Bil-Jac Dog Food
Brief Overview
Bil Jac is one of the oldest dog food brands on the market. This family-owned business has been offering what they claim to be “super premium” dog food since 1947. Their ultimate goal is to always offer top-notch dog food with limited ingredients, but a lot of dog owners aren’t comfortable with the fact that Bil-Jac dog food is actually chock full of by-products and cheap filler.
Who manufactures Bil-Jac dog food?
Bil-Jac Foods of Medina, Ohio is a family-owned business that manufactures Bil-Jac dog food. Founded by Jack and Bill Kelly in the 1940s, Bil-Jac’s production facility is located right where home is – in Medina – and Berlin, Maryland. The food is exclusively produced by Kelly Foods Corporation.
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Bil-Jac Dog Food Recalls 2017
Please Read First: If this statement is still here we are actively watching for new recalls. Below you will find a history of recalls. If you would like to know as SOON as we find out about a recalls visit:https://dogfood.guru/dog-food-recalls/ and fill out our Recall Alert form. We will ONLY email this list in the event of an actual recall. Once we stop watching for Recalls I will remove this statement.
We also encourage everyone to bookmark the site for future reference.
Latest Recalls List (From newest to oldest):
- Bil-Jac issued their first ever recall on August 24, 2012 because they received a few reports of mold in their 6-pound bags of Bil-Jac Adult Select Formula. They concluded that the mold manifested because the moisture content in the food was higher than normal.
Learn how we Monitor for Recalls: https://dogfood.guru/dog-food-recalls/
Bil-Jac Dog Food Coupons 2017
Bil-Jac Reviews
It’s clear that Bil-Jac has good intentions, but their dog food has proven to be sub-par due to the amount of by-products they pump into their recipes. We’re also skeptical of their genuineness, because their website is loaded with claims of providing “premium nutrition” while keeping the ugly truth under wraps.
For example, their website claims that Bil-Jac Super Premium dog food contains more real chicken protein than any other brand of dry dog food. They say that they “start by using the highest quality and quantity of real chicken and real chicken organ meat, which they source real from nearby chicken processors that make the real chicken for your dinner table.” Sounds good and wholesome, doesn’t it?
Not really.
What they neglect to mention that the chicken meat they use is mostly made of water and doesn’t provide much protein after having been cooked.
What’s worse is the “real chicken organ meat” is actually a by-product. In other words, it’s basically what’s left of a chicken after the white meat is removed. Chicken organ meat is the second ingredient in most Bil-Jac dog food formulas, but what they neglect to mention is that chicken by-product meal is also in the top 5 ingredients. That means dried-up beaks, chicken feet, undeveloped eggs, and pretty much anything else they could salvage from a chicken carcass. Sounds pretty appetizing, doesn’t it?
They may use high-quality chicken meat (free-range, perhaps?) but not everything they put in their dog food is actually fit for human consumption.
Bil-Jac’s website also claims that they “never use grain gluten meals or grain protein concentrates as a source of protein in their formulas.” That’s great, but did you know that Bil-Jac dog food contains cheap filler products like corn, cane molasses (which can give your dog yeast infection), and a carcinogenic preservative called BHA?
We’re not comfortable with how Bil-Jac openly advertises their dog food as “super premium”. If you want to feed your dog Bil-Jac dog food, we highly recommend you to ignore their heavily embellished claims and carefully go over the ingredients list before making the decision to put your dog on the Bil-Jac diet.
How would you rate Bil-Jac?:
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Our review on the Bil-Jac’s Puppy Select Formula :
If you have a puppy, it’s really important to feed him/her premium food. The first year of your puppy’s life is critical because that’s when your puppy’s health is established by his/her diet. Would Bil-Jac’s Puppy Select Formula step up to the plate? Let’s find out!
The first five ingredients of this formula are: chicken, chicken by-products (organs only, source of arginine), corn meal, chicken by-product meal, and oatmeal. Okay, it’s not off to a good start, but let’s look at what else this recipe has. Dried beet pulp, brewers dried yeast, and a whole slew of unpronounceable vitamins and chemicals.
Some dog owners might not like the fact that this formula contains dried beet pulp, which is a high fiber by-product of sugar beet processing, and brewers dried yeast, which is also a by-product (of the beer making process).
