Bil-Jac for puppy?

[Alli]

All right, I give. I keep reading good things about Bil-Jac and I was impressed by their web site. I'm going to put my husky on it, because she cannot seem to gain weight and has diarhhea frequently on her current food. But what about my Dane puppy? She's five months old and currently eating Nutro Natural Choice lamb and rice. Her coat is very shiny and she's in good health but a little too skinny, I think. I know Dane pups should be on the thin side but you can see her ribs and I'd like to "pad" her just a bit more. But I saw that the Bil-Jac select is 28% protein....suggestions?

[isaacs mom]

No answers for you, I just have the exact same questions! My almost-5-month-old Dane puppy is also on Nutro Natural Lamb and Rice, but his stools seem a bit bulky and soft. (sorry--I know that's gross!) I am awaiting my Bil-Jac sample (there'a a place on their web site where you can request a sample to do the Bil-Jac challenge) but I also want to hear what experienced users of this product have to say about it. I've heard good things about the Bil-Jac frozen product; are the plain ol' crunchies just as good? Who feeds and likes Bil-Jac? What do you like more about it compared to Nutro products? Thanks for your help- you've got a listening audience!

[Alli]

Another five month old Dane? Ooooh, oooh, oooh! :) What color is he? You didn't by chance get him through the litterbox on this site, did you? We got Violet (black) here and I am hoping to track down her littermates so we can keep in touch.

Anyway, I bought a bag of Bil-Jac select tonight and I am going to try mixing it in with their current food. Of course, as luck would have it, I decided I wanted to switch them right after we bought two forty pound bags of Nutro, so we've got to finish those before they start eating Bil-Jac exclusively, but I plan to mix a little in each day from now on and go to that entirely if they like it.

[isaacs mom]

I've got a little fawn, from an all-fawn litter. Sorry. That would have been fun to find out we were related! :-)

[Chrissy and Oliver]

I just started to mix Bil-Jac in with my nine month old's food. He has been eating Nutro Natural Lamb and Rice and also had soft and Bulky stool. I haven't noticed a difference yet, but it has only been a week. Should be another week or so until he's totally on Bil-Jac. Make sure you read what JPY said on another Bil-Jac post about mixing the select and low fat bags of food very well. The protein in the Select is much too high for a five month old and the low fat mixed in will make the percentages correct. I have a big silver trash can that I lined with a heavy duty bag and mixed up the two bags of food. He is eating a little less now that I've added the Bil-Jac. He was eating eight cups a day of the Nutro, and he's down to six or seven with half Bil-Jac. His coat is already a bit shinier as well- not so many dry flakes. Could be the weather- could be the Bil-Jac. I'll post in a few weeks with an update.

[jpy]

Dane people who feed BIL-JAC to puppies do one of two things:
(1) Buy BILJAC *SENIOR* for the puppies or
(2) Buy Select & Reduced Fat & mix them 50/50.

[isaacs mom]

So, JP, what do YOU recommend? Should I get senior or select and low-cal? What do you like about Bil-Jac over Nutro or any other commercial dry food? As an amatuer Dane person, I would like your opinion on this product. I just got my Bil-Jac sample in the mail and Isaac does indeed prefer it. He is doing his impression of a pointer to beg me for more of it. He will do all the tricks he knows for another handful of Bil-Jac. I'm convinced he likes it more, and I'd feel like a jerk if I didn't give in to him on this!

[jpy]

I don't recommend feeding procedures for other peoples puppies & I don't recommmend specific food (by brand). I don't feel at all qualified to do so. I follow the general recommendations that are out there. The *generaL* recommendation of accumulated "dane expert" experience is to buy a nationally recognized product from a stable company. A food that is meat-based, 21-23 protein, 10-12 fat, with moderate levels of Ca & P. A food that you can get fresh & a company you regularly depend upon. BILJAC certainly would not only fit this recommendation (in either form used), as would several other popular foods such as Eagle, Innova, etc. I use BILJAC myself as (for one reason) the quality control for this product is head & shoulders above so many others which means what is SAYS on the side of the bag is always what is IN the bag itself. It's also an old established company that lives by word of mouth recommendations & does not spend it's time & effort on advertising. That appeals to me too. I raise my pups on a 50/50 mix of Select & Reduced Fat for the first year. I wish I could get the fresh frozen where I live but cannot, although several dogs of my breeding eat it. I couldn't say what you should do with yours except to consult with the puppy's breeder before making any changes in diet. This is really an important point :) as it would irritate me to no end if some total stranger :( on the internet was telling my puppy buyers how to raise the dogs I bred, so I want to give the same respect back to other breeders that I would expect from them! I'm sure your breeder will have good advice for you, & if you don't have such a properly supportive breeder, then, well, I'd think BILJAC would be one very good choice among several suitable options. Good luck with your danebaby.

