when we first bought our pug puppy at 10 weeks old from a very loving and responsible breeder she had other beautiful dogs around the house too (a doberman,french bulldog,and mama pug,and brother pug). she recommended biljac since that is what all the dogs were eating. so we kept him on biljac with no problems. then i got on the internet just surfing around and came across the top rated dog food site. after reading all the scary things posted by people who recommend holistic and natural dog food,well i had to run out and change my dog to blue buffalo!what a mistake that was, our poor little guy started itching and scratching himself bloody! so then we switched to natural balance duck and potato ,still itching and scratching nonstop,poor guy was miserable! so after taking him to vet for antibiotic and steroid shot to stop the allergic reaction to who knows what is in either or both of these holistic and natural foods and 250$ later,he is back on his biljac,thank you. remember people,dogs arent rating these dogfoods,people are. so just like so many biljac dog parents have commented what works for one dog may not for another. i dont knock you people who feed your dogs natural and holistic dogfood,so dont knock me for feeding my dog a food that doesnt send him into an allergic fit! our pug spins around and dances when he sees me getting ready to put his biljac into his bowl(ceramic,not plastic,of course) just say the word biljac and he perks up,so adorable. so to the people who would say to me that i am so terribly uninformed and cant sleep at night knowing i am feeding my dog biljac,go eat a twinkie and relax!

This is a great food! The previous poster is making assumptions about the ingredient list. I have seen improvements in both my dogs while on this food. The only thing I can say to watch out for is to make sure and feed a bit less that the recommended feeding amounts. The food seems to be very concentrated and therefore you do not to feed as much.
The dogs love it, it is highly digestable, small stools, shiny coats and lots of energy!
My dogs love gizzard, hearts, liver and other meat that I would find distateful. That doesn't mean that it is bad for them!

Why is this food on the premium dog food shelves at so many pet stores?

Bil Jac is HORRIBLE. The propaganda machine behind this food is intense and focused, dispensing misinformation and sleight of hand rather than facts... or better yet, actually providing a GOOD dog food.

Bil Jac SAYS that one of their chicken by-product ingredients is "organ meat only." That is a lie. By-product is by-product is by-product, and it's all waste product unfit for human consumption. If Bil Jac really DID use good, clean organ meats in their formulas, they would list those organs the way other manufacturers do... as "chicken liver, chicken gizzards, chicken kidneys, chicken heart, etc." But they cannot do that, because that would be blatant lying. Chicken by-products are made up of beaks, feet, bones, diseased carcasses, unformed eggs, meat scraps, fat scraps, tumors, blood clots, dirty innards, and assorted other slaughterhouse waste. Period.

Bil Jac SAYS that their food is better because it is EXPANDED rather than baked or extruded. That is a lie. The reality is that cooking is cooking, and if you are making a product with meat, that meat has to be cooked to kill and stave off bacterial growth. It doesn't matter how it's done, it's all cooking, and it all denatures nutrients in the same manner, despite what Bil Jac says.

Bil Jac SAYS that because they use good, whole meat sources, they don't have to add in fat like other companies do. Well, when you are using low quality waste meat and animal scraps, those sources are going to contain much more fat than the good muscle and organ meat used by true premium foods. Chicken by-products are full of chicken skins removed from skinless breasts and thighs for human consumption. Chicken skin is full of fat... that's what makes fried chicken so crispy and delicious. Again, Bil Jac lies.

On top of the lies, they use chemical preservatives that are PROVEN toxins and cancer causing agents. They use cheap fillers. They are one of the few brands using not just one but TWO doses of by-products in many of their formulas. And they also use corn, a cheap filler that is also an allergen for many, many dogs. They then put representatives in the pet stores, spreading the lies and doing little demonstrations, dropping kibbles of the food into water and showing customers how it dissolves, claiming that this means it's a more digestible food than other brands. It's ridiculous, and proves NOTHING.

Bil Jac foods are abysmal. The company is disingenuous. That's all that really needs to be said.

Every dog is different, just like people. Dogs have allergies and preferences just like humans; that being said what is good for one may not be best for another. We see this with dog shampoos all the time.

I have fed my dogs: Hills Science Diet, Nutro, Purina Pro Plan, Benefil, Iams and Pedigree. We have to buy sensitive stomach for our Standard Poodle and Senior for our 5 y/o spayed Boxer (she has a weight problem and is always hungry).

We tried Bil-Jac once, after feeding them (6)- 5 lb bags of frozen my Boxer lost 7 lbs, and she never complained of hunger. Her energy was vastly improved. She began acting like a puppy again. Also our barfing Poodle had no episodes of vomiting and she also had a lot of energy, and I didn't need to feed her as much. What amazed me was that they ARE HAPPIER. They love mealtime now, and play in between meals.

If your dog does not do well on it, please try another brand. I can only speak for my own awesome experiences. I am very happy with the food, and the based on the evidence it is best for my dogs. I drive an hour to my nearest dealer to buy it and it is worth it.
Lori, Indiana Nurse

As a dog trainer and owner, I have read just about every bag to be placed on a shelf at both Petco and Petsmart. And I can tell you several things, not only about Bil-Jac, but any other food you care to name.

