Best dog food for Yorkies 2022 – Best choices for adults, puppies, and seniors

If you want to know the answer right away:

I chose Royal Canin Yorkshire Terrier Adult Dog Food as the overall best dog food for Yorkies.

I included other excellent product reviews with nutritional and feeding guides. If you want to know better this topic, just read on!

Everyone knows Yorkshire Terriers, or as many call them: Yorkies. These dogs are small. Really very small. However, their souls and personalities are vast. They are very energetic, curious, and intelligent. Although they do not eat much, they must insist on premium quality when feeding them. This is because this breed is prone to some health conditions. Examples include hypoglycemia, collapsing tracheas, allergies, and dental issues. The good news is that these conditions can be prevented or treated with a proper diet. To find out which is the best dog food for Yorkshire Terriers, read my article.

What are the best dog foods for Yorkies?

[wptb id=4761]

In my article, you will find detailed information about the nutrition of Yorkshire Terriers. From this, you can learn about the criteria for choosing dog food, what ingredients to look for and avoid, and many other useful things. Now here is a list of the best products I have chosen.

Royal Canin Yorkshire Terrier Adult Dog Food

If you choose this dog food, neither you nor your Yorkie will be disappointed. The product contains ingredients such as Taurine, Brewers Rice, Corn, and Fish Oil. From this, it appears that this recipe is made exclusively for adult Yorkshires. But not only is it healthy, but the taste is extraordinary too.

---

Wellness Small Breed Recipe 

If you’re looking for dog food for your Yorkie that is not only healthy but delicious, you don’t have to look any further. This Wellness product contains quality protein, which maximally supports your dog’s active lifestyle. Protein sources are turkey and chicken. Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids support the health of the coat. In addition, the food contains added vitamins and probiotics that have a good effect on your dog’s overall health and immune system.

---

Wellness CORE Dry Dog Food

This Wellness Dog Food contains all the important ingredients your Yorkie may need. Premium sources of protein (turkey and chicken) ensure that your dog builds and maintains lean muscle mass. The omega 3 fatty acids found in salmon oil support healthy skin and coat. In addition, the recipe includes fruits, vegetables, probiotics, glucosamine, taurine, and antioxidants. In short, everything is given to keep your puppy healthy.

---

Hill’s Science Diet Small & Mini Breed Dog Food

This Hill’s Science Dry Dog Food is made specifically for small breeds. So you can feel free to buy it for your Yorkie as well. In terms of ingredients, you can only say positives, as you can see from the key features. Wellness dog food supports puppies’ health, skin, coats, and digestion.

---

Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Small Breed Rice Recipe

If you are looking for food for your dog that is healthy and delicious, consider the Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula. Ingredients include real meat, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. In addition, this food contains LifeSource Bits, which is a nutrient-rich blend. The protein source is deboned chicken, which maximally supports the active lifestyle of Yorkies.

---

Pedigree Small Breed Dry Dog Food

With Pedigree Small Dog Complete Nutrition Roasted Chicken, Rice & Vegetable Flavor Small Breed Dry Dog Food, you can be sure that you are providing all the nutrients your Yorkie needs. This product is designed to give plenty of energy for small breeds. It contains whole grains, protein, omega-6 fatty acids, vitamins, and antioxidants. This not only ensures the overall health of your dog, but also his beautiful skin and coat.

---

CANIDAE All Life Stages Dog Food

CANIDAE All Life Stages Less Active Formula Dry Dog Food is not only nutritious but also healthy. This product has been developed to suit all breeds, sizes, and ages. Especially suitable for less active dogs. So if you have a multi-dog household, be sure to consider this Canidae product.

---

Merrick Real Beef & Sweet Potato Puppy Food – Best Yorkie Puppy Food

With the Merrick Grain Free Dry Puppy Food Real Beef & Sweet Potato Recipe, you can provide all the nutrients your Yorkie puppy needs. The primary ingredient is real deboned beef, which is one of the best sources of protein for the developing body. The 55% protein content is quite outstanding. The remaining 45% is fibers, vitamins, minerals, and other natural ingredients. Like other products, it contains omega fatty acids, glucosamine, and chondroitin. This way, your puppy’s joints, skin, and coat will also be healthy.

---

Dog foods for senior Yorkshire Terriers

Nutro Wholesome Essentials Senior Recipe

Elderly dogs can experience many problems. Examples include mobility problems, sensitivities, memory impairments, and so on. The Nutro Wholesome Essentials Senior Recipe is specifically designed for such dogs. Ingredients include real chicken, oatmeal and whole brown rice. They are not only easy to digest, but are delicious and rich in nutrients. In addition, this food also contains vitamins, antioxidants, and Omega-3 fatty acids.

---

VICTOR Senior Healthy Weight Dog Food

If you have a senior Yorkie, be sure to consider Victor Purpose Senior Healthy Dry Dog Food. Its formula contains chondroitin and glucosamine. These support the joints. If your old Yorkie dog is less active and needs to lose weight, then this is an ideal product for you. In addition, it is gluten-free. This can be important if your dog has a sensitivity or allergy to gluten.

