Best Dog Food For Yorkshire Terriers: Keeping Your Dog Healthy
It is no secret that small dogs are known for being fussy eaters. Being so small and often full of energy! It is important to feed your Yorkie properly and keep them as healthy as can be.
By PROMO CONTENTUpdated: JANUARY 29, 2017 13:21best dog food(photo credit: PR)
Smaller dogs can be quite tough to feed. If you have one, you know what this means! Size can be deceiving because you may tend to underfeed or overfeed your pet. It is very important that you know your dogs dietary requirements so you can help them achieve their overall performance. Like other small dogs, yorkies are not exempt from having stomach problems. So you have to be very careful when feeding them.
What are the Caloric Requirements of Your Yorkies?
The caloric portion of yorkies depends on their age, weight, and activity level.Puppies need approximately 200 calories a day, while adult dogs need 150 calories. Senior yorkie dogs may need lesser amounts which 120 calories.
Tips in Feeding Yorkies
Yorkies are a small breed of dogs so obviously they don’t need that much food. They weigh around 3-8 pounds. If your dog is smaller than this range and they are not that active, they may need lesser calories. ⦿ For moderately active dogs, 150 calories per day is enough to sustain their needs.⦿ If you have a bigger Yorkie, and they are active, it would be safer to give them at least 200 calories a day. You have to be very particular in feeding your Yorkies, because they have a small stomach. If you feed them a lot, their stomach may not be able to handle the foods. ⦿ This may cause indigestion or stomach problems later on. In fact, they cannot handle two meals a day, unlike other dog breeds. Just in case you over feed those, chances are your dog might get sick.⦿ More so, if they eat a lot, they will poop a lot. You won’t like cleaning their messes every time, right? So it is better to split your feedings into smaller meals. If you can divide the frequency of your feeding to four smaller meals is okay.
Yorkies are considered toy breeds. So you won’t have to give them too many foods unlike larger breeds.
What are the Best Ingredients for your Yorkies?
Protein
Yorkies needs a lot of protein just like other dog breeds. Protein is an essential nutrient because it supports the development of their muscles. When choosing a dog food brand look for ingredients that contain high quality proteins such as:
⦿ Turkey⦿ Beef⦿ Fish⦿ Lamb⦿Chicken
You won’t have difficulty in finding these ingredients because most premium and best selling dog food brands are using three or more of these ingredients. The thing about premium brands is that they are really using the muscles of these animals as the main ingredients in their product. So your dog will really love to eat it.
Just be careful when buying low quality brands because most likely they do not have these ingredients. More often than not, they are made of processed crap and other fillers that may trigger allergic reactions to your pet. Just a bit of advice, do not compromise the quality of the dog food from the little dollar that you can save.
Who knows, you may end up spending a lot on your veterinarian visits because your dog develop some stomach upset due to the food that they ate.
Carbohydrates
Aside from protein, yorkies also needs carbohydrates. They need it to sustain their energy requirements. When looking at the labels, look for carbohydrate ingredients such as:
⦿ Rice⦿ Sweet potatoes⦿ Brown rice
As much as possible, avoid buying brands which uses soy and corn. These ingredients are the main culprits of stomach hypersensitivity reactions. Be careful also when with cheap brown rice, because studies have shown that it contains arsenic which is harmful to your pet.
Fats
Fats are an essential nutrient that your dog needs to maintain a healthy lifestyle. It is surprising to note that some dog food brands contain lesser fat. Yorkies needs a good amount of fat to maintain their shiny and long coats.
⦿ Fish oils are a good example of healthy fats - good for the heart’s health. Fats also add taste to their foods. Healthy fats make dog foods delicious and tasty.
Which one is the best for Yorkie – Dry or Wet Food?
For toy breeds like Yorkies dry food is the best choice. This breed is prone to dental troubles so it is better to give them dry food. The brittle and crunchy texture of dry food helps clean your dog’s teeth.
If you still want to give them wet foods, better to do it only on special occasion. From time to time, it is also good to give them a tasty treat like a juicy steak. But if you don’t want you’re pet to have any tooth problem, stick to dry foods.
Possible Health Concerns
Like other dogs, yorkies are not spared from having sensitive stomachs. So you have to be very careful in feeding them. Yorkies are fond of crawling to beds and if you’re not careful, they may poop into your beds! To avoid stomach issues, give them the right brand of dog food in appropriate amount and frequency. So you won’t have any problem make sure to:
⦿ Feed them smaller meals frequently⦿ Avoid giving soy and corn⦿ If you’re changing their diet, do it gradually.⦿ Give them dry foods.
Top Choice: Best Dog Food Brands for Yorkies
If you want to get some idea on the top dog food picks for this breed, here you can find some of the best-selling items online. Almost all of the top-choices here have very good ingredients for your Yorkies. Just a gentle reminder, before switching from one brand to another, it is still best to consult your veterinarian so you can be properly guided.
Here are some of the best selling brands for Yorkies:
Blue Buffalo Small Breed Chicken and Rice
The Blue Buffalo Small Breed Chicken and Rice is one of the premium and best-selling dog food brands in the online market. The product features Blue Life Protection Formula which is specially designed for small breeds like Yorkies. It features special ingredients like higher amount of protein and carbohydrates to support their energy requirements.
The best thing about this product is that it uses real chicken, lamb or fish. It also uses whole grains and garden veggies and fruits. They also added Life Source Bits which contains a precise blend of nutrients that is enhanced with antioxidant-rich ingredients.
Taste of the Wild High Prairie Canine Formula
The Taste of the Wild Hi-Prairie Canine Formula is a premium brand made with real roasted meats like Bison and venison, chicken, and lamb which your dogs will surely love. It is also supplemented with fruits, veggies, vitamins and minerals. It also contains antioxidants which helps maintain a healthy immune system.
Wellness Complete Health Small Breed
This brand consistently gets high remarks because it contains three sources of animal protein. It also contains fish oils which is good for a healthy heart. This brand is ideal for small breeds like yorkies because it features a small kibble size ideal for smaller mouths.
It also features authentic ingredients and reduced calories to provide nutritional support for healthy weight maintenance. It also provides a tasty treat that yorkies will truly love!