Yes. I see how many times the "by-products" are cited here. Did anyone bother to read what was in the parenthesis right behind that? "Organs only". Gibblets. Livers, hearts, gizzards. The parts of the chicken that actually have any nutritional content. People get so caught up in buying things for their dog that sound appetizing to them. Have you ever seen a nature program in your life??? Wild dogs, wolves, all canids capable of bringing down game don't go strip the muscle meet off a leg, or snack on the backstrap. They eat the guts of whatever animal they happen to be taking down. There is no bone meal, there are no hot dog parts. There is no ADDED FAT. Every single kibble food, from Hills, to Solid Gold has fat added to it. In Bil-Jac, the only fat you get is that fat that came off the chicken.

And molasses. Bil-Jac has been using it as a FIBER source, but since so many people (and other food representatives) think of it only as a sweetener (check out all the other premium brands that use beet pulp which has the same function), they've done away with it. Recently, they've changed to use oatmeal and yams for fiber.

Now the corn. If you are so scared of it, and honestly believe that it is an evil, evil thing, that your dogs will eat, and poop, without having gleaned any nutrition or benefit, fine. Or if you believe that corn is the only allergy your dog has (without having done an allergy test), stay in your house and lock your doors. Know why? More dogs have external allergies than food allergies. The result of overbreeding and being in the wrong climate is what is wrong with most peoples' pets. Sun sensitivity, grass and pollen allergies, fabric irritation, chemical reactions with your house cleaners and detergents are more likely to cause your dog to itch uncontrollably, scratch their runny eyes, or make them lose their fur than a food allergy. Your vet can't help you if you won't do an allergy test. All they can do is tell you that "Corn is bad", or "Stay away from this brand". Without an allergy test, you will never know. So many chemicals and grains are used across that board, in all dog foods that it's impossible to figure it out on your own, unless you are willing to make your own dog food.

The difference between holistic and organic.
Organic means certified. It means that the components of your dog food were raised and slaughtered in a certain way. Here's the catch. You can have organic by-products. You can have organic chicken sphincters. You can have organic wheat chaff. Just saying that something is organic does not mean it will necessarily be good for you. That being said, Blue Buffalo and Organix are both sealed with the Blue Ribbon for being organic. I don't have a problem with either, though I've been told by several clients that their dogs don't particularly care for the wellness pieces in Blue.
Holistic is a buzzword. It means the sum of all the parts. We have come to associate it with a full meal, each part to the benefit of the others. As far as nutrition is concerned, it is meaningless. It buys into the consumer mindset of a "balanced diet". Foods such as Ultra and Solid Gold use it. It appeals to a person's sense of what's yummy. "Oh look! It has cranberries and blueberries and sunflower seeds and and lettuce and deboned chicken breasts!". Sure, all of these things might be appealing to your dog to (especially if you have as many hoovers as I do), but are they at all necessary to HIS balanced diet? The next step is Beneful, that likes to tout it's "Human Grade Ingredients". The sad truth? (they really are).

On that note, all I can hope for the people who are outraged by the presence of corn syrup in the treats, is that you put as much effort into examining your own people treats. A cookie is a cookie.

In all, I have been very happy with Bil-Jac. I have twelve pups, ranging from German Shepherds to Pembrokes, and they've all done exceptionally well with it. Shedding is decreased, muscles are lean, attitudes are improved.

For the people who've had negative reactions in their pets, vomiting and the like. I hope you didn't go by the feeding guide. On any premium food, the feeding guide is what is recommended for maybe a starving shelter dog or stray. No healthy animal should eat that much. A client of mine who also feeds Bil-Jac has a 175lb Irish wolfhound rescue who eats maybe six cups a day. My largest German Shepherd who tops out around 130lb, eats only three cups a day. They DO NOT NEED much Bil-Jac.

For the people who are outraged at the BHA or BHT, consider this.... other premium foods that do not have any preservatives, are preserved by the way they are cooked. The heat compression technique used to make a kibble makes a near indigestible food product. Take a handful of whatever kibble you use and put it in a full glass of water, see how long it takes to break down. Heck, go ahead and stir it to speed up the process. You know what happens when you put Bil-Jac in water? It dissolves. It's THAT MUCH easier for your dog to digest (which is part of the reason you feed them less). So go ahead, take your preservative free kibble, I'll feed my dogs something that wasn't meant to last several decades.

It does not matter what the food is, if the dog won't eat it it, it is worthless. Bil Jac is the only brand that I have found that all 5 of my dogs (Great Pyrennes, Hound, Golden Retriever, Spaniel, Beagle) will eat consistently. They seem to be doing well after 2 years on this diet and there have been no unusual problems and no events that my vet attributes to food. My vet does say that getting the dog off people food, which was the only thing they would eat consistently prior to Bil Jac, is definitely a good thing.

Having said that, I am appalled at the ignorance of the "if its not natural don't eat it" group and the lack of common sense (obviously an oxymoron) displayed. One poster in particular, seems to have a thing about propylene glycol. He describes his experience with propylene glycol as an aircraft deicer. Yes, it is used for that purpose, simply because it lowers the freezing point of water (melts ice). It is also used for that purpose in the manufacture of some ice cream brands. This poster also states, with obvious horror dripping from his words, "It has a MSDS published on it", with the unspoken implication that anything that has a MSDS publised on it should never be in dog food. Yes, there is a MSDS published on propylene glycol, but following this string of logic, dogs as well as humans are not long for this world, because good old water, yep, H20, has a MSDS published on it. Check out Chemical Abstract Number 7732-18-5 in an online MSDS search and there it will be. The fact is that an MSDS being available says absolutely nothing about whether a material is inherently hazardous in any way.

