How much Cesar food should I feed my small dog?

Check the feeding guide printed on the specific pack, which matches body weight to a recommended daily amount, rather than assuming one tray is always a full meal. Very small dogs sometimes need less than one full tray a day, while a larger small-breed dog may need more.

Can Cesar wet food be mixed with dry kibble?

Yes, many owners feed a combination, but the two need to be balanced against each other so the total daily amount matches your dog's overall need, rather than feeding a full portion of wet and a full portion of dry separately. Adjust the dry amount down to account for the wet food given.

Is Cesar suitable for puppies?

Check the specific product, since not every recipe in the range is formulated for puppies. Where a puppy-specific option is not available, a food designed for growth is generally the safer choice, and your vet can advise on the right diet for a young dog.

Why does my dog prefer one Cesar texture over another?

Individual dogs simply have preferences for texture and smell, the same as with any wet food brand, and this is not unusual. Trying a couple of different recipes within the range to see which your dog consistently finishes is a reasonable way to settle on a favourite.

Cesar feeding guide

Cesar makes wet dog food specifically for small and toy breeds, sold in individual trays, pouches and tins designed to suit a small dog's much smaller daily portion size. Working out the right amount is less about a single number and more about matching the packaging size to your dog's own feeding guide, which is what this page covers before the current range in the grid below.

How Cesar's format is built for small dogs

Cesar's individual trays and pouches are portioned around a small dog's typical daily need, which is one of the main reasons the brand is popular for toy and small breeds specifically — there is far less risk of over or under-serving compared with scooping from a large tin meant for bigger dogs. Several small ranges within the brand offer different textures, from terrine to loaf to stew-style recipes in gravy.

Because portions are small in absolute terms for a toy breed, it is still worth checking the pack against your individual dog's weight rather than assuming one tray always equals one full daily meal, since needs vary between a 2kg Chihuahua and an 8kg terrier-type dog even within the 'small breed' category.

Working out the right amount

Every Cesar product carries a feeding guide on the pack matching body weight to a recommended daily amount, and this is the correct starting point rather than guessing from the tray size alone. Some owners split one tray across two meals for a very small dog, while a larger small-breed dog might need more than one tray to meet its daily need.

If you are mixing wet Cesar food with a dry kibble rather than feeding wet exclusively, the two need to be balanced against each other so the combined amount matches your dog's overall daily requirement, rather than feeding a full portion of each separately.

Choosing between the ranges

The different textures and recipes within the Cesar range are largely a matter of what your individual dog prefers to eat, since they are formulated to the same small-breed portioning principle throughout. A fussier eater may respond better to one texture over another, and it is reasonable to try a couple of different recipes to see which your dog consistently finishes.

The full current range we stock, across the different formats and flavours, is shown in the grid below.

Forthglade Complete Adult Dog Grain Free Lamb & Veg: complete wet dog food with lamb 75% — 395G

£1.99

Common questions

How much Cesar food should I feed my small dog?: Check the feeding guide printed on the specific pack, which matches body weight to a recommended daily amount, rather than assuming one tray is always a full meal. Very small dogs sometimes need less than one full tray a day, while a larger small-breed dog may need more.
Can Cesar wet food be mixed with dry kibble?: Yes, many owners feed a combination, but the two need to be balanced against each other so the total daily amount matches your dog's overall need, rather than feeding a full portion of wet and a full portion of dry separately. Adjust the dry amount down to account for the wet food given.
Is Cesar suitable for puppies?: Check the specific product, since not every recipe in the range is formulated for puppies. Where a puppy-specific option is not available, a food designed for growth is generally the safer choice, and your vet can advise on the right diet for a young dog.
Why does my dog prefer one Cesar texture over another?: Individual dogs simply have preferences for texture and smell, the same as with any wet food brand, and this is not unusual. Trying a couple of different recipes within the range to see which your dog consistently finishes is a reasonable way to settle on a favourite.

Written by Matt Garnett, who runs Giddy Pets and is a lifelong pet owner — not a vet. This is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your animal. How we write these guides.