Hailed as one of the ten most popular dog breeds in the US, Yorkies are definitely one of the most popular dog breeds there is today. Considered as “purse dogs,” they’re not just excellent companions, but have also served as fashion accessories for many pet-loving celebrities and royalties since the Victorian era.
Despite their popularity, not everyone knows how to properly care for these pooches. Being a small breed, their diet proves to be one of the trickiest things for new pet parents to master. Finding the best dog food for Yorkies is certainly an essential task for you to take on if you’re going to care for these lovely creatures.
To help you find the best food for these pups, getting to know the breed better will be a great place to start. For that, we’ve created a quick guide about the breed with a specific emphasis on their diet.
Quick Comparison Of The Best Dog Food For Yorkies And Other Small Dogs
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The Adorable Yorkshire Terrier
Formally known as Yorkshire Terriers, Yorkies are miniature dog breeds that were developed in the 19th century to help control pests in clothing mills. They may be small dogs but they’re still Terriers, making them very bold, adventurous, determined, and curious. Their small size is the exact opposite of their large personalities. They’re also very affectionate which is one of the main reasons why lots of people find it fun to have them around.
Yorkies are also noted for their braveness. They’re very assertive against small animals and dogs who are unfamiliar to them. Also known to bark excessively, people find this a great trait when looking for a watch dog.
Of course, lots of people also get attracted to Yorkies because of their luscious coats. They tend to come with fine, silky locks that you can trim in many ways. They’re often grown out and trimmed to floor length for competitions, however, making them look elegant.
If you’re interested in caring for a Yorkie, you should also know that they’re very energetic. They love to exercise and will even play at home without needing much encouragement. This makes them perfect for active households, as they will require frequent walks.
Yorkies can also live for up to 16 years with proper care. Prioritizing their proper diet should definitely be at the top of your list, though. As small breed dogs are prone to having stomach problems, you should definitely be more careful in feeding them.
The Yorkie Diet
Lots of inexperienced pet parents tend to make the mistake of assuming that all dogs have the same dietary requirements. Some are not even fully aware that their pooches have specific nutritional needs. These shortcomings can be costly for their pets’ health.
Feeding them the right yorky food at the right amount is one of the best ways to ensure their good health. To know how to get this done, here are a few important pointers you should remember.
Their Nutritional Needs: What to Look for in the Best Food for Yorkies?
When it comes to finding the best Yorkie dog food, knowing more about your pet’s nutritional needs will help you go a long way.
Essential Nutrients
Like humans, a balanced diet is essential for Yorkies. Your best friend needs protein, complex carbs, and fats in their diet to keep them in top shape. Proteins will help provide their bodies the ingredients they need for proper functioning while carbs will help keep them energetic.
Fats, on the other hand, might surprise some pet parents because they’re often associated with poor health. However, there is a number of essential fatty acids that dogs need in their diets because their bodies can’t make them. If you’re worried about them getting sick because of these ingredients, fret not, as animals are less likely to have clogged arteries or high blood cholesterol.
To provide a balanced diet for your Yorkie, make sure that they get their proteins from pure chicken, turkey, beef, lamb, or fish. Meet their carbohydrates requirements with sweet potatoes and rice. Giving them fish oil is also an important addition to their meals.
Kibble vs. Raw Food
One of the most popular diet concerns people have about dog food is whether kibbles or raw food are better options for their pups. Thorough research will tell you that both are good as long as they provide the nutritional needs of your pup.
Kibbles are most often recommended for Yorkies, though, because they’re believed to be better for your pet’s teeth and already has all the nutrients your pet needs. Raw food, on the other hand, makes a good case for itself because it can be made of whole foods. Again, as long as the food you feed your Yorkie meets their nutritional requirements, they’re good picks.
However, as Yorkies are notorious for being picky eaters, you might not really have much say on which kind of food to feed them. They might just decide not to eat raw food altogether as these pooches are known to dislike human food.
What you need to do is make provide options. If they don’t like raw food, have kibbles on hand. If they’re still being picky about their food, have patience. Just leave the food in their bowl and they’ll eventually eat it. Dogs don’t really starve themselves so they won’t just stop eating without a reason. If they did skip meals, check their mouth and teeth if there’s something bothering them. In case this doesn’t work, take them to the vet.
