If you’re one of the 78 million dog owners in America, you know that your fluffy friend is more than a dog, it’s family–and we don’t feed family just anything, we feed them the best. Shopping for dog food can be overwhelming. With so many ingredients, life stages, flavors, and kibble sizes, how do you know which is the best dog food for Yorkies? Don’t worry; we’ve researched it all for you.
What’s Here?
In this article, we’ll uncover the best dog food for Yorkies so your pup can be properly fueled for a day packed with fetch and snuggles.
- Do you have an aging Yorkie?
- Do they have protein sensitivities?
- Maybe you have a selective eater on your hands who requires only the most gourmet of flavors?
We’ll cover dog food for each of them, picky eaters and all. Let’s get started.
Comparison Table: Best Food for Yorkies
Check out our comparison table for the best food for Yorkies. We’ve put it in price order for you, with customer ratings in the last column.
| Image | Name | Formula | Ingredients | Cost | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Wellness Small Breed Compete Health | -Small Breed | -Turkey -Chicken Meal -Salmon -Oatmeal -Rice -Barley |  |  |
 | Wellness CORE Original Formula | -Grain Free | -Turkey -Chicken -Peas -Potatoes -Tomato -Spinach | | |
 | Canidae All Life Stages | -Multi Dog | -Chicken Meal -Rice -Peas -Potatoes -Oatmeal -Turkey Meal | | |
 | Hill's Science Diet Adult Sensitive Stomach & Skin | -Small Breed | -Rice -Chicken Meal -Barley -Pea Protein -Beet -Flaxseed | | |
 | Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula | -Small Breed | -Chicken -Brown Rice -Oatmeal -Barley -Fish Meal -Tomato | | |
 | Natural Balance Original Ultra Small Breed | -Small Breed -Grain Free | -Chicken -Peas -Lentils -Sweet Potatoes -Flaxseed -Egg | | |
 | Merrick Grain Free Puppy Recipe | -Puppy -Grain Free | -Beef -Potatoes -Lamb -Peas -Salmon -Sweet Potatoes | | |
 | Pedigree Small Dog Complete Nutrition | -Small Breed | -Corn -Brewers Rice -Animal Fat -Poultry -Dried Peas | | |
 | Taste of the Wild Appalachian Valley | -Small Breed -Grain Free | -Venison -Lamb Meal -Garbanzo Beans -Peas -Lentils -Egg | | |
 | Royal Canin Yorkshire Terrier | -Breed Specific | -Chicken -Rice -Barley -Beet | | |
10 Top Recommendations for the Best Dog Food for Yorkies
Chances are during the life of your pup, you’ve asked yourself (or Google) the question: what is the best dog food for Yorkies?
The food you feed your dog varies on their stage of life. Your pup will need a specific diet whether he’s a puppy, aging, or maybe you’ve noticed he’s gained a few pounds. No matter what part of life your Yorkie is in, quality and nutrition are always important in toy breeds. We’ve outlined all the best Yorkie dog foods for every life stage so you’ll want to bookmark this page for later as your pup grows.
1. Wellness Complete Health Small Breed NaturalBest for Yorkies of all Ages and Stages
- Cost- $2.83/pound
- Formula- Small Breed
- Protein- Turkey, Chicken Meal, Salmon
- Other Ingredients- Oatmeal, Rice, Barley
For everyday dog food for any stage and age of your Yorkie, we suggest the Wellness Complete Health Small Breed Natural dog food. This is a great choice if you have a few small dogs in different life stages. The grain-free recipe has the perfect balance of protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals.
This brand’s mission is to provide your dogs with nutrients that support the five signs of wellness:
- Skin & coat
- Digestive health
- Eyes, teeth & gums
- Energy
- Immunity
Each nutrient in the dog food recipe supports these aspects of a healthy dog. We love this brand so much, it made the list twice, in two different varieties.
