What Do Yorkies Eat? Here Are 6 (Yes and NO) Foods To Know

Yorkshire terriers are a popular toy breed that’s full of love, energy, and attitude. However, as with all small breeds, there are some nutritional needs that your Yorkie may require. Catering to their tastes while painting a healthy diet for them as a small breed can be challenging.

So, if you’re still asking what foods or ingredients can Yorkies eat, continue reading to know the right dog food brand for your sassy friend.

What Human Food Can My Yorkie Eat?

Yorkshire terrier stands on the floor

While there are some human foods that are big no-nos, there’s a variety of homemade ingredients that we can give our Yorkies.

Cooked Fish

Fish can be a great source of animal proteins, which should be the first ingredient in every main meal for your dog. Also, fish, such as salmon and Sardines, provide dogs with Omega 3 fatty acids/fish oil that support their brain development, boost their immune system, improve their coat health, and reduce inflammation.

Lean Meats (Raw Meat)

Just like you would benefit from low-fat meats, your Yorkie would too. Lean beef benefits your dog with selenium, zinc, and vitamins B12, B3, and B6. Plus, dogs get omega 6 fatty acids from cooked lean beef.

Don’t forget about feeding your Yorkie boneless and skinless chicken meal and turkey, as these ingredients are an important animal protein that’s also abundant in omega fatty acids, amino acids, selenium, and tryptophan.

Veggies

While most people imagine dogs as carnivores, they’re actually omnivores. So, you may want to give your canine companion some vegetables to improve their health.

Yorkies need their plant-based proteins, which they can find in peas and green beans. These legumes are rich in proteins, essential vitamins, minerals, and fibers. So, we highly recommend them.

Also, cooked sweet potatoes provide plenty of iron, calcium, and essential vitamins. Plus, as a whole food like sweet potato, they’re a good source of carbohydrates.

Cooked Eggs

Boiled or A scrambled egg is packed with nutrients that will help your dog‘s skin, coat, teeth, and bones. This protein-rich food contains vitamin A and B12, essential fatty acids, selenium, iron, folate, and more. This is not just food that your dog can eat; it’s food that your dog needs.

Brown Rice and Oats

Dog owners constantly debate on whether to feed dogs whole grains or put them on a grain-free diet. Incorporating whole grains into your dog‘s diet can help make it more balanced. Dog nutrition can definitely benefit from easy-to-tolerate grains, such as cooked brown rice and oats.

Like sweet potatoes, brown rice is a good source of carbohydrates. Also, it’s highly nutritious, containing vitamins D and B, calcium, iron, and fibers. Just remember not to feed your dog too much of it, just like you wouldn’t eat too much rice yourself.

In addition, oats are a good place to start in terms of carbohydrates. Plus, they’re high in proteins, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and fibers.

What Kind of Fruit Can Yorkies Eat?

Yorkshire terrier dog with fruits on the back

Fruit can be the most beneficial food for Yorkies, but remember which fruits are safe for such a small breed.

However, make sure to remove the seeds, leaves, and stems because they can pose a choking hazard or cause digesting problems.

Apples are a great source of vitamins and minerals for dogs, especially vitamin A and C. Also, apples have the necessary fibers for a healthy digestive system.

Like humans, dogs can really benefit from oranges because they’re rich in vitamin C, an important antioxidant. In addition, they provide your canine friends with potassium and calcium for their kidneys and bones. Just remember to peel the oranges beforehand.

Blueberries, blackberries, and cranberries are excellent for your Yorkie’s health. This trio is more than enough to provide your pup with the vitamins and minerals that they need.

Watermelon is also a healthy treat on a hot day that hydrates your dog and nourishes them with vitamins A, B6, and C at once.

Also, the next time you eat some mangoes, save some pieces for your dog, as they enhance their immune system and regulate their blood sugar levels with carotenoids, potassium, vitamins, and trace minerals.

Plus, we can’t talk about healthy food without mentioning bananas since they’re packed with potassium and healthy carbohydrates.

How Much Should a Yorkie Eat Daily?

Yorkshire Terrier puppy sitting next to a bowl of feed

Unlike larger breeds that can survive on two servings a day, the Yorkshire terrier puppy generally needs to eat frequent small meals from three to four times per day. However, many factors come into play regarding the frequency and quantity of food you give your senior dog.

Weight

Bodyweight is one of the most important factors determining how much you should feed your Yorkie and how many calories they should get.

For instance, Yorkie puppies need around 55 calories per pound of body weight per day, while adult dogs of this dog breed need no more than 45.

Yes, counting calories and measuring food becomes essential when you feed your Yorkie, as toy breeds are notorious for becoming overweight quickly if their owners aren’t careful. They may also get “finicky” and not eat enough, so you have to pay attention.

As a rule of thumb, healthy Yorkie puppies range from 1 to 3 pounds, while the adults range from 4 to 7 pounds.

Age

There are certain estimates about what the Yorkshire terrier breed needs as a whole, but you have to keep the age of your small dog in mind because it can make a difference. Generally, Yorkshire terriers may require no less than 1/4 cup of dry food per day.

If your Yorkie puppy is somewhere between 4 weeks and 3 months or at the weaning age, they need free feeding, which is, just like it sounds, leaving fresh food available for the Yorkie puppy all day; the keyword here is fresh. The point of free-feeding is to promote their growth and prevent low blood sugar levels.