What to Avoid
- Soy products
- Corn
- Meat by-products
- Fillers
- Chemical additives and preservatives
By skipping dog food with these ingredients, you’ll rest assured that your pup will get the nutrients they need without compromising their health.
The Right Food at the Right Age
Aside from the right ingredients, you also need to feed Yorkies the right kind of food at the right time. Veterinarians suggest feeding Yorkies a puppy diet until they’re 9 months old. Be careful when transitioning them to solid foods so as to prevent their stomachs from getting upset.
As they turn 9 months old, they can already start eating adult food. You can rely on the manufacturer’s guidelines when it comes to serving sizes then later adjust according to your pup’s needs.
Proper Portioning is Key
Being small dogs, lots of pet parents find it tricky to properly portion their Yorkie’s meals. They’re either under or overfed, which can cause complications as well.
For this, calorie counting can be very helpful. Experts note that growing Yorkie puppies need at least 45-55 calories per pound of their body weight per day. Adult Yorkies need less per pound as they may not be able to burn as much of it as they once did when they were younger.
As these pooches’ normal weight range is 4 to 7 lbs, they’ll only need about 385 calories in a day at the most. Some even list 200 cals as the maximum caloric requirement of Yorkies. It will still depend on your pet’s size and activities, though, so it will be best to check with your vet before changing anything in their diet.
These numbers may seem like a small amount of food for your beloved pet, but don’t be tempted to feed them more. Keep in mind that they’re small animals, so they also have small stomachs. Feeding them more may seem like a loving thing to do, but if it will cost them their good health, you should definitely reconsider.
When portioning your pup’s food, you should also take note that some dog foods are more calorie-dense than others. To know the proper portioning for your pooch, follow the information on the food’s label. They will usually list down the ideal portion sizes according to weight, making feeding more fuss-free. If you intend to provide them home cooked meals, the food you’ll prepare will most likely be more calorie-dense than dog food. ¼ to ½ cup of food will already suffice for your pooch per day.
As for the frequency of their meals, some experts say that feeding Yorkies once a day will already be enough to provide their daily nutritional requirements. However, others say that feeding your dog too infrequently means having too much time in between feedings. This can cause low blood sugar levels and even upset stomachs. So to avoid these, feeding your Yorkie small meals a few times a day will still be an ideal arrangement.
To know if your Yorkie has the ideal weight, a visual inspection can be a good start. You should be able to see their waist by just looking at them. If you’re worried that they’re not eating enough, place your hands around their body with your thumbs sitting on the spine. If you can see their spine, they’re not eating enough.
Diet-Related Health Problems in Yorkies
Still not convinced that you need to be very particular when it comes to your Yorkie’s diet? Knowing more about the diet-related health problems in these creatures might be able to change your perspective. Here are two of the most common issues these adorable pooches face with a poor diet:
Stomach Sensitivities
As mentioned above, Yorkies are prone to have sensitive guts so you have to do your best to help avoid irritating them. Otherwise, they’ll have frequent bouts of diarrhea. This might not seem like a problem on paper, but knowing that they’re territorial creatures should make you re-think your position. They can, and will, do their nasty business in their favorite spots around the home, sometimes even under your bed, and it will be a nightmare.
Of course, this will also cause suffering to your pet. Having a frequently upset stomach will definitely affect the quality of their life, so you might want to work on preventing it or remedying it at the very least.
Hypoglycemia
Common among small dog breeds, hypoglycemia often affects dogs who are fed infrequently. The long gaps between their feedings tend to cause a drop in their blood sugar levels, especially if they’re very active.
Feeding your Yorkie properly should help you resolve this issues without a hitch, though.
The Best Dog Food for Yorkies
Now that you know all the basics about feeding your Yorkie pup, the next thing you might be wondering about is which dog food products are actually the best choices for them. To help you answer this, here are five of our top picks of the best Yorkie foods.
