The best dog food for Yorkies

Quality dog food is the key to keeping your Yorkie healthy. In fact, a nutritionally balanced diet can help to increase the lifespan of dogs. Commercially produced dog food is well-balanced with carbohydrates, protein, fats, vitamins and minerals and can provide quality nutrition which can be considered the best food for Yorkies.

However, leftover food from the table should not be given to your dog as it does not contain all the nutrients your Yorkie needs. If you plan to prepare home cooked food for your dog, do follow a trusted dog food recipe designed for nutritional balance.

Commercial dog food comes in three forms: dry, semi-moist and canned.

Dry dog food

Dry dog food typically contains less than 10% moisture. Because it requires chewing, dry dog food can actually reduce tartar build up on your Yorkie’s teeth. While dry dog food is affordable than other types of dog foods, it has a higher chance of getting stale if not stored properly. Hence, losing valuable nutritional values.

Semi-Moist Dog Food

Semi-moist dog food comes with anywhere from 20 to 40% moisture content and tastes better than dry dog food. It is easier for your Yorkie to digest semi-moist dog food due to the higher moisture content.

Canned dog food

Canned dog food will likely be your dog’s favorite. High moisture content (up to 80%), tasty, delicious and easily digestible, it’s apparent why canned dog food is the most expensive of all dog foods. The other benefit of canned dog food is that they have long shelf life and can be conveniently stored.

Regardless of the type of dog food, all famous brands like Alpo, Friskies, Pedigree, Science Diet and others are nutritionally balanced. When in doubt, just check the label and make sure it’s marked “Complete Diet”.

Feeding tips for Yorkies

Here are some tips you can follow when feeding your Yorkie:

Adult dogs should be fed only once or twice a day depending on the serving size. Puppies on the other hand, need to be fed four or five times a day initially and reduced gradually as they grow.
As a rule of thumb, an active adult dog needs about 25 calories per day per pound of body weight. For example, if your dog weighs 30 pounds, he needs 30 X 25 = 750 calories per day. In the case of puppies, start with 60 calories per day per pound of body weight and reduce gradually as they grow older. You can always go for special dog food for puppies.
Another way to determine the right dog food portion is to follow the manufacturers’ recommended serving on the label. But dog authorities would normally advise that you cut 20% from the recommended serving.
Having said that, different dog breeds have different activity levels and hence, you may want to vary the dog food serving accordingly. Higher activity level would mean bigger dog food servings.

You can either stick to a fixed feeding schedule or leave the entire day’s dog food for your dog to decide when to eat.
Fresh water supply must always be made available when feeding; more water is required when serving dry dog food.
If dog treats are given to your dog, you should adjust the dog food serving accordingly.
If your dog is ageing or suffering from medical problems like allergy, obesity or other illnesses, get a special diet dog food after consulting your vet.
Dog vitamins and supplements are not really necessary if your dog is healthy and the dog food is nutritionally well balanced. Nevertheless, dog supplements and vitamins can certainly be used to improve digestion, improve coat quality and other health benefits.