On the other hand, 3-month old Yorkie puppies require 1/4 to 1/2 cup of food daily. Also, this is the time where you need to put them on scheduled meals to promote good behavior and help bond with your dog.

Once you can call your Yorkie an adult dog, which is when they’re one year old, you can switch to feeding them 1/2 to 3/4 cup of food per day. The number of meals differs from one pet owner/dog owner/Yorkie owner to another; some feed their Yorkies two larger meals, while others feed them three. The majority seems to agree on feeding them less but more often.

Activity Level

Your dog‘s activity level can definitely control how much food you give them. If your dog is active, like most puppies and young adult dogs, you will give them more food because they’re burning more calories.

However, if your dog is an inactive adult or a senior, you may want to tone it down because they’re not burning as much. Giving an inactive dog the same amount of food as an active one will lead to obesity.

Should Yorkies Eat Wet or Dry Food?

Another common debate among dog owners is whether to feed them dry or wet food. Your choice may depend on your dog‘s preference and age.

Most Yorkie owners prefer dry dog food because it means less dental problems, which small breeds such as Yorkies are more prone to have. Dry food is also more economical because your dog feels full with less. Its convenience and cleanliness make it the more popular dog food or top manufactured dog food.

However, wet dog food can be the ideal choice for fulfilling dog needs for hydration. So, if your dog doesn’t drink enough water throughout the day, wet food may be it.

What Should I Not Feed My Yorkie?

Sweet Yorkshire Terrier puppy plays and nibbles the bone in front on a white background

Dogs have a long history of getting what they want from us, thanks to their Yorkie puppy faces and mastery of begging, especially if it’s a little Yorkie pup. However, there are certain foods that we should never give our dogs to avoid health problems.

Chocolate

It’s pretty much a well-known fact at this point that you shouldn’t give your Yorkie, or any other dog, chocolate. But why, exactly? This seemingly harmless puppy food contains both caffeine and theobromine, and dogs can’t metabolize both.

Theobromine, in particular, is toxic, especially for small dogs. Ironically, it is more present in dark and baking chocolate, which causes dehydration, abnormal heart rhythms, tremors, seizures, and in advanced cases, death.

Macadamia Nuts

Macadamia nuts are delicious, expensive, and pretty beneficial for humans. Yet, if your Yorkie ever comes up to you while you’re eating your favorite macadamia cookies, hold your ground, as they cause many health concerns.

They’re extremely toxic to dogs, even in small amounts, and can cause weakness in the hind legs, hyperthermia, vomiting, tremors, lethargy, and much more.

Xylitol

Xylitol, which typically exists in sugar-free candy, gum, and toothpaste, can cause a rapid drop in blood sugar levels, muscle weakness, seizures, vomiting, and even liver failure within a few days in dogs.

So, definitely keep your diet and sugar-free food away from your Yorkie. It may be healthy for you, but it can be lethal for a toy breed like them.

Raw Eggs, Fish, and Meat

Many pet owners put their dogs on a raw diet because it benefits their coats and may seem more nutritious. However, it’s one of these cases where the risks outweigh the benefits.

Buying or making homemade raw food for Yorkies may expose them to bacteria if the food is contaminated, which could lead to food poisoning. If your dog getting salmonella or E. coli sounds bad to you, it’s because it is.

Onions (Onion Powder) and Garlic

You may think that the only downsides to onions and garlic are their pungent smells or the fact that they’re harder to digest than other foods. However, these ingredients are pretty toxic to dogs, as they contain n-propyl disulfide, which breaks down red blood cells in dogs, causing anemia in the long run.

Alcohol

Alcohol is already bad for people; it damages the brain, liver, bones, heart, and more. It has the same effect on dogs, except it’s much worse, especially since we’re talking about small breed dogs, such as Teacup Yorkies. So, even the smallest amount of this ingredient can be harmful to your dog and cause diarrhea, restlessness, tremors, panting, lung failure, coma, and in severe cases, death.

So, keep your eyes on your little Yorkie the next time you throw a party or have them in a setting where alcohol is available.

Keep an Eye on These Foods

There is human food that you can give your dogs in very small amounts. Here is what you need to know.

Salt

Salt can cause some serious dehydration, excess urination, and bloat to dogs. So, try to keep sharing salted food with your Yorkshire terrier to a minimum, and keep them hydrated at all times.

Dairy

You’ve probably seen a cute video of a pet parent giving their dog some ice-cream on a hot day. While it is tempting, we don’t recommend feeding dogs any dairy products because they may be lactose intolerant.

Peanuts

There’s always a debate around peanuts and dogs because these ingredients are high in fat and may harm them. So, stay safe by only feeding your dog a very small amount of unsalted peanuts/peanut butter every once in a while.


Final Thoughts

Have you enjoyed the article? Please tell us what you thought in the comment section below and whether you liked it. I find that knowing what a Yorkshire terrier eats is paramount to their health and well-being.

It’s a small breed, so we can’t risk over-feeding them. Moreover, they need to eat small amounts multiple times per day to avoid the drops in blood sugar levels that they’re prone to.

In addition, we should make sure that they get all of their nutritional needs through a high-quality diet and healthy ingredients. Also, we should make the right choice regarding the different types of dog foods.

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