Merrick Lil Plates
Top-rated not just by pet parents but also by experts, Merrick Lil Plates Grain Free Small Breed Recipe, 12-Pound, Beef is definitely a good choice for your Yorkie’s meals. As the name suggests, it’s made from real chicken so you can rest assured that it has a good source of protein for your pup.
Its primary ingredients are also suitable for the specific diet of Yorkies. For carbohydrates, it has potatoes and sweet potatoes. It also has a few good sources of fiber so your pet’s proper digestion is assisted by the blend.
Another solid advantage of the Merrick Lil Plates is the fact that it’s crafted for small breed dogs. Its kibbles are small in size so your tiny Yorkie won’t have a hard time fitting them in their mouths. This also helps guarantee easier digestion, especially since it is grain-free which is a must for most dogs.
Classified under the adult maintenance nutrient profile by the AAFCO, the Merrick Lil Plates also comes in Petite Pot Pie, Dainty Duck Medley, Itsy Bitsy Beef Stew, Teensy Turducken, Teensy Turducken, and Tiny Thanksgiving Day Dinner flavors. These will offer great variety to your Yorkie pup which can be a good thing if they happened to be quite picky.
Main Ingredients:
- Deboned Chicken
- Chicken Meal
- Turkey Meal
- Sweet Potatoes
- Potatoes
Nutritional Content:
- 38% Crude Protein
- 17% Crude Fat
- 4.8% Omega 6 Fatty Acid
- 0.4% Omega 3 Fatty Acid
- 460 kcal/cup
Nulo for Small Breeds
Formulated to serve as a health conscious pick for small breed dogs, theNulo Small Breed Grain Free Dry Dog Food With Bc30 Probiotic (Salmon And Red Lentils Recipe, 11B Bag)
is a good choice if your pet has food sensitivities and other diet woes. With the brand being created after the founders discovered that majority of the widely available dog foods in the market have high glycemic ingredients, they’ve decided to offer an alternative that will be better suited to dogs.
This particular product takes the special nutritional needs of small breeds in consideration. It’s packed with low-glycemic and high amounts of animal protein ingredients so it guarantees to provide your pet’s nutritional needs. You can expect not to see grains, preservatives, artificial flavorings, as well as other bad carbs in its mix.
Due to its formulation, it also helps weight management in small dogs. Yorkies are especially prone to obesity, so you really have to watch what they eat and make sure that they get ample exercise. With the low-carb and protein-rich formulation with L-Carnitine supplementation, this issue can be handled really nicely.
This dog food is also noted for its patented BC30 probiotic content which is a pure probiotic strain. This helps boost your tiny pup’s digestion. As small tummies tend to have more problems, this additional component really helps regulate metabolism, which can work too fast in small breeds.
Suitable for puppies and adults alike, the Nulo is a highly recommended, above average dog food for small breed dogs.
Main Ingredients:
- Deboned Salmon
- Turkey Meal
- Menhaden Fish Meal
- Lamb Meal
- Red Lentils
- Sweet Potatoes
- Chickpeas
- Chicken Fat
Nutritional Content:
- 31% Crude Protein
- 17% Crude Fat
- 4% Crude Fiber
- 2.8% Omega 6 Fatty Acids
- 0.85% Omega 3 Fatty Acids
- 422 kcal/cup
Wellness Core for Small Breeds
Wellness Core for Small Breeds is another top-rated small breed dog food in the market today. With such great reviews from dog food experts and tons of pet owners, it has certainly caught the eye of other pet parents who are trying to find more ways to improve their pups’ health. Being made for toy dogs, you can count on it to work well for your Yorkie.
What makes this Wellness product an excellent choice is its special formulation. The brand believes that trying to replicate what your pup’s ancestors ate in the past will be better for their health so a meaty meal will always be the best food for dogs. This is why they offer a meat-loaded offering that features deboned turkey, turkey meal, and chicken meal as its major components.
Another good reason to give Wellness Core a shot is its all-natural formulation. It promises to be made of premium natural ingredients so you don’t have to worry about artificial additives and preservatives. It’s also grain-free so you can be sure that it won’t harm your pet if they have sensitive tummies. And if your pet does have digestion issues, its probiotic content will assist help keep boost their stomach’s performance.
