Bil-Jac Dog Food Review 2024

Bil-Jac dog food offers a wide range to suit pups during all life stages and has options formulated for specific needs. Frozen, wet and dry food is all available alongside treats and supplements, too.

Bil-Jac was among the first dog food brands to offer meat as a main ingredient and to slow-cook their dry food to preserve the nutrients — something they still, of course, do today. 

Across a range of treats you’ll find America's VetDog treats which, as well as being super tasty for your pup, support America’s military heroes and first responders with disabilities. 

Read on to find out more about Bil-Jac and see if this is the dog food range for your pup — and if so, which product best suits their needs. 

Bil-Jac was founded with the launch of their first product, frozen dog food, before adding their dry dog food — both of which they still produce today. Added to the range is canned food, treats and supplements. 

Bil-Jac dry dog food

The dry dog food range caters for all, from the Bil-Jac large breed puppy food to the Bil-Jac senior dog food — and everything in between. 

What we really like about the dry food range is that the first ingredient is real meat. The chicken is fresh, locally sourced and farm-raised. You should be aware, however, that the second ingredient is chicken by-product, although this is organs only. 

As well as high-quality protein there are canine-specific probiotics to support their immune system and healthy digestion as well as naturally sourced Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, for healthy skin and coat. 

While there’s only one flavor of dry food, there is a huge amount of variety and something to suit dogs during all life stages, including ‘Skin and Stomach Support’ and ‘Digestion and Immune Support.’ 

• Bil-Jac Puppy Select Chicken Recipe Dry Dog Food
• Bil-Jac Small Breed Puppy Chicken, Oatmeal & Yam Recipe Dry Dog Food
• Bil-Jac Large Breed Puppy Chicken Recipe Dry Dog Food
• Bil-Jac Adult Select Chicken Recipe Dry Dog Food
• Bil-Jac Small Breed Adult Chicken, Oatmeal & Yams Recipe Dry Dog Food
• Bil-Jac Large Breed Adult Chicken Recipe Dry Dog Food
• Bil-Jac Sensitive Solutions Skin & Stomach Support Chicken & Whitefish Recipe Dry Dog Food
• Bil-Jac Sensitive Solutions Digestion & Immune Support Chicken & Whitefish Recipe Dry Dog Food
• Bil-Jac Picky No More All-Breed Puppy Chicken Liver Recipe Dry Dog Food
• Bil-Jac Picky No More Small Breed Chicken Liver Recipe Dry Dog Food
• Bil-Jac Picky No More Medium & Large Breed Chicken Liver Recipe Dry Dog Food
• Bil-Jac Reduced Fat Chicken Recipe Dry Dog Food
• Bil-Jac Senior Select Chicken & Oatmeal Recipe Dry Dog Food
• Bil-Jac Small Breed Senior Chicken, Oatmeal & Yam Recipe Dry Dog Food

Bil-Jac wet dog food

Just like with the dry food range, meat is the first ingredient for the majority of this wet food. A few of them do have meat broth as the first ingredient though and meat as the second ingredient. 

Unlike the dry food, you have much more variety when it comes to flavors. Alongside chicken there’s also beef, duck, lamb and turkey. The wet food is grain free and gluten free — something to be aware of. 

This wet food is a complete and balanced meal on its own or can be used as a topper for the dry food.  

• Bil-Jac Pate Platters with Beef & Sweet Potatoes Canned Dog Food
• Bil-Jac Pate Platters with Chicken & Vegetables Canned Dog Food
• Bil-Jac Pate Platters with Duck & Pumpkin Canned Dog Food
• Bil-Jac Pate Platters with Chicken & Cheese Canned Dog Food
• Picky No More Pâté with Chicken & Chicken Liver
• Picky No More Pâté with Chicken Liver & Beef
• Country Stew with Lamb & Beef
• Chunky Stew with Chicken & Vegetables
• Harvest Feast with Turkey & Sweet Potatoes in Gravy
• Hearty Stew with Beef & Barley

Bil-Jac frozen dog food

There are two products in the frozen range — dog food and dog treats. The food is made with gently-cooked, fresh, chicken as well as probiotics and prebiotics. The tasty treats are made with real yogurt.

• Bil-Jac Frozen 
• Cool Jac’s Dog Treats 

Bil-Jac dog treats 

As well as dog food, Bil-Jac also has a range of dog treats. These come in various tasty flavors and include reduced fat and grain-free options.

• Bil-Jac Original Recipe with Liver Soft Dog Treats
• Bil-Jac Little-Jacs Small Dog Chicken Liver Training Dog Treats
• Bil-Jac Breakfast Jacs Egg & Cheese Flavor Dog Treats
• Bil-Jac PBnanas Peanut Butter & Banana Flavor Soft Dog Treats
• Bil-Jac YappleNanas Apple & Banana Flavor Soft Dog Treats
• Bil-Jac Dessert Jacs Pumpkin Flavored Dog Treats
• Bil-Jac Little Gooberlicious Peanut Butter Flavor Soft Dog Treats
• Bil-Jac Gooberlicious Peanut Butter Flavor Soft Dog Treats
• Bil-Jac Chicken & Sweet Potato Grain-Free Training Dog Treats
• Bil-Jac Low-Fat SlimJacs Slow-Cooked Dog Treats
• Bil-Jac Smart-Jacs Digestive Support Dog Treats
• Bil-Jac Smart-Jacs Skin & Coat Support Dog Treats 
• Bil-Jac Small & Medium Dog Biscuits 
• Bil-Jac Large Dog Biscuits 

America's VetDogs treats

As well as their regular dog treats, there are two America's VetDog treats. Also slow-cooked and made with real chicken, but with a portion of each sale being donated to support the cost of training and providing service dogs to military heroes. 

