Rating: 
Bil Jac Dog Food Reduced Fat receives the Advisor’s lowest rating of one star.
Currently, the Bil Jac Dog Food product line includes one reduced fat kibble… designed as a “lite” product to aid in canine weight management.1
Bil Jac Reduced Fat
Dry Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Fresh chicken by-products (organ meat only), corn, fresh chicken, dried beet pulp, fresh chicken liver, brewers dried yeast, cane molasses, eggs, salt, sodium propionate (a preservative), dl-methionine, l-lysine, 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 C), vitamin B12 supplement, d-calcium pantothenate, manganous oxide, inositol, BHA (a preservative), ferrous sulfate, copper sulfate, zinc oxide, cobalt carbonate, potassium iodine, sodium selenite
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 5.7%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
The first item in this dog food is chicken by-products… what’s left of a slaughtered chicken after all the good cuts have been removed.
In most cases, chicken by-products are considered those unsavory leftovers of slaughter deemed “unfit for human consumption”.
However, here the manufacturer specifies “organ meat only”… which makes this item something more edible… and better described as chicken giblets.
Just the same, raw meat contains about 80% water. After cooking, most of that moisture is lost… reducing meat content to just 20% of its original weight.
That’s what makes any uncooked meat a much smaller contributor to the overall protein content of a dry dog food than its equivalent and comparable meat meal.
To reflect its lighter mass, this item should more properly be moved to a lower position on the list.
Which brings us to corn… the next and (most likely) the dominant ingredient in this dog food. Now, contrary to what you may have heard, corn isn’t necessarily a bad ingredient.
On the other hand, although there’s no way to know for sure here, the corn used in making many pet foods can be similar to the kind used to make feed for livestock.
And that can sometimes be problematic.
What’s more, corn is commonly linked to canine food allergies2.
For these reasons, we rarely consider corn a preferred component in any dog food.
The third item lists chicken… another “raw” meat ingredient. This is obviously a better quality component than chicken by-products.
However, once again, this item is inclusive of water and is subject to the same drying effects of cooking.
Because of its lighter after-cooking mass, this item should also be positioned lower on the list.
The fourth item lists dried 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.
Normally, we find the inclusion of beet pulp in reasonable amounts to be entirely acceptable. But at position number four on the list, this item not only dilutes the calories but also serves as a means for reducing meat content. This is just a cheap filler.
The fifth ingredient is chicken liver. This is an organ meat sourced from a named animal. So long as it’s not over-weighted in a dog food, chicken liver is a beneficial component.
We also note the ingredients list includes molasses… a sweetener containing a high percentage of sugar. We find it odd that a weight control dog food would contain this controversial Red Flag item.
This dog food contains eggs… a desirable addition. Eggs are easy to digest and have an exceptionally high biological value.
Also, 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 to make matters worse, this food is preserved with BHA… a suspected cancer-causing agent.
Bil Jac Reduced Fat Dog Food… the Bottom Line
This Bil Jac Reduced Fat Dog Food doesn’t present much in the way of ingredient quality to boast about.
Just the same, the protein-fat-carbohydrate numbers can still help reveal much about overall product value.
The dashboard reports a dry matter protein reading of 19%, a fat level of 11% and an estimated carbohydrate content of 61%.
Very low protein. Low fat. And above-average carbohydrates (an unfavorable feature)… compared to a typical kibble.
This Bil Jac Reduced Fat Dog Food isn’t just “lite” on calories… it’s apparently light on the meat, too.
Bottom line?
Bil Jac Reduced Fat Dog Food is primarily a corn-based dry kibble using chicken by-products as its main source of animal protein.
This, combined with an abundance of critical Red Flag items, work together to earn the brand a disappointing one-star rating.
Not recommended.
Some Final Thoughts
Remember, no dog food can possibly be appropriate for every life stage, lifestyle or health condition. So, choose wisely. And when in doubt consult your veterinarian for help.
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Notes and Updates
02/20/2010 Original review
07/10/2010 Review updated
- Bil Jac, 2/20/2010 ↩
- White, S., Update on food allergy in the dog and cat, World Small Animal Veterinary Association, Vancouver, 2001 ↩
