Wouldn’t it be easy if every dog needed the same amount of food, calories, and nutrients? If there was a ‘one size fits all’ method for feeding your dog, you wouldn’t need to worry about feeding them too much or too little, they wouldn’t get fat and they’d have the best possible health. Of course, it’s not that simple and every dog is different. Large-breed dogs will need more food than small-breed dogs. Active or working dogs will need more calories than lapdogs. Similarly, dogs with certain health conditions like diabetes, kidney, or liver disease, will need specific dog food. So, what about a Yorkshire Terrier? How much food should a Yorkie eat per day?
How many calories does a Yorkie need per day?
Even if you’re just comparing your Yorkie to other Yorkies, there’s still some variation in how much food they need. For example, if your Yorkie is overweight, they will need less food than if they are struggling to gain weight. If they are a puppy, they’ll need more calories to help them grow, while senior dogs will need fewer calories because they’re usually less active. A reasonable rule of thumb is that an adult Yorkie will need around 30 calories per pound of body weight. A puppy could need more like 55 calories per pound and a senior dog 25 calories per pound. Don’t worry too much about the sums though, as most dog food packaging will have a guideline amount and some companies even have customized feeding calculators on their website.
How much food should a Yorkie eat per day?
The amount of food that your Yorkie needs per day will depend on the recipe and nutritional content of the dog food.
The amount of food that your Yorkie needs per day will depend on the recipe and nutritional content of the dog food. This is why most dog food brands will have feeding guidelines printed on the packaging. You can use this as a guide, but you might need to make some adjustments depending on your individual dog, their weight, activity level, and whether your Yorkie should maintain weight, gain weight, or lose weight.
What if your Yorkie is overweight?
If your Yorkie is carrying a few extra pounds, it’s worth adjusting the guideline amount of food to help them lose weight. If they’re eating a poor quality diet that’s high in carbohydrates you could try switching them to a human-grade diet that’s low in carbohydrates. Rather than feeding them the amount of dog food that correlates with their current body weight, feed them for their target or ideal weight. If you’re not sure what your Yorkie should weigh, you can read our article How much should a Yorkie weigh? If this still doesn’t work, it’s worth speaking to your veterinarian in case there’s an underlying reason.
What if your Yorkie is underweight?
If your Yorkie has the opposite problem and is underweight, try increasing the amount of food you’re giving them. Here’s a customized feeding calculator that has a gain weight option to help your Yorkie gradually gain weight. However, if they’re not gaining weight, or have diarrhea or any other symptoms of being unwell, you should take them to the vet for a check-up. If there’s no underlying health reason for them being underweight, changing to a high protein diet with healthy fats could help your Yorkie.
What is the best food for a Yorkie?
Excessive carbs aren’t just a surefire way for your pooch to pile on the pounds, but they’re also involved in inflammatory processes in the body.
When choosing the best dog food for your Yorkie, there are a few things to consider:
Taste
Yorkies can be particularly picky with their food, and you might be stuck in a rut of offering lots of different dog foods and treats to try to encourage them to eat. If this sounds like your Yorkie, you might want to consider a more appetizing dog food. You can try a “home cooked style” dog food that contains real human-grade meats, which can help make it much more appealing to our four-legged friends. Remember, if you give lots of treats you might put them off their normal dog food, no matter how tasty it is! If your dog won’t eat his food but will eat treats, our article can help you work out why.
Low in carbohydrates
Excessive carbs aren’t just a surefire way for your pooch to pile on the pounds, but they’re also involved in inflammatory processes in the body. Carbohydrates are broken down into glucose, and inflammation within your dog’s body needs glucose. Therefore, by keeping your dog’s diet low in carbohydrates, you could improve your dog’s health.
Summary
Finding the right dog food for your fussy Yorkie isn’t always easy.
Finding the right dog food for your Yorkie isn’t always easy. After all, they can have fussy appetites. The amount to feed will depend on their weight, activity level, and whether your Yorkie should maintain weight, gain weight, or lose weight.
FAQ
How much should an 8-pound Yorkie eat a day?
The exact amount that you should feed your Yorkie will depend on whether they are overweight or underweight, and which dog food you are using.
Can you overfeed a Yorkie?
You can overfeed any dog, and it’s easily done. Make sure you use the guidelines on the dog food and weigh out their food to keep things consistent. You should also take into account any treats or little extras they get throughout the day.
Do Yorkies need lots of food?
Yorkies are small-breed dogs, so they don’t need a large number of calories. The exception to this is if they are puppies or live a very active lifestyle, in which case they may need more.