All in all, we don’t think this is a good formula to start your puppy on. Only premium dog food would help your puppy stay in tip-top shape, and Bil-Jac doesn’t fit the bill.
Where can you buy Bil-Jac?
Bil-Jac dog food is available in independent pet stores all over the United States. You can use their store locator to find the one closest to you.
I’m so happy I put me 9 year old beagle on this dog food. For most of his years I have fed him a weight management dog food by Pedigree, but over the last year has has been experience many stomach issues including morning gurgling stomach with nausea, infected anal glands, diarrhea etc. After switching his diet to the Sensitive Salmon Solution, he could not be doing better. No more upset stomach and the infection has cleared up completely. He is so much happier! Thank you so much for this wonderful dog food!!!
Bil Jac has many different formulas which are missing from this review. Mine are on their Grain-free formula and love it. Also, have you contacted Bil Jac directly? They will tell you that their chicken by-products contain only the organ meats (hearts, liver & gizzards) and that they have to list them as by-products per USDA regulations. One thing that impressed me is that the sales rep at the store will actually eat the kibble. Not many sales rep would do that but as he says, all the ingredients that Bil Jac uses is fit for human consumption. Another plus – NOTHING SOURCED FROM CHINA. With the exception of the vitamins which they get from France, everything else is from the USA.
Thank you Mary Kay for this information. Very helpful!
Question: I just bought the grain free today for my Australian Shepherd. Do you know why the bits are much smaller than the premium food. Kinda so small he seemed to not chew but gobble swallow.
Mary Kay: I notice you wrote that nothing is “sourced from China”in your comment. OK.
Well, I just noticed on the ‘WET FOOD” label that it is Made in Thialand. I checked the dry food, and the BilJack Training treats, and they are Made in USA. I am very disappointed
that this is happening, and why? I am writing the Manager of Kelly Foods Corp. today.
I no longer buy it for my three dogs.
I have tried too many premium dog foods to count! My dog is very finicky and just grazes throughout the day. He was 2 pound lighter at his last vet visit. I recently met a Bil Jac sales rep at Petsmart. He gave me a small sample and asked my. To put it side by side with his favorite dry dog food. The results were amazing. He now eats the entire portion of food… No longer a grazer! I have read the pluses and minuses and believe I am providing a good product for my dog. I’m so happy with this product!
My dog loves Biljac and has eaten it since puppyhood still going strong on his 9th year. Beautiful soft and silky coat and not over weight. He weights 19.8 lbs Westie eats 3/4 cup per day no extras meaning no snacks. My daughter was convinced to switch to Blue Buffalo at Petco and guess what? while on this product for a week my dog became very ill exhibiting symtoms of Advanced artritis. I immediately returned Blue Buffalo to Petco and switch back to BilJac within 2 wks my dog went back to normal, but still suffered from a slight twiching of his head. 2 months later he is back to normal, my husband discovered that Blue Buffalo had some issues with high amounts of Vitamin D levels causing the symtoms which I describe.
I have 4 small dogs–2 Maltese, a long haired Chihuahua, and a Minn Pin. I have been feeding Bil-Jac for about 5 years. I, too, found a rep at Pets Mart and she was telling me about the product. The one thing she said that sold me was this–she dropped a few pieces of Bil Jac in a cup of water and a few pieces of another food in another cup of water. The Bil Jac dissolved in the water and the other food just swelled up. My babies eat 1/2 cup daily and they are healthy, happy with shiny coats. I researched and researched pet food until I was so confused. Bil Jac is the one food I feel good about giving my babies and they love it!!
I have had show dogs for 39 years. I have fed them most types of kibble, with mixed results.
When I found out about Bil-Jac dry food, even though it looks like rabbit food, that you can crumble, I decided to give it a try (It was explained that the way it looked was because it was cooked at 165 degrees, and any kibbled food is cooled between 375-475 degrees, and then coated with fat and digest!)
When I asked about the corn, (which I was very concerned about, I was told that it was cooked for 45 minutes in another place, and broken down into corn meal, and then added for carbohydrates and antioxidants)
I have been feeding my dogs Bil-Jac for about 10 years now, and will not feed them anything else, if I have the choice!