I have not checked out this poster's claim as to the applicability of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, but given the logic displayed elsewhere in the posting, I would consider this claim to be highly suspect.

So, folks, get your information from a reliable source and weigh what you find on the scales of logic, reason and knowledge and not knee-jerk hysteria.

I have 12 toy poodles of different ages and this is the only dog food they LOVE. Everyone of them. Also it is a smaller thinner kibble so easier to chew especially great for the tiny dogs. Mine range from 4 -12 lbs. It was recommended by a Scientist doing research on dog food who was buying it for his dog at Petsmart. They have been on this food for years. Their eyes are bright, coats are thick and shiny.

Our vet visits are for example, emergencies like: a. One little guy who was attacked by his mom when very young had brain damage and we almost lost him. The vet said he would never be able to walk straight or to jump up again. Ha! He walks, runs and jumps up on my bed. B. One got hold of a poisoned field mouse (NEVER use mouse poison. I don't but my neighbor did) after a 4,000 vet bill she recovered.The vet said so many pets each week are lost to mouse poisoning. c. One dog got parvo even though she had her shots. That was a 6,000 bill d. a couple keep eating grass and sometimes it goes up their noses from the throat and gets infected. They sneeeze and sneeze and sneeze and usually it comes out enough so i can pull it out. If not, the vet does it. (be careful with grass eating with small dogs) . I never give them rawhide chewies only the soft petite greenies. One nearly choked to death on a rawhide chewy. No balls either as they can choke a dog. Ask Oprah. Other than accidents and emergencies my dogs are healthy. Bil Jac does not make them sick. Sorry, I know this is a little off subject but if it saves one dogs life it will be worth it.

One note. I was out of Bil Jac and purchased another well known brand rather than drive out of the way to get the Bil Jac that day as I didn't feel well. The dogs didnl't like the food and most of the dogs acted kind of funny and had digestive problems and some threw up but one of my dear 3 year old silver boy actually got so sick he died. It was all so quick. The others were OK. Then I found out the food was one that was recalled which had killed many dogs. Bil Jac was not included in that recall. I trust them. I felt so terrible and still miss him so much. I will always drive the extra miles to get the Bil Jac after that.

I have had to buy other foods in a pinch and they are so hard my dogs do not like them and will go hungry. They act like it hurts their little teeth to chew them. Bil Jac is so much easier for them to chew as it crumbles easier and is not so hard. Sometimes I pour a little water over it for variety.

I have tried many of the more expensive canned dog foods off and on but the only one that does not give them "the runs" is science diet.

I personally believe in the grazing system whereas I leave a bowl of fresh bil jac and water available at all times. Once they know food is always available they do not over eat, at least mine don't. Overeating and eating too quickly can cause any dog to throw up. This way they just snack off and on during the day. They never get fat that way UNLess it is a male who has been neutered and a couple of mine have gotten overweight, but only after the surgery not before.

It is extremely rare for any of my dogs to throw up and that has been usually when we have given them table snacks. Their BM's are firm not runny, and remember I have 12 of them! They rarely get constipated either. Our vet visits are very rare. Dogs are healthy.

I highly recommend Bil Jac. I am surprised at the negative reviews. I have had great success with it. I agree with the one person who said how important it is the way the food is cooked and Bil Jac does it right. Please do adequate and complete research before knocking it.

Blessings!

Best food EVER!

We just bought this product tonight recommended by a woman that worked at PET-SMART...BIG MISTAKE.We feed about a cup of it to our Boston Terrier. We even did the test that the woman recommend, by having a bowel of her regular food and a bowl of the the bil jac side by side to see which one she would it. I should have known that with any new smelling food our dog would eat that instead of the regular food she always eats. I have to say that she killed the bowl of food within about a minute or so. However 3-4 hours later she began to THROW IT UP!!!! I AM SO ANGRY after reading the ingredients and finding all of the BY-Products in a "world famous" dog food..WE will NEVER EVER BUY BIJ -JAC or any products from that company again...I don't care if there is a adjustment period. THINK if it this way, if you wanted to become healthier would you eat food that made you throw it back up in the process?

Bil-Jac's frozen dogfood has by-products and corn and molasses and cereal fines??? in the top ingredients listed. I had tried this frozen dog food (before I knew better) and only gave it my pup as a treat to put in her kong toy. She ate the stuff but then later in the night she woke me up hacking and she had thrown it up and continued to cough and hack for a while afterwards. She finally felt better and went back to sleep. The next day I gave her one piece of it and she refused to eat it. Its like she knew this stuff was no good. I just threw it away. I dont even know why I tried the stuff. I have her on Innova large breed puppy now, which she does very well on and has had no issues whatsoever and it certainly has none of those terrible and downright wrong ingredients for a dog in it.

People, please check the label when you are out shopping and read what is in this dog food! Corn in dog food has led to numerous problems with ear infections, digestion problems, hair and skin problems, kidney and liver problems, etc. It also has high fructose corn syrup included? Yikes! Wanna risk all these potential problems with your dog? I don't. He'd never eat this food!

