Bil-Jac is a super-premium dog food that locks in all of the nutrients that your dog’s body needs with their special slow-cooking style of preparing and cooking the dog food.
This dog food aims at helping your dog’s overall health and appearance be better than other competing dog food brands. This is a rather popular dog food brand as it has been around for more than sixty years.
In all of those years, Bil-Jac has remained a quality dog food brand. Our Bil-Jac dog food review will go over the different dog food formulas Bil-Jac offers as well as treats since you can never go wrong with treats.
You can either use this review alone or pair it with other Bil-Jac reviews when you do your own research of this dog food brand. We will tell you everything that we learn about this dog food brand to ultimately choose the best dog food for your dog possible.
Who Manufactures Bil-Jac Dog Food?
Bil-Jac Foods, Inc. manufactures its own dog food exclusively by the Kelly Foods Corporation in their factories based in Medina, Ohio in the United States of America. It was started in 1947 by two brothers, Bill and Jack Kelly, after serving in the armed forces during World War II.
They strived to create a superior dog food brand that they aimed to fill a hole in the pet food market that was open at the time. Today, the brand remains still as a family-owned and operated dog food brand.
Recall History of Bil-Jac Dog Food
As of writing this article, Bil-Jac has only had one case of recall in their 71 years of operating. The details are as followed:
“In August 2012, the FDA issued a recall for certain bags of Bil-Jac Adult Select Formula Dog Food due to the potential for mold contamination.”
But since then, Bil-Jac has not had another case of a recall. It is not surprising as Bil-Jac claims that they do not waste money on advertisements or product promotions but instead put the funds to ensure that all of their dog food is high-quality and safe for dogs to consume.
Different Formulas/Options
Bil-Jac offers a variety of different dog food formulas to fit all ages, breeds, and even health issues. We will go over the different formulas available and how they can benefit your dog’s overall health in a short summary.
For Puppies
Bil-Jac has a special line of puppy food that caters to your puppy’s needs that adult dog foods cannot do. Bil-Jac understands that puppies grow quickly and that their first year of life is critical for a long-lasting healthy adult life. Because of that, Bil-Jac’s puppy food is packed with all the essential nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and animal proteins that growing puppy bodies need.
You can either feed your puppy the standard puppy formula or one that caters to their breed size. Use this review and other Bil-Jac puppy food review to decide if this formula is the right one to start your puppy on. The available options under this formula of dog food are:
- Puppy-Select Formula
- Small Breed
- Large Breed
For Adults
Once your puppy has outgrown their puppy food you can transition them to one of Bil-Jac’s adult dog food formulas. You can choose to give your dog the standard adult food formula or one of the size-specific ones to cater to your dog’s size better. Chicken is always the first ingredients of this formula option, which is great if your dog does not have an allergen to poultry.
This formula option does also include some form of grain, wheat, corn, and tapioca. But, if your dog happens to have a sensitivity to those ingredients Bil-Jac does have a grain-free adult dog food that has limited ingredients to avoid triggering an allergic reaction in your dog. The available flavors under this formula are:
- Adult Select
- Small Breed
- Large Breed
- Grain-Free
For Special Needs
If your dog has a certain health concern that requires a specific diet to keep your dog healthy then Bil-Jac could be the brand for your dog. This formula line has specially made options such as senior, weight control, and even food sensitivity. These foods are meant to help your dog’s overall health and potentially even improve it through long time use. The options under this formula are:
- Reduced Fat Formula
- Senior Select Formula with Chicken and Oatmeal
- Small Breed Senior
- Sensitive Solutions
Wet Food-Stews
Sometimes dogs just won’t eat their dry dog food without some flavor being added to it. And who can blame them since dry food is, well, dry? You can add one of the flavors of Bil-Jac stews on top of your dog’s food to entice them to eat. These hearty chunks of meat and savory stew will urge any dog to eat. The available flavors are:
- Country Stew with Lamb & Beef
- Chunky Stew with Chicken & Vegetables
- Harvest Feast with Turkey & Sweet Potatoes in Gravy
- Hearty Stew with Beef & Barley
Wet Food-Pate Platters
If your dog doesn’t like stews then you can try a pate. Your dog gets a blend of animal proteins and vegetables to add moisture to your dog’s diet and a pleasing taste. You can either give it to your dog on its own or mix it with their dry food. The available flavors are:
- Chicken & Cheese
- Chicken & Vegetables
- Duck & Pumpkin
- Beef & Sweet Potatoes
Bil-Jac Picky No More
These treats are actually meant to help picky dogs want to eat their dry food. You simply crumble the chicken liver based treats onto their food and watch as your dog eats their food happily. There is only one flavor of these treats, but they come in small, medium, and large sizes to match the size of your dog’s breed better.