Their coats are healthier, their muscling is very solid, their stools are smaller and they don’t throw up at all any more and have not for a very long time! We also go to the vet much less for minor things.
Whether the consensus is that it is not a “premium grade” food, it’s premium by me, and also many other show people, and my dogs love it. As they say, “The proof is in the pudding”!
I fed my pug Bil-Jac for years after switching from Royal Canin and Eukanuba brands and he always gobbled it down versus grazing and had a very firm healthy stool. he certainly was happy with it and preferred it to other types of food. The other types of food were less consistent and he would have upset stomach issues. I would stand behind Bil-Jac but I do respect the reviewer.
I own a Havanese which is a very expensive pup! The last couple of bags of BilJac Adult (6 lb) I have purchased has not agreed with her tummy. Not every meal…but she has never thrown up her food in over 4 yrs. until these two bags. I’ve noticed that sometime after eating I can pick her up and her tummy is very tight, and she tenses up as if it hurts. She behaves differently as if she feels bad . Tonight, I just decided to look up any recalls that BilJac might be experiencing. Well! I’ve been feeding my dog MOLD apparently. I can’t tell you how disappointed i am that this company (not China-made dog food) has been so unconcerned to POST info on the store shelves informing owners of concerns! * I’ve purchased my LAST bag of BilJac *
Sorry to hear that Jane, but you got one of the bad bags. I on the other hand the wife and I just picked up a 10 wk old German Shepard. While out at Pet Smart, ran into a BilJac rep. Took his advise and picked up a bag for our new family member. For the past few weeks, she loves the dog food. No issues here…Will continue to buy this brand for our new dog.
We just got a new puppy in December, got a sample of bil-jac for Bentley. He loved it. We have a 13 year old and a 6 year old. Both of them love it as well. Bijou is our 13 year old. Her weight has been up and down over the past two years, very picky eater. Bijou started eating Bil-Jac she has picked up weight, and her hair is much thicker, and healthy. She and Bella love the food as much as Bentley. We have been using it for almost 4 months now…. Love it …..Love it….. Love it. If they are happy.. Momma is happy. I would recommend this food to anyone.
All of my dogs LOVE BilJac and I have never had a health issue with any of my dogs or puppies. It is the only dog food that even the finicky eaters will eat without the addition of broth or cooked food. It also makes stool clean-up much easier.
I have a mini goldendoodle I got him when he was 12 weeks old and was always having diarrhea and vomiting often I was feeding him blue then I switched him to Kirkland puppy and nothing changed it was frustrating then went to petsmart and one of the salesperson suggest I should try bil jac I’m so thankful to this person because as soon as I started feeding him this all the bad things stopped he is now 10 months and a very happy puppy and I’m so happy as well, thanks bil jac!!
A lot of the “designer” brands are simply too rich for dogs, producing soft stools and in some cases vomiting and diarrhea. We tried Merrick and Fromm before – soft stools, scarf and barf because of the kibble bloat, and finicky eating. Peruse dog forums and you’ll see all kind of ideas for “toppers” to put on these designer kibbles – soft food, chicken, yogurt, cheese – just to get their dogs to eat it. Sorry, I don’t want to have to dress up my dog’s food so he’ll eat it. What’s the point? We switched to Bil Jac last summer and haven’t looked back.
Also, I don’t put much stock in sites like this where the credentials of the reviewer are nothing more than being an animal lover with awesome cats. Lol. Or that other one run by the dentist. They aren’t conducting trials or studies, they’re just reading ingredient lists and falling back on their (in many cases ill-conceived) biases.
I have a near 11 yr old Lhasa mix and he has been on Biljac most of his adult life and he has done great on this food, as healthy as can be. We also rescued a Cairn terrier mix about 4 yrs old and he has been eating the Biljac for the past 2 years and he has done very well on this food also. In fact his hair has really softened up and he had dry flaky skin which has cleared up as well. Both our dogs love Bil-jac. We now use the Grain Free formula since they put it on the market. About a year ago I started mixing in some Nature’s Recipe grain free for a little variety after all these years. We have never had problems with it. Stool has always been healthy looking and never any vomiting issues. Bil-Jac fan here.
