and variety, and you’ll love that he’s getting complete nutrition that’s packed with a whopping 26 nutrients for small dog needs.
New: Beef, Ground Wheat, Meat and Bone Meal, Whole Grain Corn, Brewers Rice, Chicken By-Product Meal, Soybean Meal, Animal Fat (preserved with BHA & Citric Acid), Corn Gluten Meal, Natural Flavor, Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Water, Chicken Meal, Glycerin, Salt, Sugar, Potassium Sorbate (preservative), Phosphoric Acid, Potassium Chloride, Natural Filet Mignon Flavor, Choline Chloride, Dried Peas, Calcium Carbonate, DL-Methionine, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Sulfate, Dried Carrots, Yellow 6, L-Tryptophan, Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 2, Niacin Supplement, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Copper Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Potassium Iodide, Vitamin A Supplement, Blue 2, Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B2), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Folic Acid.
Original: Beef, Chicken By-Product Meal, Ground Yellow Corn, Ground Wheat, Brewers Rice, Meat & Bone Meal, Animal Fat (Preserved with BHA & Citric Acid), Corn Gluten Meal, Soybean Meal, Natural Flavor, Dried Beet Pulp, Glycerin, Salt, Phosphoric Acid, Sugar, Water, Potassium Sorbate, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Fish Oil (stabilized with Mixed Tocopherols), Filet Mignon Smokey Natural Flavor, Dried Peas, Vitamin E supplement, Zinc Sulfate, Monocalcium Phosphate, Colors (Red 40, Blue 2, Yellow 5 & 6), Niacin, Dried Carrots, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Copper Sulfate, Riboflavin Supplement, Sodium Selenite, Pyridoxine hydrochloride, Potassium Iodide, Vitamin A supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin D3 supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement
Make sure that when you transition your pets to the new food you should do it slowly over the course of 3 weeks. Start with 25% new food for the first week, and 75% old food. Week 2 will consist of a 50/50 mixture, with week 3 being 75% new and 25% old. Week 4 should allow the pet to go completely and solely on the new food. If at any point in the transition period diarrhea occurs, we would recommend taking a step back to the previous step for another week. This will help their digestive tract to change over more easily to the new food. It can take 4 to 6 weeks for their digestive tract to adjust to a new diet.
From mealtime to snack time, Cesar will treat your dog right. Every Cesar formula is made with high-quality ingredients and the deliciousness your best friend deserves.
Cesar dog food recipes are carefully formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Nutrient Profiles for Maintenance. That way, your pup can grow up happy and healthy while eating the flavors he loves.
Small dogs deserve big flavors, too! Designed to satisfy even the pickiest eaters, Cesar Trays Wet Dog Food are the meals that started it all. In a wide range of bold recipes and pleasing textures, they also give your dog the high-quality nutrition he needs.
Ingredients you know. Tastes your dog will crave. Give your pup culinary-inspired meals by mixing in Cesar Simply Crafted or Cesar Wholesome Bowls with his dry dog food. Made with real vegetables and protein as the #1 ingredient, they can make any meal feel fit for a canine king.
Tender, tasty and nutritious, Cesar dry dog food recipes will have your dog wagging his tail for more. Want to show some extra love or reward your buddy for a good deed? Keep mouthwatering, chewy Cesar dog treats on hand for the moments that matter most.
Cesar is on a mission to make the world a more dog-friendly place—one bite at a time! They believe our best friends deserve to eat just as well as we do, so they offer a range of palate-pleasing wet food, dry food, treat and topper recipes. Give your dog the taste and quality nutrition he deserves with Cesar.