Being specially made for adult maintenance, the Wellness Core guarantees to provide the nutrients needed by mature small breed dogs. It also has ingredients that are good for your Yorkies hip and joint health as well as their skin and coat.
Main Ingredients:
- Deboned Turkey
- Turkey Meal
- Chicken Meal
- Potatoes
- Peas
- Ground Flaxseed
- Salmon Oil
- Spinach
Nutritional Content:
- 36% Crude Protein
- 16% Crude Fat
- 5% Crude Fiber
- 3% Omega 6 Fatty Acids
- 0.5% Omega 3 Fatty Acids
- 396 kcal/cup
Nutro Wholesome Essentials for Small Breeds
Some people might not exactly be too thrilled to see rice in a highly-rated pet food but in the case of the Nutro Wholesome Essentials for Small Breeds, it’s not a bad thing. As it is formulated for toy dogs, its formulation can still work well with your Yorkie despite having a few grains in its ingredients list.
Why? Firstly, the grains it contains are actually protein rich. Brown rice actually has higher protein content than white rice. It has lower fat content, but that can be easily balanced by other fat sources in the mix. Brewers rice, on the other hand, is a source of fiber. It promises to assist in boosting your pup’s digestion, so it can still be good for your dog. However, it is often considered as a filler, so many are still a bit wary of it.
Secondly, these grains are also easily digestible. So even if Yorkies have sensitive tummies, these ingredients won’t necessarily irritate them. It can even be a good source of energy for your pooch, so you shouldn’t blacklist it.
To balance the formulation,Nutro Wholesome Essentials also largely contain adult farm-raised chicken, sweet potato, and split peas. All of these are also good sources of proteins and carbohydrates which promise to provide your pup’s dietary needs.
Main Ingredients:
- Chicken
- Chicken Meal
- Split Peas
- Whole Brown Rice
- Brewers Rice
- Sweet Potato
- Chicken Fat
Nutritional Content:
- 24% Crude Protein
- 15% Crude Fat
- 4% Crude Fiber
- 0.20% Omega-3 Fatty Acids
- 2.00% Omega-6 Fatty Acids
- 345 kcal/cup
Blue Buffalo Life Protection for Small Breeds
It’s a fact that dogs love smelly dog food. There’s something about their pungency that is appetizing to pups, so fish-based dog foods are often major hits among many dogs. Even a picky Yorkie might just be enticed with a good product, such as, Blue Buffalo Freedom Grain Free Recipe for Small Breeds in Fish and Brown Rice Recipe might just do the trick for your pooch, so you might want to check it out.
With deboned whitefish and menhaden fish meal as its primary components, it promises to offer high amounts of protein that’s also rich in good fats. Both nutrients are ideal for your Yorkie’s diet as it will provide them the energy they need and keep their skin and hair healthy. Brown rice, peas, and turkey meal add more protein sources to the mix, further boosting its nutritional content.
This product also has a good amount of fiber and fats to keep your pup’s digestion in check. It won’t irritate a Yorkie’s sensitive tummy as it is specially formulated for small breed dogs. Topped off with a good amount of antioxidants and it can really be a healthy solution to your Yorkie’s food woes.
Main Ingredients:
- Deboned Whitefish
- Menhaden Fish Meal
- Brown Rice
- Barley
- Oatmeal
- Peas
- Chicken Fat
- Turkey Meal
- Flaxseed
Nutritional Content:
- 26% Crude Protein
- 14% Crude Fat
- 4% Crude Fiber
- 387 kcals/cup
A Well-Fed Yorkie is a Happy and Healthy Doggy
Caring for a Yorkshire Terrier shouldn’t be a challenge if you know exactly how to do it. Starting with a good diet is always a good choice as it affects every aspect of your pup’s life .The healthier they are, the happier they will be, so you should look high and low for the right food for them. We hope this guide can help you do wonders for your Yorkie’s diet so you can provide them the best quality of life that they deserve.
Quick Comparison Of The Best Dog Food For Yorkies And Other Small Dogs