2. Wellness CORE Natural Grain Free Dry Dog FoodBest Grain-Free Dog Food for Yorkies
- Cost- $2.50/pound
- Formula- Grain-Free
- Protein- Turkey, Chicken
- Other Ingredients- Peas, Potatoes, Tomato, Spinach
What is the best dry dog food for Yorkies? We love the Wellness CORE Natural Grain-Free Dry Dog Food. This recipe includes chondroitin and glucosamine, vitamins essential for healthy joints, omega-3s for shiny coats, and probiotics for healthy digestions.
As Yorkie owners, we know how sensitive their stomachs can be. This grain-free recipe boasts of the elimination of wheat, corn, soy, preservatives, artificial flavors or colors, and meat by-products which makes it ideal for dogs with sensitivities and picky eaters. Don’t forget to pair this with some grain-free treats.
3. Canidae Life Stages Platinum Less Active Senior Dog FoodBest Dog Food for Senior Yorkies
- Cost- $1.67/pound
- Formula- Multi Dog
- Protein- Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal
- Other Ingredients- Rice, Peas, Potatoes, Oatmeal
Do you have an old, wise Yorkie on your hands? Don’t worry; we have a dog food brand that caters just to older dogs. Shop for Canidae Life Stages Platinum Less Active Senior dog food.
As your dog ages, they no longer require the number of calories and protein but still need plenty of fat and fiber in their diets. Just because the protein count is lower, this food has a high quality of protein, so there are no tradeoffs. This dog food also comes in wet form in the event your senior pup has a hard time chewing.
4. Hill’s Science Diet Dog FoodBest Dog Food for Teacup Yorkies
- Cost- $2.00/pound
- Formula- Small Breed
- Protein- Chicken Meal
- Other Ingredients- Rice, Barley, Pea Protein, Beet, Flaxseed
Hill’s Science Diet dog food is exactly that, a dog food designed using science to craft the perfect formula for your dog’s nutrition. Toy breeds are different than big dogs in many ways. Their stomachs are smaller and much more sensitive. This food recipe is chock full of nutritious proteins, carbs, and prebiotic fiber from beet pulp to promote healthy digestion and firm stools.
What’s great about this brand is that it comes in two different flavors and five different stages meaning you can feed your fluffy baby this from when they’re a puppy to when they’re an aging senior.
5. Blue Buffalo Small Breed Chicken & Rice FormulaBest Dog Food for Adult Yorkies
- Cost- $2.00/pound
- Formula- Small Breed
- Protein- Chicken, Fish Meal
- Other Ingredients- Brown Rice, Oatmeal, Barley, Tomato
Blue Buffalo is an outstanding dog food brand. Dogs seem to love it as much as their owners love buying it for them.
We love Blue Buffalo not just for what it includes in its formula (like high-quality protein, carbs, flaxseed, vitamins, and minerals) but for what it doesn’t include: artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, poultry by-products, soy, corn, or wheat.
6. Natural Balance Original Ultra Whole BodyBest Dog Food for Yorkies that Need Weight Management
- Cost- $2.73/pound
- Formula- Small Breed
- Protein- Chicken, Egg
- Other Ingredients- Peas, Lentils, Sweet Potatoes, Flaxseed
Is your Yorkie packing on the pounds? Or maybe your pup is under-eating. Either way, we’ve got the perfect dog food diet for them: Natural Balance Original Ultra Whole Body.
Natural Balance has a specially formulated recipe designed for small breeds that contain high-quality protein sources and wholesome carbohydrates as well as essential vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and fatty acids. Each serving of this dry food ensures your Yorkie is meeting his or her macros.
7. Merrick Grain Free Puppy Recipe Dry Dog FoodBest Dog Food for Yorkie Puppies
- Cost- $2.40/pound
- Formula- Grain-Free, Puppy
- Protein- Chicken, Beef, Salmon
- Other Ingredients- Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Peas
Congratulations on the new addition to your family! With great puppies, come great responsibilities–like searching for the perfect, most nutritious food to ensure your puppy is healthy, happy, and nutritiously fed. Our suggestion for the best dog food for Yorkie puppies? Merrick’s Grain-Free Puppy dry dog food. Hands down.