Treats
Bil-Jac also offers a variety of treats that you can use during training or just to reward your dog for being a good pup. There are a variety of flavors and options that Bil-Jac offers you to feed your dog. They are:
- Original Recipe
- Little-Jacs
- Bil-Jac Grain-Free
- Bil-Jac Breakfast Jacs
- Gooberlicious
- Yapple-Nannas and PB_Nanas
- America’s VetDogs
- Dessert-Jacs
Key Ingredients
Protein
Bil-Jac mainly uses chicken in all of its products. While the chicken is fresh and of a high-quality since it is added in all of their products Bil-Jac would not be ideal for dogs who have a chicken allergy. Bil-Jac on the occasion uses other proteins such as:
- Lamb
- Beef
- Turkey
- Eggs
- Duck
Fats
The main fat source comes from the chicken fat added into the dog food. This is a more natural source of fats that help control your dog’s weight.
Carbohydrates
Bil-Jac does include carbohydrates into their formulas. But the carbohydrates used are all used to provide a nutritional balance and boost of energy for your dog. But some have been used to replace animal protein sources in the dog food.
Antioxidants
Bil-Jac packs essential antioxidants into their dog food formulas by using their Bil-Jac Sensitive Solutions Formula and Smart Defense System. It ensures that your dog has the immune system support that their bodies need as well as added vitamins C & E, and essential amino acids.
Bil Jac Reviews
Now that we have gone over the basics of Bil-Jac and what makes their products stand out from other dog food brands let’s take a closer look at some of the dog foods they offer, their ingredients, and how they help your dog’s overall health with our Bil-Jac dry dog food reviews.
As other Bil-Jac puppy food reviews may claim, it is best to find a dog food that fits the size of your puppy, such as the Bil-Jac Large Breed Puppy Dry Food for large breed dogs.
Key Features
- Protein Content— 24%
- Fat Content— 17%
- Carbohydrates— 41%
- Fiber Content— 4%
Large breed puppies are different than your average dog as their bodies develop faster and have more strain to support bigger bones and bigger bodies at a young age. Bil-Jac large breed puppy food is made specifically to help support large breed puppies have less straining growth spurts and maintain an ideal overall body health.
To help your large breed puppy grow better, this formula has lower protein and fat levels compared to the other Bil-Jac puppy formulas to avoid your puppy gaining more weight than their growing bones can handle.
For further aid, Bil-Jac large breed puppy food contains naturally sourced glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate, which is essential for healthy body development. Your puppy’s first year of life is essential as it will give you a good idea of how their overall health will be like, so make sure to give them a food that will help them make a positive start at life like Bil-Jac large breed puppy food.
Pros
- Made specifically for large breed dog puppies
- Real chicken is the first ingredient
- Comes in a 15lb and 30lb bag options
Cons
- Not ideal for dogs with allergies as it contains chicken, yeast, and oatmeal, which are high allergen triggering ingredients
- Does not contain any fruits or vegetables so has outside sources added for vitamins and minerals
- Contains artificial preservatives
Your large breed puppy will have all of the essentials that their larger growing bodies will need thanks to Bil-Jac Large Breed Puppy Dry Food.
2. Select
Whether you have a puppy ready for adult food or a dog you want to switch dry dog foods, consider trying Adult Select Formula.
Key Features
- Protein Content— 27%
- Fat Content— 4%
- Carbohydrates— 37%
- Fiber Content— 4%
Adult dogs require a formula that helps maintain their overall body health, mental health, and weight. Bil-Jac Adult Select formula mixes ingredients that are essential for your adult dog to have vital nutrition for everyday health.
Every bag of food is cooked in small batches to ensure optimal quality control and something Bil-Jac calls Nutri-Lock. Nutri-Lock is a slow cooking process Bil-Jac uses to preserve not just the taste of the ingredients used but the key nutrients so that your adult dog has an optimal and high-end source for all of the nutrients that their bodies need.
Not only does Bil-Jac ensure that your dog is getting a prime source of nutrients for their inner health, your dog has access to naturally sourced Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids that nourish your dog’s coat and skin.