---

My pick

As you can see, my list also included Yorkie food for seniors and puppies. So of course if you have a senior dog or puppy, choose accordingly. However, in my opinion, the overall best dog food for Yorkies is the Royal Canin Yorkshire Terrier Adult Dog Food. This recipe is specifically designed for Yorkshire Terriers and is evident in both the quality and the list of ingredients.

Click here to get one from Amazon.

Click here to get one from Chewy.

---

Everything about the nutrition of Yorkies

Many people think that because Yorkies are small, we don’t have to pay attention to their diet. This is not true. They obviously consume less food than a St. Bernard, but they need the right quality of protein, carbs, and fats. Below I’ll share with you some basic information about the nutrition of Yorkies.

Kibble size and softness

Because Yorkies are small dogs, their teeth are also smaller. They require small kibbles. It is also a good decision to give them softer food. Many owners feed their Yorkies with wet food because of these. If this is a premium quality food, it should not be a problem. However, in some cases, wet foods may have a lower nutrient profile. I recommend that you always mix some small kibble-sized dry food with your wet food as well. Larger kibbles should be softened with water or broken into smaller pieces.

Digestibility

You have to keep in mind that Yorkshire Terriers not only have small mouths and teeth, but their entire digestive system is small too. For this reason, it is very important to pay attention to the digestibility of the food you buy for them. Avoid feeding huge amounts once a day. Frequent smaller meals are better in all respects. At the same time, great emphasis should be placed on the ingredients of dog food. If all the ingredients are high quality and natural, the food will be easy to digest.

Calories, proteins and fats

Yorkies are very active and energetic dogs. They have a relatively high caloric requirement compared to their size. Depending on their daily exercise, they need about 150-200 calories a day. Of course, if you are unsure of your own puppy’s needs, ask your veterinarian. Manufacturers usually include feeding recommendations on the packaging of their products. You don’t have to stick to these in all cases. Note your Yorkie’s activity level.

It’s worth providing a high-protein and high-fat diet for Yorkies. The activity of these dogs requires a lot of protein. This is because this macronutrient helps build and maintain lean muscle mass. It also has a good effect on the joints. If your dog’s diet contains a lot of fat and protein, then his body will use these as energy instead of carbohydrates. This can be good because Yorkies are prone to hypoglycemia. So this diet has a good effect on their overall health.

What ingredients should a Yorkie food contain?

Based on the above, we’ve gotten one step closer to understanding what ingredients to look for in the best Yorkie food. Of course, the proportions and amounts may be different for each dog. Adjust these to your Yorkie’s age, activity, and individual health. But now let’s look at what ingredients we need to look out for when choosing the best dog food for Yorkies.

Protein quality

As I mentioned, Yorkshire Terriers need a lot of protein. This is because due to their active lifestyle, they need to constantly replenish amino acids to build and maintain their muscle mass.

You need to know that it is not enough to just watch the protein content. The quality of proteins is a much more important consideration. Look for the term “real meat” on the packaging. Moreover, if it is determined which specific animal meat it is (e.g. “real lamb”) it is even better. 

Be careful with meat by-products. Sometimes these animals contain parts (bones, internal organs, etc.) that are rich in nutrients. However, in many cases, these by-products are not processed properly. Look at the manufacturing process. Or if you don’t want to take a risk, choose a food that doesn’t have meat by-products.

It is best if the dog food of your choice is 28-34% protein.

Fats

Fats are very important for the health of Yorkies. Especially healthy varieties. Omega 3 fatty acids support the health of puppies’ skin and coat. But they also help the brain and eyes function. In short, you don’t want to reduce your Yorkie’s fat intake. The diet should contain at least 12-18% fat.

Carbohydrates

Although fats are also good sources of energy, you need to provide your dog with some carbohydrates in his diet. Yorkies, on the other hand, are prone to allergies and sensitivities. This is why you need to pay special attention to the quality of carbohydrates. Good examples are fruits, vegetables, and wholesome grains, sweet potatoes, etc. Cereal grains are not a good choice for sensitivity. Corn is also worth avoiding.

Other things to consider when choosing the best food for Yorkies

The above nutritional factors have probably helped you a lot in choosing the most suitable dog food. However, I have collected a few more below.

• Fiber Content: Many people think that fibers are not that important. But the right amount of fiber in the diet contributes to the proper functioning of digestion. Yorkies easily suffer from some kind of stomach problem due to their small tummy. Fibers absorb excess water in the colon and in most cases solve the problem of constipation.
  
  
• LID formula: The name LID refers to limited components. A LID dog food does not contain preservatives, artificial colors, or other allergens. Moreover, these foods have one type of primary source of protein (“real lamb”).
  
  
• Vitamins and minerals: In addition to the nutrients listed so far, the role of various micronutrients are extremely important. Their presence is essential in the diet of Yorkshire Terriers. Vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants support dog health. The most important vitamins and minerals are vitamins A, B, C, D, and E, calcium, copper, iron, and phosphorus.

Frequently asked questions about Yorkshire terrier food and diet

---