We currently have an 8yr Lab Maxx, 5yr old Pit Linus and 2yr old Pit Theo. My parents also have a 17yr old Beagle, LaVerne. All eat Bil-Jac everyday. All are rescues from our local shelter. I agree that, like people, not all dogs thrive on all foods-regardless of prices, ingredients, or cooking method. Over the years our dogs have come down with all manner of strange ailments and issues requiring vet care. Everytime we are asked by our wholistic, ancupuncturist vet about food, I reply Bil-Jac and he replies that it can't be the food thats the problem....and it never has been! I have used this food to help rehabilitate foster dogs suffering from demodex, of course in conjunction with proper vet care and medication. This food has kept and 8yr old Labrador with knee replacements able to hold his own on our daily walks with the MUCH younger Pit Bulls. Their coats are shiny and smooth. As far as stools go, Maxx gives me 4 well formed nuggets evenly spaced every day since he started on the food 7 years ago. Linus has never had any any digestive issues, other than eating grass! Theo is still a pup by Pit standards and he does have some loose stools here and there, due to the grass and bits of sidewalk concrete he likes to eat NOT his food!!! Bil-Jac is, in my opinion, tops for my dogs. It is properly cooked, uses human grade ingredients that address a dogs natural scavenging diet, and they LOVE it. As far as the preservatives in the food, nothing is perfect. Read the back of the box for everything you fed your jids today...wonder what you are feeding them? I bet there are as many if not More un-pronouncable ingredients in those products than in the dog food. Perspective is easily lost when we discuss a passionate subject as our beloved pets! God Bless all who care enough about the animals to be doing the research to come across this article....

I just purchased Bil-Jac for my German Shepherd Puppy & I was excited to see her finish the entire bowl. Now that looking into this product, and it being highly recommended to me by not only a pet nutritionist, forums, pet & product reviews, and friends who also feed the product to their babies at home, I think I've found it!

50 years in the market NEVER recalled due to imported toxic ingredients. As a Veterinarian with over 20 years experience Bil Jac has my vote. My patients love the treats, they make administering vaccinations and physical exams easier to perform and more enjoyable.

Bil-Jac? Sure, I will give my two cents. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that as someone from within the pet food industry, there is a clear line drawn between natural or holistic foods and other foods.

To begin with, let me say that there are dogs that will do well on any food that a consumer can buy. Bil-Jac, Old Roy, Solid Gold, Eagle Pack or whatever.

There are also dogs that will suffer allergies and severe problems from the very same foods. There really is no "best" or only choice out there. It will depend on the dog and it's the responsibility of each owner to find what is best for their pet based on their research. It's a free market.

Now on to my perspective on Bil-Jac. I would never again buy or feed a product with corn, wheat or say it it. Period. Beyond that, the use of chemical preservatives like BHT is not something I would ever choose. I simply cannot for a moment base my choice on what the current research claims is "safe" and ok. BHT is not a natural preservative, therefore, not an option.

While we are talking about chemicals, by looking at soft treats from Bil-Jac is see Propylene Glycol and High Fructose Corn Syrup. There is no need for these at all nor would I even consider giving these to my pets.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has determined that propylene glycol in or on cat food has not been shown by adequate scientific data to be safe for use. If propylene glycol is used in or on cat food, the food is considered adulterated and in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

The feds can tell me that minor consumption wont hurt you but again, it's not natural and I choose to use products I know are natural.

My first experience with propylene glycol was many years ago as a aircraft ground person for a major air carrier. We know propylene glycol as the de-icing fluid we sprayed on the aircraft. It even has a MSDS published on it.

So is this something I want to feed to my pet or recommend to other pet owners. As for me the answer is NO.

An honest wholesome dog food manufactured by a trusted company. Bil-Jac doesn't pander to the "trendy" set. They don't make special recipes to sell more food or keep up with the Joneses. They do what they do best - a chicken-based pelleted kibble. We've been feeding BilJac exclusively for 15 years - puppy, adult maintenance, performance, pregnancy, nursing, geriatric, etc.

i fed my dobie a red meat after she won't eat any keeble (even the 5 star one). That is super expensive. Just stumbled upon this brand during a visit to my vet, it's not the best according to the review on net but there's something magical inside it, that make my dobie devour 1 full bowl within a minute. i even taste it, yup it taste good. btw i've seen mongreal on rice, vegetable and bone diet for the rest of its life, unvaccine. oh ya its in a rural + forest area and still live up to 10+ years and super healthy.