[isaacs mom]

Thank you for your comments, JP; I am always interested to know what you think about all things Dane, and I'm sure I'm not the only one! :-) You make a good point and are very gracious in deferring to Isaac's breeder for advice, but her "customer service" policies have left me disappointed recently, so I was looking for other, knowledgeable voices.

[JenR]

In your post, you mention that you feed the 50/50 mix for the first year. What do you feed after? I'm searching for a new food for Rufus, my 5-month old because he was having loose stools and worse on the "large breed puppy" brand he was on. I've switched him to Nature's Recipe Working breed for the interim, as that is what Riley, my recently deceased Dane, ate for most of his life. But, Rufus seems starving all the time. He's even tried to break into his food cannister, and has been trying to eat Willow's vegetarian food(she's got severe food allergies and it's the only food that she can comfortably eat). I;ve been considering Bil-Jac, and would feel more comfortable knowing there was a good option for after the first year. Thanks for the informative 50/50 suggestion.

Jennifer

[Alli]

So, would it be okay to keep feeding Violet Nutro (21% protein) mixed with Bil-Jac? That's what we've been doing this week and she seems to really like it. Of course, she'll eat anything, so maybe her opinion shouldn't be counted on this one.... :)

[jpy]

JenR--the nice thing about using a mix of SELECT & REDUCED FAT is you can vary the proportions with the nutritional (i.e. caloric) needs of your dog(s). I'd think for the average pet, there would never be any need to alter the basic 50/50 mix (which works out to 23/12 protein/fat). For the active working dog, pure SELECT might be necessary; for the older, sedentary pet, full REDUCED FAT might be best. And for a puppy who seems to be growing too fast on the 50/50, one could always make it 60/40 or even 70/30, etc. as needed to slow growth (while still always feeding a high quality food). That's one of the benefits of a 2-kibble system like this. regards,jp&the chroma-crew

[jpy]

I'd think if you are mixing *only* SELECT, which is 26-27% protein with a food that is already 21% protein, you'd have too high a protein/calorie level for a Dane pup. SELECT is mixed with REDUCED FAT which is 18/10 (protein/fat) if I remember exactly right. If you are mixing a 50/50 ratio of R.F & SELECT into the Nutro, that should be okay for a transition/switch over to BILJAC (if that's what you are trying to do?).

[jpy]

JenR-what "large breed puppy" food was that? TIA.

[JenR]

It was Eukanuba Large Breed Puppy. Nothing against the large breed foods, just that Rufus didn't do well on it. I bought some Bil-Jac last night, and both dogs went wild for it. I even gave it to my highly allergy prone mix because the website said alot of dogs don't have problems with it...we'll see. Actually, after I bought the food I remembered, my best friend who shows Golden Retrievers in Canada, used to be a rep for Bil-Jac at dog shows..why I never tried it before is beyond me!

Jennifer

P.S. please check out my post under "training/behaviour" I could use some help with a food related issue. Thanks

[MM]

Alli-I am curious about who you got your pup from. I got my first boy from this site as well. I don't want names, can you maybe just mention state?

[Logan]

To the ones of you that are and haved used the BilJac dry dog food. Especially if you just started using it, do your dogs seem to scratch more often. Ours has been on the Bil-Jac Select/Reduced fat for almost 2 weeks now. His skin dosent look dry, but he has started scratching all the time. In one place he made himself bleed. He is also not as interested in the BilJac like he was in the beginning. Probably like a new toy, the new has rubbed off! Natalie

[jpy]

i've fed it for years & never seen this. great coats, skin, etc & i've got harls-a color notorious for senstive & even bad skin & haircoat. it's very possible the two are not related (food & scratching)but in time -- coincidence--it's really TOO SOON for a change in food of two weeks ago to show up as scratching if it's a nutrient problem. best to have the pup's skin looked at if it's itching so much he's mutilating himself? might ask at the vet while you're there about skin allergies & ask the breeder if any history of such....? good luck