This dog food is disgusting !!! I purchased 4 – 6 lb. bags of their dog food on 5/14/2015, and after opening the first bag I found live worms, webs, and mold inside of a sealed bag. I immediately opened the other three bags and found the same infestation ! Two of the bags were processed on different dates and times also. The FDA and USDA needs to investigate the manufacturing processes of this company, this is absolutely UNACCEPTABLE ! My pets deserve much better than this, and obviously this company doesn’t care about them, only their bottom line and using sub-par manufacturing practices. How despicable ! I will NEVER buy from this company again !
I have been feeding my 6 m/o shih tzu with Bil Jac for about 4 1/2 month and he has never had any health issues. He is a happy, healthy, playful, lovely puppy..
I have tried every dog food from the 5 star expensive to the 1 star inexpensive and my dog would not eat it i even tried canned food she still would not touch it this went on for months then i tryed a sample bag of bil jac and finally she ate ashe actually loves it so i will continue to feed her bil jac as long as she eats it. And she also as more energy and her coat is very full and soft.
Love the small breed. I have an elderly Chihuahua and it soaks almost instantly which is perfect for her! Smells great, too. My dogs scarf it up. I have tried a lot of foods and this is the winner.
I have been having nothing but problems finding maggots and moths in the 2 bags i have purchased. The recall in 2012 makes sense. i think it’s time to send another one out! What are the chances of having issues with 2 back to back bags? During this time, my sister, who recommended this product to me for my dog has experience this same issue a few months ago!
I have a very picky chihuahua she doesn’t like much dty dog food at all and I went to petsmart and asked them because she was losing weight so I needed something for her to put on weight they recommended bil jac and she loves it she has even put on weight. I will continue to feed this to all my dogs instead of blue Buffalo
I am looking for a good grain free dry dog food for my 3 year old poodle what would you recommend I’ve been reading the reviews for several dog foods and they seen to confuse me more I would appreciate any help you could give me thank you brenda
I just saw a list of recalled dog food and treats on Facebook. Bil Jac chicken liver treats were on it. Could you tell me if this is so? My pups love these trears. Now, I’m worried that I’ve been harming them.
I have same concern as ANNA ULAS. please replythanks
If you are turning your nose up at organ meat because it’s not “white meat” and “humans wouldn’t eat it” then you don’t know very much about dog nutrition. Organ meat has to be called a by product by law but it’s NOT devoid of nutrients. It’s the opposite, in fact. It’s incredibly nutrient rich for dogs. So using this to completely dismiss the food because it’s not human-style chicken is stupid and discredits the entire review of the product. Congrats! Would you make the same derisive comments towards someone who creates a carefully-balanced raw food diet for their dogs? Because I can guarantee you if you tried to feed your dog nothing but white meat, he will be missing out on pretty much everything that he needs to grow and be healthy.
Just started Bil Jack last night. Supper and breakfast this morning. Switching from Beneful. I put some of both in the bowls to start weening.
On our walk this morning, my Tervuren vomited twice, again in the living room upon our return, and I noticed where in the backyard she vomited before our walk.
Don’t know if I should immediately stop the Bil Jac, or give it time.
Any ideas?
I adopted a rescue four years ago and, after getting her healthy, was recommended to try Bil Jac due to concern about my dog’s digestive issues. She loves a mix of their adult/senior formula and some wet food. Due to my local stores no longer carrying the brand, I have tried two ‘higher quality’ brands and she has both little interest in either and had a huge increase in digestive issues upon trying either. I am now buying Bil Jac online.
I am giving this food 10 stars.
My Chihuahua mix suffered from food allergies. She scratched so much that she would bleed. After many visits to the vet for steroids, changing her diet multiple times, and trying other “premium” dog foods, we tried Bil-Jac and have never looked back. Her soars and ear infections cleared. Her stools are solid, and her dry flaky skin was notably healthier within a few days. Now her fur is smooth, shiny, and she doesn’t smell anymore. We also were feeding our new pup “premium” dog food. His runny stools were a problem. We recently put him on Bil-Jac for puppies and he is doing great on it, too.
I have two collies. One eats anything. The other is he pickiest animal I’ve ever known. I’ve tried dried. I’ve tried canned. I’ve mixed them both. I’ve put broth on dog food to make is more palatable. Bil Jac is the only dog food I’ve ever “served” that both dogs eat eagerly and readily. Dogfood that goes uneaten isn’t doing your pet any good. Maybe it’s not the best dog food in the world but they like it.