• Bil-Jac America's VetDogs Skin & Coat Dog Treats
• Bil-Jac America's VetDogs Training Treats - Peanut Butter Flavor 

There is plenty to like about Bil-Jac dog food. Here’s a few of the top reasons we heartily recommend it.

Meat is the first ingredient

Not only do we like that meat comes first in the Bil-Jac dog food ingredients list, it’s how fresh it is and the amount used. A whopping 25 lbs of fresh chicken is used to make a 30 lb. bag of Bil-Jac Adult Select. The food is simmered in its own juices which only adds to the flavor and makes it extra tasty for our pups. The amount of fresh meat used means there’s also no added fat, fillers, or taste enhancers. What the fresh ingredients are enhanced by is vitamins and minerals. 

Slow-cooked to increase the nutrients 

Most dry dog food will lose key nutrients due to the speed and high temperature that it’s cooked at. Bil-Jac uses a Nutri-Lock cooking method. This means that small batches are slow-cooked and then gently dried so they retain all the nutrients. 

A wide range to choose from 

There’s a wide range of dog food and treats to choose from — including wet, dry and frozen food. Chicken is, of course, a key ingredient in Bil-Jac dog food but there are also other flavors such as duck, beef, turkey and lamb in the wet food range. Across the range you’ll also find food for all life stages from puppies to seniors and small breeds to large breeds. Plus, there’s food specifically formulated for specific needs such as digestive support. There’s even a ‘Picky No More’ range designed for the pickiest of pups. If that’s not enough, alongside the dog food and treats they have supplements including a probiotic food spray. 

There are a few things you should be aware of and consider before deciding whether this is the right food for your pup.

The recipes include BHA

Bil-Jac recipes include BHA, a chemical preservative, which is a controversial ingredient as it’s been linked to cause cancer. It’s used as it extends the shelf life of the food. Although it’s in many popular dog foods, it’s considered risky. However, it’s allowed to be used in pet food as in low doses it’s considered safe. The concern is, dogs are being fed this food day after day which increases their exposure to it and therefore can increase the risks.

Not suitable for dogs with a poultry allergy 

All of the Bil-Jac recipes are chicken-based with the majority having a high amount of chicken as the main ingredient. Whether your dog simply doesn’t like poultry or has an allergy to it, you won’t find any food in this range that is suitable for them. You should also be aware that some recipes do contain chicken by-products. 

Frozen food isn’t as easy to get hold of 

If it’s the frozen food you’ve got your eye on for your four-legged friend, you should be aware that it is not as easy to get hold of as the dry food. When they did buy it, some pet parents have said that the food thawed during delivery. Once refrigerated this food must be used in the next 10 days. 

“Our dog is a Schnoodle. She has the "hard-headedness" of the Schnauzer, the "picky tastes" of the Poodle and she is adamant that BilJac Adult Select Formula dry food is the ONLY food or snack worthy of being served to her. She literally ignores all others. A visitor with a reputation as a "wet food only" eater, readily accepted the BilJac in preference to his usual "wet food".”

“We’ve had our dog for 5 months and he’s had chronic diarrhea the whole time. We have cleaned the carpets 3 times since then. We’ve spent so much money in vet visits, antibiotics, probiotics, blood work, X-rays, prescription diets and expensive non- prescription diets, sensitive stomach diets, and no answers from the vet. Everything came back normal. We were thinking anxiety. So I went broke trying jackets, calming collars, sprays, CDB oil… no help. There was a (Bil Jac) rep in my local pet store who talked me into trying a small bag of this kibble. I was reluctant to try, but had nothing to lose. I opened the bag and was weirded out by the shape of the kibble. It looks like the pellets/sticks you feed turtles in a pond. But I gave it to my dog and he inhaled it! One week later… no diarrhea. I am shocked!! And so thankful! I realize this (like any other food) won’t work for all dogs. There’s no one size fits all. But I would encourage anyone to at least give it a try!!!”

Read more Bil-Jac dog food reviews on Chewy.

Bill and Jack Kelly grew up on a farm which gave them a passion for animals from a young age. They were called up to serve in World War II which is where Bill found the bomb-sniffing German Shepherds at his base were undernourished. He set about creating nutritious food for them using ingredients, including fresh meat, sent over by his dad. 

After the war he wanted to continue helping dogs. At this time, the protein in dog food was gluten or vegetable-based and he worked to create a recipe with the best combination of ingredients that protected the key nutrients. 

In the 1980s, Bil-Jac introduced their dry dog food using an innovative slow-cooking method that meant the food didn’t lose its nutritional value.  

Today, Bil-Jac is still a family-owned company, with Bill’s son Bob taking over the business. They continue to be dedicated to creating food with the highest quality nutrition by using high-quality, fresh ingredients and gently cooking them. 

There has only been one Bil-Jac dog food recall,back in 2012.It was due to possible contamination with mold, and was only relevant for the 6 lb package of Bil-Jac Adult Select Formula dry dog food with the lot code 1792-02 and a Best By date of 27 December 2013.