Pros
- Ideal for adult dogs over one year of age
- Real chicken is the first ingredient for an optimal protein source
- Helps support a healthy immune system
- Comes in 6lb, 15lb, and 30lb bag options
Cons
- Contains a small amount of artificial preservatives that can potentially be harmful to dogs over time
- Not ideal for dogs with food allergies as it contains chicken, corn, and oats
- Contains cornmeal, which is considered a filler ingredient
Your adult dog is sure to have a healthy and long life while chowing down on Bil-Jac Adult Select Formula.
3. Senior
Older dogs deserve to have a dry food that helps support their body, but Bil-Jac Senior Select Formula just does not match up to what senior dogs need.
Key Features
- Protein Content— 20%
- Fat Content— 12%
- Carbohydrates— 50%
- Fiber Content— 4%
While Bil-Jac’s Senior Select formula contains low levels of animal proteins in favor of plant-based proteins and higher than average levels of carbohydrates, this formula does have a few positives to it. The bites are softer so your senior dog would not have to struggle to eat.
A gentle fiber blend from the corn and oatmeal help support your senior dog’s digestive system. Naturally occurring glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate from the ingredient blend helps support strong and healthy bone and joint health.
Bil-Jac aims to provide optimal support for your dog to live a mature and active lifestyle. But, this senior formula does fall a bit short in other essential vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that all dogs need especially senior dogs.
Pros
- Palette is easier to digest for older dog’s stomachs
- Comes in 6lb, 15lb, and 30lb bag options
Cons
- Contains artificial ingredients
- Derives most of its protein source from plants, which is not ideal as it does not provide the same essential nutrients animal proteins give, which risks it being a low-quality dog food compared to their other formula lines
- Contains a high level of carbohydrates, which dogs do not necessarily need
While Bil-Jac Senior Select Formula is an okay formula to feed to your senior dog, you might have to add outside sources, such as wet foods, to make up for the lack of nutrients that this formula has.
4. Reduced Fat
Like with us, some dogs struggle to lose weight and keep off those extra pounds. Bil-Jac Reduced Fat Formula can help those struggling dogs maintain their weight easier.
Key Features
- Protein Content— 17%
- Fat Content— 10%
- Carbohydrates— 55%
- Fiber Content— 5%
Dogs can struggle to lose weight, just like we do, so for the dogs that have that issue, a reduced fat diet is the option for them. While Bil-Jac’s Reduced Fat Formula contains 30% less fat than the original adult food, it does lack in animal proteins and other essential nutrients fresh fruits and vegetables can offer.
Where this food lacks in essential animal proteins and nutrients, it does have some positives. The controlled fat helps prevent any excess weight gain. Bil-Jac’s Nutri-Lock slow cooking method preserves taste and key nutrients of the included ingredients to try and benefit your dog. And there are sources of Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids that help your dog have healthy skin, a shiny coat, and a strong immune system.
This diet could improve though with a reduced level of carbohydrates in favor of low-fat animal proteins, like salmon, so that your dog still obtains all of the essential nutrients that they need, even if they are on a diet.
Pros
- Can help your dog maintain a healthy body weight
- Contains reduced fat that helps avoid your dog gaining excess weight, especially if not an active dog
- Comes in 6lb, 15lb, and 30lb bag options
Cons
- Contains high levels of carbohydrates which produces sugar in the dog’s body
- Contains artificial preservatives
- Cornmeal is the second ingredient, so this food risks being packed with filler ingredients
Even though Bil-Jac Reduced Fat Formula is made to help reduce weight, it still lacks in essential nutrients that your dog needs, even if they are on a diet.
5. Grain-Free Adult
Some dogs, unfortunately, have food-based allergies, which can make it hard to find foods for them that will not trigger their allergies. If your dog is allergic to grains you will be happy to know that Bil-Jac Grain-Free Adult Dog Food is available for your dog.
Key Features
- Protein Content— 30%
- Fat Content— 15%
- Carbohydrates— 37%
- Fiber Content— 5%
Grain-Free pet food diets are rather simple, especially when compared to the normal pet food formula lines. In this case, Bil-Jac offers a limited ingredient grain-free diet.
This means that, unlike the other formulas Bil-Jac offers, this diet does not contain corn or oats. Instead, this formula uses menhaden fish meal for essential amino acids, pea fiber to provide energy without glutens, and dried brewer’s yeast to supply the same nutrients and proteins cornmeal and oats do.
The grain-free diet also contains a balanced level of fibers, which help support a healthy intestinal tract system and makes their stool form and small, so it is easier for you to clean up. As another plus, real chicken is the first ingredient to provide your dog with a high animal protein choice.