Won’t give my dog bil jac ever again he got real sick so i changed the food to other. I tried all these other top 10 dog foods but my dog wouldn’t eat any of them snub them and you would never think he liked kibble and bits the best and i know its not great at all but the vet said he is one healthy dog keep feeding him what he likes.
Internet dog food reviewers know nothing about what they are writing about. If they did this food would receive 5 Stars. Criticizing dog foods because “by-products” are used just shows how out-to-lunch reviewers are. Is there any part of a chicken that you wouldn’t want your dog to eat? Feathers of course but that isn’t what we are talking about. Raw feeders use “by-products” all the time. This food happens to be loaded with animal protein that is processed at very low temperatures because it is a pellet food and not extruded. This allows for very high amounts of fresh protein to be used. The reviewer clearly does not understand this.
I would suggest Chiara Fucarino find another occupation based on this review.
Ever since I have been feeding my dog Farmers Bounty dog food, grain free, she no longer scratches………….I mean ever! This dog food is wonderful and she loves it!
I started using Bil Jac about 5 years ago. My shelter dog would throw up after each meal. After putting him on Bil Jac he was able to keep his food down. Now all 6 of our dogs eat only Bil Jac after talking to a rep in Pet Smart. When our 4 older dogs became seniors we switched to formulas that matched their ages.. Our two Pit Bulls have been on the large puppy formula as they are now only 1 1/2 yrs old ever since we got them. I hated picking up dog poop before but now even our Bull Mastiff is not a problem. My dogs love this dog food & have done very well on it.
Don’t know about the critics but this has worked out great for my dogs. They eat good crap minimal and it dose t smell like most commercial brands so the proof is in the poop shiny healthy coats good appetite and overall good health. I say 5 stars
We have two small breed dogs. One is a Shih-tzu and one is a Maltipoo. We had tried so many different dog foods to find one that they not just would eat but one that was good for them as well. Finally one of the front desk workers at our vet told us about Bil jac and told us how this is the only food she will ever buy for all her dogs. So she told me to give it a try. I am so happy that she did. They LOVE IT! They empty there bowls everytime and there coats look so nice as well as there poo. Then when they had puppies and we had to start feeding them food. We had put them on Merrick because they had the patte soft food but they would not eat it at all. Then my husband went out to get some crunchy food and brought back a bag of Merrick puppy food instead of Bil jac to put in there care bags to send with them to there new homes. Not only would they not even eat it but they would go straight to there moms and dads bowl and eat there Bil jac. There new owners even told me that everyone of the puppies refused to eat any other food other then Bil jac. So that says it all for me. I will be a Bil jac costumer for life!
I would love to see a review of the grain free formula. The ingredients list there are very different from the ingredients listed above. I have a very active dog I run with daily and wan to provide her with the best food in my price range. Thank you
One would think that dog food imgredients do not need to appeal to human beings. Dogs love organ meat and it is highly nutritional. It is hard to take a review seriously from an unacreddited source. By contrast 2 seperate vets have told us we should feed Loki (the cutest baby boy in the universe) Royal Cannan. We told them he eats BilJac Farmers Bounty and they looked up ingredient /nutritional profiles and both told us BilJac was actually slighly better. It’s also the only brand he likes. We tried RC, Blue Mountain, Eukanuba, and Hills Science Diet.
I personally LOVE BILJAC. I sell Biljac and a few other brands in my store. I feed Biljac as well. I have for 27 years. Biljac is perfect for starting young toy breed puppies through the weaning process. I raise and show Pomeranians I wet Biljac for the five to six week old crowd. Change to dry when the back molars erupt. So easy for the tiny toy puppies to chew. All my dos love Biljac. The infestation of web worms can happen in a middleman warehouse. I have never in 27 years gotten a bad bag of Biljac. The brief high moisture/ mold problem was resolved very quickly. Not much was mentioned about the safety of the ONLY extruded food on the market in avoiding death by BLOAT. Large breed dogs are especially prone to bloat and you don’t know you have a problem until you have a full blown medical emergency. Biljac does NOT swell in the dog’s stomach and is therefore much safer for large and giant breed dogs. I am a big Biljac fan.