I must say...WOW!!!! After reading this blog, I feel that people are so uninformed, so naive with what they hear in the media. I have studied under one of the top nutritionists in the United States and studied Biology for years. Sometimes I feel as if people who have dogs and write these things are completely clueless and should not even own a pet. I can name several hundred foods that are terrible for your dogs, including one I find very unfavorable, and has been involved in mass amounts of recalls....Starts with an N, ends in ro.
Anyways, NOT ONE person in here has mentioned cooking processes?!?!?!
Try cooking everything you put in your dinner, such as your meat and salad and vegetables, all at one temperature. Tastes a bit funny? Look burned or undercooked? Everything cooks at different temperatures people. Most dog foods actually use the SAME process....that's right the same, just different ingredients, and guess what? It's all cooked together, whether it be a lot of of meat or grains!
Let's see, with the Bil-Jac food, yes you do have chicken by-products, but does anyone ever read the label and notice it says ORGANS ONLY?!?!? How about wolves, which are the ancestors of the dog, what do they eat FIRST??? How about the ORGANS??? In fact, in the wild the only source of natural Vitamin A is in an animal's LIVER!!!! Go figure, a dog wanting liver....hmmm....I wonder why, maybe because nature is telling them that it's important for that Vitamin!!!!
OK and the second meat is CHICKEN, wow a dog eating meat....unheard of! The point to this one is that Bil-Jac uses more meat than any other dog food! Why??? Because they use a different COOKING PROCESS!!!!! Amazing!! Someone figured it out. Any other food still uses the same process and that machine can handle only so much meat before it would fry itself, whereas a vaccuum drying process doesn't intensify the heat! Why's that important? Well I guess something called heat, light, mositure and pressure are very damaging to proteins and vitamins... 2 of these ( temp and pressure) are used in the extruder process. No excessive heat nor pressure preserves the meat proteins, the vitamins and yes even the fat, which is SO important to the health of a dog's skin and coat Natural fat = good Rendered fat = Bad...imagine that....processed fat bad?? Who'da thunk it?
Yes there is corn, but has anyone ever had a kid that couldn't eat corn, but could eat cornbread? Well probably because heat breaks down those hard to digest grain proteins into a simple to digest carbohydrate. Thus, the dog actually uses the corn for energy....NOT protein...which in protein form does cause a lot of allergy problems! Not because of the food, (only 1% of true food allergies are actually allergies) but because of the way the dog process grain protein. A majority of the immune system is in the intestine and if the dog is working hard to fight off bacteria in the intestine, where's the defense for the rest of the body...??? Makes you wonder huh??
Chicken by-product meal, concerns me a bit, however I have done my research and calling around and found that since it is labeled as organs at the top, it should be the same lower, so ground up liver and hearts???? Hmm, maybe to adjust protein levels?? Sounds about right!
Beet pulp, yes is a plant, but it is very high in the necessary B-vitamins a dog needs, so is yeast...hmmm, sounds like the dog might need it. The rest is vitamins, except for those of you who are concerned about the BHA.
Columbia and Washington Universities have done studies on this chemical (keep in mind it is different than BHT and BPA) and have found no evidence for it to be a carcinogen, in fact in very small amounts, which according to the label looks like it, acts as an antioxidant. In other words, helping against cancer.

Also for those miscellaneous posts. If your dog has gas then STOP feeding your dog so much...more meat= better absorbed= dog doesn't need as much= excess is built up and eliminated. Not hurting the dog, just wasting food and causing gas. Secondly, read the label, the Large Breed formula DOES have glucosamine!! Lastly, if you find I'm praising the food too high, then please do more research and go to more than just one place.

Oh and Vets are probably the worst people to ask about nutrition advice, as my grandpa was a vet and my fiancee will be a vet and both have stated that vet programs did not and still don't require more than one nutrition class if any at all! Please, consult a nutritionist please, for your nutritional needs!

Thank you!

What can I say? I'm no expert. the research I have done is as much as i can do with the internet and a little reading. and keeping in mind that 99 percent of the internet is wikipedia style here say and big corporation funded...i ignored it all and simply asked around.

when i asked around, biljac was the clear winner. not the best stuff on the market but in this economy some of the best bag for the buck.

and my dog loves it. and she does not have an odor, puke, have pschotropic episodes or spontaneously combust when she eats it.

have had this dog since she was a pup and at 13 years old i have NEVER seen her (or any other dog her age) bounce around as much as she is now that shes been on biljac. her mood, coat and temperament have increased 10fold.

I cannot and will not speak for others and their experiences with this product, only my own.
I have 2 friends who are vet techs as well as my fiancee (a former tech at a wildlife refuge) who all have recommended this to me seperately. if you need a decent food and you cannot afford the bigger brands try it out. if it doesnt work for you try something else.

I have never smelt such bad odor! I was so excited about taking the Bil-Jac challange. I tried it for the first time today. The dogs loved it but the gas smell! and that was just from one feeding. I did some research and didn't like what I found. I went back to Petsmart and returned the food and treats for a full refund.

This food is a very poor choice of food to feed.

This website will explain everything to you, and help find a suitable food to feed. I wouldn't choose anything below a 4 star. Do look up which products have had a food recall, as that is the only thing the site has neglected to add since the scare.

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/sho wproduct.php?product=72&cat=all

I feel so bad for all those out there that are not knowledgeable about what a "good" dog food is and should be. I had a friend that was a firm believer in only giving her dogs the very best food. I don't think she read the label as to what was going into her 4 dogs. You see, I use to have a pug who was exclusively fed Bil Jac. She did well on it and her fur was shiny and she seemed very healthy. Yes, I didn't have to worry about the dog food recall a couple of years back, but in today's society, we are told to read labels.........Bil Jac's first four ingredient is: 1. Chicken By-Products, 2. Chicken, 3. CORN, 4. Chicken By-Product MEAL. Now if you do your research and you want to give you dog the very best food, you will know that you will want to stay away from CORN, WHEAT, By-Products, and SOY. So I have switched back to Blue Buffalo again and am actually looking to switch to Life's Abundance.

