cheese
Cheese is the highest-value training currency in most kitchens — fermented low in lactose, but dense in fat and salt. The honest treat-budget math.
Also appears on labels as: cheddar cheese · dried cheese · cheese powder · parmesan cheese
What it is
Fermented milk: cultures and rennet consume most of the lactose as cheese is made and aged, which is why many lactose-intolerant animals handle cheese that milk would punish. What remains is concentrated protein, fat, and salt — cheddar runs about 4 calories per gram.
Why it's in pet food
Palatability, full stop. In commercial products cheese powders flavor biscuits and toppers; at home, pea-sized cheese cubes are elite training pay. The trade is density: cheese calories accumulate faster than most owners track, and the salt is designed for human palates.
How Bowlmark scores it
Scores are deterministic math over the printed label — the rules below apply to every product identically, and nothing estimates or fills in a blank.
No engine flag — cheese in a recipe is neutral at any list position. The governing rule is the treat budget: everything incomplete that isn't the main meal fits inside roughly 10% of daily calories, and cheese spends that allowance quickly. Low lactose does not mean low consequence.
For dogs
A superb high-value training reward in deliberately small pieces; go easy with pancreatitis-prone or weight-managed dogs — the fat is the point and the problem.
For cats
Many cats love cheese and tolerate small amounts; portion discipline matters even more at cat sizes, where one cube is a meaningful share of the day.
Common questions
Answers come from this entry and the scoring rules above — reviewed before publish, like everything else on this page. For anything about your own pet, your vet knows best.
Can dogs eat cheese?
As a high-value training reward in deliberately small pieces, yes — fermentation consumes most of the lactose, which is why many lactose-intolerant animals handle cheese that milk would punish. The trade is density: cheddar runs about 4 calories per gram, and the salt is designed for human palates. Go easy with pancreatitis-prone or weight-managed dogs.
Can cats have cheese?
Many cats love cheese and tolerate small amounts; portion discipline matters even more at cat sizes, where one cube is a meaningful share of the day.
How does Bowlmark treat cheese?
No engine flag — cheese in a recipe is neutral at any list position. The governing rule is the treat budget: everything incomplete that isn't the main meal fits inside roughly 10% of daily calories, and cheese spends that allowance quickly. Low lactose does not mean low consequence.
Foods that list cheese
Ranked by score where scores exist. Placement here is never sold.
- Fancy Feast Medleys White Meat Chicken Florentine Paté With Cheese & Spinach79
- Fancy Feast Delights With Cheddar Grilled Chicken & Cheddar Cheese Feast in Wet Cat Food Gravy73
- Fancy Feast Delights With Cheddar Grilled Tuna & Cheddar Cheese Feast in Wet Cat Food Gravy73
- Fancy Feast Delights With Cheddar Grilled Turkey & Cheddar Cheese Feast in Wet Cat Food Gravy73
- Fancy Feast Delights With Cheddar Grilled Whitefish & Cheddar Cheese Feast73
- Friskies Shreds Turkey & Cheese Dinner In Gravy73
- Fancy Feast Medleys Ocean Whitefish With Carrots & Spinach in a Creamy Béchamel Sauce72
Compare foods that list cheese
Same species, same form, both scored — closest scores first, so the comparison is a real one.
- Fancy Feast Delights With Cheddar Grilled Chicken & Cheddar Cheese Feast in Wet Cat Food Gravy vs Fancy Feast Delights With Cheddar Grilled Tuna & Cheddar Cheese Feast in Wet Cat Food Gravy
- Fancy Feast Delights With Cheddar Grilled Chicken & Cheddar Cheese Feast in Wet Cat Food Gravy vs Fancy Feast Delights With Cheddar Grilled Turkey & Cheddar Cheese Feast in Wet Cat Food Gravy
- Fancy Feast Delights With Cheddar Grilled Chicken & Cheddar Cheese Feast in Wet Cat Food Gravy vs Fancy Feast Delights With Cheddar Grilled Whitefish & Cheddar Cheese Feast
- Fancy Feast Delights With Cheddar Grilled Chicken & Cheddar Cheese Feast in Wet Cat Food Gravy vs Friskies Shreds Turkey & Cheese Dinner In Gravy
Sources
Related ingredients
Further reading
Cite this page
Bowlmark. "Cheese in pet food — what it is and how it scores." https://www.bowlmark.com/ingredient/cheese
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