Bil-Jac Reduced Fat Dog Food Review (Dry)

Mike Sagman  Karan French

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Mike Sagman
Mike Sagman

Mike Sagman

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Dr Mike Sagman is the creator of the Dog Food Advisor. He founded the website in 2008, after his unquestioning trust in commercial dog food led to the tragic death of his dog Penny.

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Karan French
Karan French

Karan French

Senior Researcher

Karan is a senior researcher at the Dog Food Advisor, working closely with our in-house pet nutritionist, Laura Ward, to give pet parents all the information they need to find the best food for their dog.

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Updated: May 1, 2024

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Laura Ward

Laura Ward

Pet Nutritionist

Laura studied BSc (Hons) Animal Science with an accreditation in Nutrition at the University of Nottingham, before working for eight years in the pet food and nutrition industry.

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Unrated

This Review Has Been Merged with
Bil-Jac Dry Dog Food

Bil-Jac Reduced Fat earns the Advisor’s lowest rating of 1.5 stars.

The Bil-Jac product line includes one reduced fat dry dog food.

However, since we’re unable to locate AAFCO nutritional adequacy statements for these dog foods on the Bil-Jac website, it’s impossible for us to report specific life stage recommendations for these recipes.

Bil Jac Reduced Fat

Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content

18.9%

Protein

13.9%

Fat

59.2%

CarbsCarbohydrates

Chicken by-products (organs only, source of arginine), corn meal, chicken, oatmeal, dried beet pulp, brewers dried yeast, flaxseed, dl-methionine, l-lysine, sodium propionate and mixed tocopherols (preservatives), vitamin A acetate, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin E supplement, riboflavin supplement, niacin, biotin, choline chloride, folic acid, thiamine mononitrate, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), ascorbic acid, vitamin B12 supplement, d-calcium pantothenate, manganous oxide, inositol, BHA (a preservative), ferrous sulfate, copper sulfate, zinc oxide, cobalt carbonate, potassium iodide, sodium selenite, rosemary extract


Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 5%

Red denotes any controversial items

Estimated Nutrient Content
Method Protein Fat Carbs
Guaranteed Analysis 17% 13% NA
Dry Matter Basis 19% 14% 59%
Calorie Weighted Basis 17% 30% 53%

The first ingredient in this dog food is chicken by-products, what’s left of a slaughtered chicken after all the good cuts have been removed.

However, here the manufacturer specifies “organ meat only” which makes this item something more desirable, and better described as chicken giblets.

What’s more, raw meat contains about 80% water. After cooking, most of that moisture is lost, reducing the meat to just a fraction of its original weight.

After processing, this item would probably account for a smaller part of the total content of the finished product.

The second ingredient is cornmeal, a coarsely ground flour made from dried corn. Corn is an inexpensive and controversial cereal grain of only modest nutritional value to a dog.

For this reason, we do not consider corn a preferred component in any dog food.

The third ingredient is chicken, another “raw meat ingredient”. Although it is a quality item, raw chicken contains about 80% water. After cooking, most of that moisture is lost, reducing the meat content to just a fraction of its original weight.

After processing, this item would probably account for a smaller part of the total content of the finished product.

The fourth ingredient is oatmeal, a whole-grain product made from coarsely ground oats. Oatmeal is naturally rich in B-vitamins, dietary fiber and is also (unlike many other grains) gluten-free.

The fifth item is beet pulp. Beet pulp is a controversial ingredient, a high fiber by-product of sugar beet processing.

Some denounce beet pulp as an inexpensive filler while others cite its outstanding intestinal health and blood sugar benefits.

We only call your attention here to the controversy and believe the inclusion of beet pulp in reasonable amounts in most dog foods is entirely acceptable.

The sixth ingredient is brewers dried yeast. Brewers yeast can be a controversial item. Although it’s a by-product of the beer making process, this ingredient contains about 45% protein and is rich in other healthy nutrients.

Fans believe yeast repels fleas and supports the immune system.

Critics argue yeast ingredients can be linked to allergies. This may be true, but (like all allergies) only if your particular dog is allergic to the yeast itself.

What’s more, a vocal minority insists yeast can increase the risk of developing the life-threatening condition known as bloat. However, this is something we’ve not been able to scientifically verify.

In any case, unless your dog is specifically allergic to it, yeast can still be considered a nutritious additive.

The seventh ingredient is flaxseed, one of the best plant sources of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Provided they’ve first been ground into a meal, flax seeds are also rich in soluble fiber.

From here, the list goes on to include a number of other items.

But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of this product.

With three notable exceptions

First, we find no mention of probiotics, friendly bacteria applied to the surface of the kibble after processing.

Next, the minerals listed here do not appear to be chelated. And that can make them more difficult to absorb. Non-chelated minerals are usually associated with lower quality dog foods.

And lastly, this food is preserved with BHA, a suspected cancer-causing agent.

Bil-Jac Reduced Fat Dog Food Review

Judging by its ingredients alone, Bil-Jac Reduced Fat Dog Food looks to be a below-average dry product.

But ingredient quality by itself cannot tell the whole story. We still need to estimate the product’s meat content before determining a final rating.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 19%, a fat level of 14% and estimated carbohydrates of about 59%.

And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 74%.

Below-average protein. Below-average fat. And above-average carbs when compared to a typical dry dog food.

Free of any plant-based protein boosters, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing a limited amount of meat.

Bottom line?

Bil-Jac Reduced Fat is a plant-based kibble using a limited amount of chicken by-products as its main source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 1.5 stars.

Not recommended.

Other spellings: Biljac, Bil-Jac

Notes and Updates

02/20/2010 Original review
07/10/2010 Review updated
09/25/2010 Review updated (new recipe)
12/17/2010 Review updated
04/11/2012 Review updated
10/12/2013 Review merged

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