So it is all up to the individual as to what they want to buy. I would NOT say by any means that this is the BEST dog food out there on the market. For the price of the dog food there are other dog foods that are better for your companion and this stuff. But don't get me wrong, I use to once in my life think that this was the best food for my pug!

Good luck in finding the dog food that works best for your dog.

Bil-Jac has all sorts of by-products, fillers, and BHA and BHT and other crap in it.
I wouldn't feed it to my dogs if it was life time free supply.
For the same amount of money you are paying for Bil-Jac, you can
get much better quality food that uses no-products, no wheat, corn,
no chemical preservatives!

I feed Blue Buffalo Wilderness, my dogs and I are extremely happy
with it!

Bil-Jac gets a low rating on all of the dog food sites mostly because of BHT a known carcinagen. If they just took this one ingredient out i would actually buy it.

BilJac is an ok food, but the large breed formula lacks things these dogs need in their diet, glucosamine being one. Or Bullmasitff developed a case of mange while on this food, and the vet bills were getting expensive to keep it under control. I am not blaming the food for him getting the mange, becaue he may have a predispotition to it. But when we switched to Eagle Pack Holistic, his mange cleared up. Not only that, but his coat is much softer now. I never thought a dog food would do this.

After all of the negativity that I have been reading about Bil Jac Dog Food and the weight gain on your animals I just felt I had to jump in with my opinion.  First of all, Bil Jac is probably one of the best dog foods available, if not the best.  I raise and show dogs and have done so now for 44 years.  In that time I have had the opportunity to try many dog foods.  I started feeding Bil Jac Fresh Frozen in 1968 and I was getting it delivered to my home.  Bil Jac was on a smaller scale then and I was able to learn a lot from the Kellys themselves right down to the people who made the deliveries. In the eighties I opened a full line pet store along with a grooming shop and sold many different brands of dog foods.  They all had their story about why their's was the best.  In the end my choice was Bil Jac.  When Bil Jac first came out with their dry dog food in the mid eighties I was asked if I would raise two litters of show puppies, one on Bil Jac dry puppy food and the other on another brand of my choice.  Bil Jac provided free dog food to me for my pups for this experiment.  After six months there was a definite difference in my two litters.  The Bil Jac puppies had better bodies (muscle tone and feel) and the Bil Jac pups had gorgeous shiny thick coats.  The other pups were still nice but there was a definite difference.  My preference is still the frozen dog food but for those who prefer a dry dog food I recommend Bil Jac as my first choice in dry kibble.  Don't forget, no one who fed Bil Jac lost a dog during the dog food scare a few years ago.  For the person who is having a problem with weight gain, the answer is simple, cut down on what you are feeding.  I had one dog with an autoimmune disease that went up to 80 pounds (she was 55 pounds at her good weight). She was on prednisone for a year and gained a lot of weight.  I brought her back down to 55 pounds feeding Bil Jac frozen. At seven years old she is still eating Bil Jac frozen and is still 55 pounds. Just reduce what you are feeding.  I feed two times a day, dividing the daily total between two meals.  Look at the bag and feed according to what you should be feeding for the weight you want you dog to be (not the weight she is, or you will just keep her overweight). And use a measuring cup. For those of you concerned about bloat and torsion do this little test.  Drop one piece of Bil Jac dry into water and one piece of another dog food into water.  The Bil Jac will break down and the other one will suck up the water and enlarge.  If your dog drinks water after eating the other type of kibble and the kibble sucks up all that water and enlarges you may very well have a bloat problem.   I am very cautious with this as my breed is prone to bloat and tortion.  So far I have been lucky and have not had a problem with this.  Feeding Bil Jac is just one of the precautions I take in preventing bloat and tortion. Follow this link to find out more about bloat and tortion http://www.kifka.com/Elektrik/Bloat.htm#Condition

My GSD suffered from allergy caused skin problems. She failed to respond to a verity of treatments and numerous changes if dog food. When I finally had the blood tests done to determine what she was allergic to. The problem ingredients were rice, wheat, soy, and barley. She refused to eat the venison & potato food given by the vet. So I turned to Bil Jac Senior based on label ingredients. Many dogs have problems with corn but my dog doesn't. She took to Bil Jac immediately. That was 7 years ago. Her skin problems are now rare and caused by inhaled allergens. I now have a healthy, active 12 year old German Shepherd who will continue eating Bil Jac for life.

Read the label! Know what you dog needs. Chicken organs are the parts of the chicken that wolves will seek out first if eating a chicken. I had no fear when the dog food recall was announced. Bil Jac is made from US raised chicken and US grown oatmeal, beets and corn.

As a trainer of service dogs, all tools are valuable.  One of the best is Bil-Jac Liver treats.  My dogs respond to them better than "People Food" treats like hotdogs or cheese as some trainers suggests.  Besides, "People Food" can create a habit of begging for scraps or eating dropped food, this is an absolute no, no with service dogs.  Beside the great response from the dogs for the Bil-Jac product - it does not seem to create the crap and farts that turn people against service dogs.  So, be kind to us all - treat with Bil-Jac.  By the way, I do not use their food - a whole nother story.

