Puppy Food - Feeding Bil-Jac Puppy and Royal Canin Puppy - Bad?? - YorkieTalk.com Forums

sunamand · 06-15-2008, 11:33 PM

I'm feeding my 18 week old Darwin a 1/3 cup mixture of Bil-Jac and Royal Canin dry puppy formulations - are these poor quality foods? He also gets a plate of wet pedigree dog food at night, which he loves (is this bad too??) I've read a lot online and the Bil-Jac doesn't seem to get good reviews, and neither does the RC, but this is what he was on at the breeder's, so I just continued the routine when we got him. However, I know from research that Bil-Jac is made in the US, and wasn't part of any recall, so I'm torn, I don't know if it's good or bad.

I know yorkies are prone to dental problems, so I want to minimize the dental issues down the road by feeding the best quality/healthiest dog food now, and cost isn't really an issue b/c he doesn't eat that much. Can anyone recommend any other options? Or are these 2 brands ok to keep him on...I just bought a huge 7 lb bag of Bil-Jac and if it's not good, I want to return it. Also - what about training treats?

yorkiekist · 06-15-2008, 11:43 PM

I know quite a few breeders who feed Bil-Jac and dont have any problems. I have also fed it in the past until I found out it was not rated good.(I mixed it with Eukanuba and I also never had a problem) If you want to switch dog foods to a more higher rated brand, I would do it gradually by mixing Bil-Jac with small amounts of the new food. I use chicken soup puppy and taste of the wild now.

bchgirl · 06-16-2008, 03:28 AM

I switched mine from RC to Wellness. Reese was itchy and had very teary eyes...both problems went away after the switch.

mainegirl · 06-16-2008, 06:21 AM

I am switching from RC 33/Purina mixture to Merrick and have already noticed smaller poo that is not nearly as smelly

Ellie May · 06-16-2008, 06:30 AM

I'd go with something totally different.
Also, kibble is supposed to clean teeth but that hasn't really been proven.
The only kibble that really works is prescription dental diets.
These don't have good ingredients though.
I'd feed what you want and brush teeth at least once a week and preferably once a day.

PrincessDiana · 06-16-2008, 07:56 PM

Good food brands include Wellness, Nature's Variety, Orijen, Innova, California Natural, Canidae, and many more....

Check out Dog Food Analysis - Reviews of kibble Remember that this is a website with someone's opinion, so I wouldn't trust it blindly but it's a great starting point. The premium foods are rated 4-6 stars.

Franklin and Maggie are on Wellness right now and I love it! Franklin used to be on California Natural and I loved it too but he got tired of it so we switched.

As far as training treats go, Wellness (and/or Old Mother Hubbard) makes some great treats. I've also heard great things about Zuke's Mini Naturals. We use Yorkie Yummies, cheese, cheerios, apples, carrots, and banana.

sunamand · 06-17-2008, 12:16 AM

I think I'm going to try Wellness based on everyone's suggestions - only problem is, I have a ton of RC Puppy left!! But I think the RC and BilJac are the culprit for smelly poop, and a lot of it for such a little dog...hopefully switching will help. He's just eating so well on these 2 that I'm nervous to change up the routine...I know how these little guys can get finnecky...

06-15-2008, 11:33 PM	#1
sunamand Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Emeryville, CA, USA Posts: 99	Puppy Food - Feeding Bil-Jac Puppy and Royal Canin Puppy - Bad?? I'm feeding my 18 week old Darwin a 1/3 cup mixture of Bil-Jac and Royal Canin dry puppy formulations - are these poor quality foods? He also gets a plate of wet pedigree dog food at night, which he loves (is this bad too??) I've read a lot online and the Bil-Jac doesn't seem to get good reviews, and neither does the RC, but this is what he was on at the breeder's, so I just continued the routine when we got him. However, I know from research that Bil-Jac is made in the US, and wasn't part of any recall, so I'm torn, I don't know if it's good or bad. I know yorkies are prone to dental problems, so I want to minimize the dental issues down the road by feeding the best quality/healthiest dog food now, and cost isn't really an issue b/c he doesn't eat that much. Can anyone recommend any other options? Or are these 2 brands ok to keep him on...I just bought a huge 7 lb bag of Bil-Jac and if it's not good, I want to return it. Also - what about training treats?

06-16-2008, 03:28 AM	#3
bchgirl Donating YT 10K Club Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: at da beach Posts: 15,444 Blog Entries: 2	I switched mine from RC to Wellness. Reese was itchy and had very teary eyes...both problems went away after the switch. __________________ Deb, Reese, Reggie, Frazier, Libby, Sidney, & Bodie Trace & Ramsey who watch over us www.biewersbythebay.com

06-16-2008, 06:21 AM	#4
mainegirl Donating YT Addict Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Maine Posts: 513 Blog Entries: 1	I am switching from RC 33/Purina mixture to Merrick and have already noticed smaller poo that is not nearly as smelly __________________ Member of the Little Gentleman's Club

06-16-2008, 06:30 AM	#5
Ellie May And Rylee Finnegan Donating Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Metro Detroit, MI Posts: 17,928	I'd go with something totally different. Also, kibble is supposed to clean teeth but that hasn't really been proven. The only kibble that really works is prescription dental diets. These don't have good ingredients though. I'd feed what you want and brush teeth at least once a week and preferably once a day. __________________ Crystal, Ellie May (RIP), Rylee Finnegan, and Gracie Boo🐶

06-16-2008, 07:56 PM	#6
PrincessDiana I ♥ Franklin & Maggie Donating Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 2,068	Good food brands include Wellness, Nature's Variety, Orijen, Innova, California Natural, Canidae, and many more.... Check out Dog Food Analysis - Reviews of kibble Remember that this is a website with someone's opinion, so I wouldn't trust it blindly but it's a great starting point. The premium foods are rated 4-6 stars. Franklin and Maggie are on Wellness right now and I love it! Franklin used to be on California Natural and I loved it too but he got tired of it so we switched. As far as training treats go, Wellness (and/or Old Mother Hubbard) makes some great treats. I've also heard great things about Zuke's Mini Naturals. We use Yorkie Yummies, cheese, cheerios, apples, carrots, and banana. __________________ Diana , Mommy to Franklin, Maggie, Oliver, and Millie - RIP Piper Last edited by PrincessDiana; 06-16-2008 at 07:58 PM.

06-15-2008, 11:43 PM	#2
yorkiekist YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: HOT, HOT, HOT AZ Posts: 3,150	I know quite a few breeders who feed Bil-Jac and dont have any problems. I have also fed it in the past until I found out it was not rated good.(I mixed it with Eukanuba and I also never had a problem) If you want to switch dog foods to a more higher rated brand, I would do it gradually by mixing Bil-Jac with small amounts of the new food. I use chicken soup puppy and taste of the wild now.

06-17-2008, 12:16 AM	#7
sunamand Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Emeryville, CA, USA Posts: 99	I think I'm going to try Wellness based on everyone's suggestions - only problem is, I have a ton of RC Puppy left!! But I think the RC and BilJac are the culprit for smelly poop, and a lot of it for such a little dog...hopefully switching will help. He's just eating so well on these 2 that I'm nervous to change up the routine...I know how these little guys can get finnecky...