This incredible formula has everything your new puppy needs to grow: high-quality and high amounts of protein, high-grade carbs, and fats. It also has high levels of the fatty acid, DHA to promote brain development plus vitamins and minerals to keep your pup’s energy high. Now only if they made food for you to keep up with them!
8. Pedigree Dry Dog Food Small DogBest Budget Yorkie Dog Food
- Cost- $0.88/pound
- Formula- Small Breed
- Protein- Chicken
- Other Ingredients- Corn, Brewers Rice, Dried Peas
We understand that paychecks can only stretch so far. If only your Yorkie would get a job like those dogs on Instagram. For those of you who are budget conscious yet worried about your pup’s nutrition, check out Pedigree’s dry dog food for small breeds. This dry dog food has whole grains, wholesome sources of protein, and omega-6 fatty acids.
We especially love that Pedigree designed the kibbles to clean your dog’s teeth with every bite.
9. Taste of the Wild Tow Appalachian for Small BreedsBest Dog Food for Yorkies with Protein Sensitivities
- Cost- $1.36/pound
- Formula- Small Breed, Grain-Free
- Protein- Venison, Lamb, Eggs
- Other Ingredients- Garbanzo Beans, Peas, Lentils
Does your Yorkie have digestion issues with certain proteins in other dog foods? Try Taste of the Wild Tow Appalachian dog food for small breed dogs. This specially designed recipe includes unique proteins like venison and garbanzo beans which may appeal to even the pickiest of eaters.
10. Royal Canin Yorkshire Terrier Dog FoodBest Dog Food for Small Breeds with Sensitive Stomachs
- Cost- $4.23/pound
- Formula- Breed Specific
- Protein- Chicken
- Other Ingredients- Rice, Egg, Barley, Beet
Royal Canin dog food isn’t cheap but it is an amazing choice if you’re struggling to find a brand of dog food your dog will not only eat but digest without problems. Yorkies have very small and sensitive stomachs. All too often your Yorkie might suffer from diarrhea or vomiting from a specific dog food brand.
We love breed-specific Royal Canin dog food because they studied Yorkie’s digestive systems and health to make something specifically formulated to support them. While you will get the best from this food, it’s accompanied by a hefty price tag. We suggest talking with your vet to see if your Yorkshire Terrier needs something this high quality before investing in it.
What to Look for When Shopping for Yorkie Dog Food
Before we can choose the right brand and type of dog food for your tiny little Yorkie, we’ll need to understand a few things about dog food like what it should include and what it definitely shouldn’t.
Protein
The protein in your dog’s food should always be of high quality. You always want to try and avoid by-products and protein meal as much as possible. Experts suggest that wholesome proteins should be one of the first three ingredients.
When you have a puppy, it’s important you get a dog food high in protein to keep up its energy and development. When you have an aging dog, they require less protein since their metabolism is slowing down.
Carbs
When it comes to carbs, ingredients like barley, brown rice, and sweet potato are great and nourishing options. Some owners often try to avoid grains, gluten, corn, and wheat as it can be hard on a toy breed’s digestive system. These elements often have no nutritional value to dogs, and their bodies aren’t accustomed to processing these grains.
Fats
Look for a dog food that includes healthy fats such as omega 3s and 6s or the word DHA. Omega 3s can be often found in the form of fish oil or flaxseed. Fats are important to your dog for maintaining a shiny, long, and healthy coat. Be sure to avoid ingredients such as beef tallow and corn syrup which have no nutritional value and are just cheap, low-quality ingredients.
There are other ways to make the dog food taste good without including empty calories.
What to Avoid in Dog Food
What’s not included in your dog’s food is almost just as important as what’s in it. Avoid artificial flavors, dyes, and colors, fillers, and protein by-products. Also seek to avoid harsh grains such as corn, soy, and wheat.
If you see Ethoxyquin in your dog’s food–run. It’s a harmful preservative often added to dog’s food and not something you want them consuming.
Avoid protein by-products and bone meal at all costs. These often contain cancerous and rancid tissues that aren’t suitable for human or dog consumption as well as ground bones that don’t provide any nutrition to your pup. Your dog’s food should contain recognizable ingredients that you would eat yourself.