I started feeding my 3 year old Papillon Bil-Jac about 4 weeks ago and after every meal she licks and licks and licks and licks - just her nose, or face and sometimes the bowl, but this lasts for quite some time. She never did this before we switched to the Bil-jac. I am going to take the food back to petsmart and go back to IAMS which I had no problems with. She has also increased her water intake and has increased to 3 poops from 2 a day. I guess it just depends on the dog.

Like people all dogs are different... what is good for one may not be good for another. For my Yorkie its the only thing that keeps him happy and his coat pretty. He has had no health problems with it... I also dont give it to him everyday, I do it about 4 times a week, once a day in the morning. I use the frozen kind and hand heat it for about 30 seconds mix it with 2tbls of water and than his dry food and he eats it up! BILJAC is good in my books..

  I've been through Dick Van Patten's, Spot's Stew, Beneful, and Pedigree and all have been failures.  My dog ate Spot's Stew for the longest time, but gave up on it 2 weeks into it.  I loved being able to see and read the ingredient list, but he just didn't take to the food.  I've now moved onto Bil Jac and he definitely started eating it today and seems to like it....not LOVED it or devoured it like other testimonials....but we'll see.   I hope it sticks this time and we'll see in the morning how his body handles it.  If not, I don't know which else to switch to.... 

My dog was use to only eating home-cooked meals. I was having trouble having him change to dog food. When i bought bil jac he loved it just after a few days. it has to b tasty for him to like it this much even after been use to eating regular "human" food.I wouldnt and cant buy anything else.

I just had to rush my 10 yr old lab mix to the vet this morning and from reading the reviews of this Bil Jac dog food, I believe that is what has made him sick. My dog has only been eating this food for a week, but in that time he has completely lost his appetite, has lost 5 lbs, his fur is falling out, has shortness of breath and a tartar build up on his teeth (per the vets observation). Even the vet said she has seen several cases of dogs getting sick from this food and she did NOT recommend feeding this food to my dog anymore. All I was trying to do was feed him something BETTER, and now I believe I may have actually poisoned him!

Perhaps ya'll are reading the label incorrectly, lets start from the beginning.

Chicken By-Products: (includes...liver, heart, bone marrow, and other organs) These are all things wolves would eat if they were having chicken for dinner, minus the feathers of course.
Corn: This isn't your corn on the cob variety, it's corn mesa, true it's a filler, but I've seen other fillers out there that wouldn't go near my dog.
Chicken: Whoa look at that, more chicken, dark/white meat.
Dried Beet Pulp: (Beet pulp is a byproduct left over from the processing of sugar beets, it is sometimes fed to horses and other animals because it is high in energy and fiber,[1] but low in non-structural carbohydrates. -Wikipedia)
Yeast: what else is yeast used for, this dog food does go through a baking process.
Cane Molasses: High iron content.
Yeast: what else is yeast used for, this dog food does go through a baking process.
Egg Product: because eggs are good for a healthy coat
Salt: helps activate the yeast, and only 0.6% of total, hmm, horses, birds, and other animals get salt licks, salt is necessary in most mammals.
Sodium Propionate: to keep your Bil-Jac from growing mold, (thank you)
The rest on this list of ingredients are Vitamins.

I've been feeding my dog, Bil-Jac (Select for 5 years, Senior for 1 year, and now Reduced fat for a month) Yep my dog got fat, not from Bil-Jac, but from a slow metabolism, dog treats, and table scraps.

My dog Montana is Black Lab / Aussie Shepard mix, I've gone through Royal Canin, Specialty Food, Eukanuba, Nutro, Iams, Pedigree, Science Diet and only had vomiting, loose stools, poor coat, etc. Bil-Jac brought my dog back to life, the Vet said, she had very healthy blood for a 10 year old, great teeth and bones, and her coat is very very healthy. My Vet never recommended Bil-Jac, I was referred by an in-store demo and was sold without taking the challenge, food should sink and dissolve not float and expand.

My vet says to keep Montana on Bil-Jac, it's 100% nutritious.

The first ingredient in this food is by-products. Whilst we appreciate that the manufacturer states this comes from organ mea only, it is impossible to ascertain the quality of by-products and these are usually products that are of such low quality as to be rejected for use in the human food chain; or else are those parts that have so little value that they cannot be used elsewhere in the human or pet food industries.

My JRT; Cosmo has been on the puppy dry BilJac for several months and he is doing quite well and I am very happy with the results.

This last review by chinnies is absurd. I never heard of any foods doing this to dogs. You may want to get your dog in for a visit with the doctor.

Yuck... by-products? Cereal? Molasses? Beet pulp? Salt? Why in God's name would anyone feed this to his or her dog(s).. I wouldn't give this to my boy is Bil-Jac paid me... I gave it 2 stars since there is no corn or soy... but lordy, it's a frozen food... why all the preservatives? There are so many different kibbles out there that cost about the same as Bil Jac... yet are SO much better.