While this diet is great for dogs who are allergic to grains it is still not ideal for dogs who have a chicken or poultry allergies.
Pros
- Main protein comes from an animal source
- Limited ingredient diet
- Comes in 4lb and 24lb bag options
Cons
- Contains artificial preservatives
- Salt content is not specified so could potentially be harmful to your dog if it is a large quantity used
Even if your dog does not have any allergies feeding them a grain-free diet, like Bil-Jac Grain-Free Adult Dog Food, can still be a healthy food alternative for your four-legged friend.
6. Pate Platters
If your dog needs a little extra flavor in their dry food to consider feeding the Bil-Jac Pate Platters with Chicken & Vegetables.
Key Features
- Protein Content— 8%
- Fat Content— 5%
- Carbohydrates— 7%
- Fiber Content— 1%
While Bil-Jac has some lower quality dry foods, their wet food options are decent. The first ingredient is chicken, which means that there is a healthy quantity of chicken in the pate formula. But this formula only uses two vegetables, which are peas and carrots.
That means that Bil-Jac needs to use outside sources to provide your dog with the essential vitamins and minerals that their bodies need. There is also a high plant protein content that cannot fully replace the nutrients animal proteins can offer. But at least there is a lower carbohydrate percentage per can, which other Bil-Jac foods have had a problem of making carbohydrates more than half of the food content.
Pros
- Contains no artificial ingredients, colors, or preservatives
- Chicken is the first ingredient
- Comes in 13OZ cans
Cons
- Does not specify salt content so it could potentially harm dogs rather than benefit them
- Main protein source comes from plants, which is not beneficial to dogs who need animal proteins
Your dog will surely enjoy a little extra flavor in their food and the nutritional benefits of Bil-Jac Pate Platters with Chicken & Vegetables.
7. Harvest Feast
Bil-Jac Harvest Feast with Turkey & Sweet Potatoes in Gravy can provide extra flavor to your dog’s dry food.
Key Features
- Protein Content— 8%
- Fat Content— 3%
- Carbohydrates— 5%
- Fiber Content— 2%
Bil-Jac’s Harvest Feast does provide a complete and balanced nutrition to help maintain your dog, at least fitting for AAFCO standards, but that is still not enough to completely aid in a dog’s overall health.
The recipe does contain chicken and turkey, but they are the second and third ingredient on the list, which means there is not as much in the blend that your dog needs. The main protein source comes from pea protein, which is a controversial ingredient since it is typically used in place of proper animal proteins. And as for vegetables the recipe only uses sweet potatoes and carrots.
Both are great vegetables for some nutrients and fiber content, but they do not provide all the essential nutrients your dog needs, which is why Bil-Jac needs to add the essential nutrients through outside sources.
Pros
- Contains no artificial ingredients, colors, or preservatives
- Grain-Free and Gluten-Free
- Comes in 3.5OZ trays
Cons
- Main protein source comes from non-animal sources, which is not ideal for dogs
- The first ingredient is turkey broth that contains no nutritional content for dogs
Bil-Jac Harvest Feast with Turkey & Sweet Potatoes in Gravy can add extra flavor to your dog’s food, it might not be the best nutrient source for them.
Bottom Line
While Bil-Jac does use naturally raised and high-quality chicken as the first ingredient in the majority of their formulas that means that this dog food is not for every dog. Ideally, dogs with no stomach issues or food sensitivities should be able to eat Bil-Jac with no problem.
Some of Bil-Jac’s diets are lacking when it comes to animal proteins and other essential nutrients, so they may not be the best options available for your dog to eat. Some of their foods do rely heavily on filler ingredients, but they do try to use filler ingredients that can actually benefit your dog.
Even with some of their lower quality dog food formulas available, we do have to give credit to Bil-Jac for wanting the best for your dogs as if they were feeding their own. We have provided you with as much information on Bil-Jac as we could for this review, but if you feel like you want to learn more on this brand we encourage you to do your own research. The more you know the better you will be feeding your dog.
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Andrea
Andrea is another superstar contributor to the Dog Struggles team. In addition to writing quality pieces, she also works at a Pet Adoption Agency – helping find forever homes for furry friends. Andrea spends a huge amount of time with a range of dog breeds on a daily basis. This shines through with her work - she provides very detailed and specific recommendations for pet parents. She is a highly valued team member who consistently delivers quality articles.