Sorry, Vet Student, as a Canine Nutritionist, I got you beat... and we all know the vet is the worst person to get food advice from :-/

When I adopted my year-old shelter dog through a Pet Smart store last Thanksgiving, the Bil-Jac rep was doing a comparison demonstration of Bil-Jac and another commercial dry dog food. I was impressed by the fact that the Bil-Jac pellets actually started to dissolve when they came into contact with moisture while the other dog food acted like a sponge and simply absorbed the moisture and expanded. It didn't take her long to lose that emaciated look, her coat is shiny, and she is full of energy. Although I started her out on the regular variety of Bil-Jac, I've now switched her to the reduced fat brand. She hasn't tried the frozen version yet as I suspect she would enjoy it as much as she does the dry food. To those whose pets have developed problems and who point the finger of blame at the manufacturer, I would say that although they have four legs and a tail that wags, like their owners animals all have their idiosyncrasies. Who can explain why some humans can't tolerate peanuts while others have problems with dairy products. If your pet thrives on Bil-Jac, fine; if not... well, that's why there are so many other choices out there.

Recently we came across the dog food Bil-Jac and it was superior to anything else we have tried. I was given a starter pack from an associate at petsmart after I told her hwo we had spoiled our shih tzu and los aphso with too much human food and treats during the canned food scare about a year ago. We have been trying to get them back on hard food and finally when we tried this after I might mention many others, they went for it like no other food they have ever eaten. Now they have more energy and are back to playing like they used to.

I have been feeding my Australian Shepherd dry Bil-Jac for over 6 months now. He loves it! And his coat, muscle structure and stamina are incredible! I buy a large bag of Bil-Jac and mix in a small bag of Nutro for variety. I just adopted a new dog and she was on Science Diet in the shelter so the Humane Society sold me a bag of the food she's been eating for a dollar to gradually wean to the food she would be eating at her new home but when I tried to give her the Science Diet with just a little bit of the Bil-Jac/Nutro mix in it all she would do is root around the bowl eating the Bil-Jac and leaving the rest of the food in the bowl.

no one, no one could ever convince me that the organs and by-products are good for anyone or anything. YEK! Save your money and to the rendering plant and pick up the guts and waste for free.

I am a PetSmart employee and began feeding my dogs Bil-Jac after many of my co-workers persuaded me. After about three weeks on the food I noticed my rott/lab mix began to have skin and coat problems, He began loosing hair rapidly, and had dandruff. I have brushed his teeth every night for his entire life, and much like other people have began to find a build up of tarter on his teeth, which he hasn't shown until the food change. I wouldn't recommend bil-jac food to anyone.

I am a veterinary student and can get Science Diet of any type at a huge discount and am even offered by various prominent companies "free-bee" food offers. I don't have much money with loans and all, but I make the extra effort to purchase bil-jac for my two dogs. Their coats look soooo much better and even the finicky eater finishes his bowl. Anyone out there who doesn't like by-products or the other ingredients in their dog's food doesn't know anything about canine nutrition and is just repeating media garbage. Don't hesitate to buy biljac... I will never change my dogs' food again!

My dog chose the Bil-Jac food when I did the challenge for her!!! She is happier, healthier and at 8 is acting 2. Best change I ever did for my baby.

You people who are negative about Bil-Jac dont know what your talking about. This food is the best you can buy. When I got my cocker pup 2 months ago I did alot of research on what puppy food was NOT involved in the recent pet food recall - Bil-Jac's ingredients are all fresh and purchased in the USA - that was enough to sell me and their processing procedure is unlike any other. My pup is now 18 weeks old and is rock solid, muscular and his fur is so shiney. The first week I had him I had him on Eucanuba crap and he was scratching all the time - that's when my research started and as soon as I switched him to Bil-Jac the scratching stopped. Also the beagle who just one best of show at Westminster was brought up on Bil-Jac - does that tell you anything!

This dog food is awful.

My 10 week old Pomeranian cannot get enough of this food...before I introduced her to it, she was not taking to other foods and I was worried. She is doing great now, has gained weight, and I think the food is playing a huge role in her development. I've also switched my 1 year old Pomeranian to Bil-Jac from Eukanuba. I like what I've heard about the easier digestion and positive affect on the skin and coat.

This is what my dog was originally eating as a puppy. I only used it long enough to make a gradual switch to a different food. I don't like using dog food with corn or by-products. Cane molasses is unnecessary sugar. Also, it uses BHA as a preservative, which some beleive to be a carcinogen.

I have 11 year old Yorkie and put him on Bil Jac about 6 months ago. He loved it. However, he has been gassy and recently developed breathing problems. I took him to the vet and had a chest X-ray. His liver and spleen were found to be enlarged suggesting cancer. I had an ultrasound done on the liver and spleen and no mass was found. After more tests it was believed he was having an allergic reaction to something. Apparently an allergy can cause the liver and spleen to become enlarged. When I learned this, I remembered I had changed his food to Bil Jac about six months earlier. I immediately changed him back to his original food, Royal Canine. The breathing problems cleared up in a few days and the gas went away immediately. After reviewing this blog, I can also confirm my dog too has also experienced a build up of tarter on his teeth. I have always had his teeth cleaned annually and just recently has his teeth really gotten a heavy build up. We also have a 2 year old poodle which was on Bil Jac as well. He too loved the food. He didn't develop any breathing problems, but he did have gas and a bad tarter build up on his teeth. I would suggest you find something other than Bil Jac for your dog. markallenthompson@gmail.com