healthy homemade dog food recipes for yorkies
Homemade Dog Food for Yorkies Recipe
Proper nutrition is important when caring for any dog, but it's especially crucial for very small breeds like the Yorkshire Terrier. Truth be told, they're a difficult breed to feed. But, this homemade dog food for Yorkies recipe will provide your terrier with the nutrition his small body requires.
As I explain briefly in my video guide, you really need to consult an expert before switching your Yorkie to a homemade diet of any kind. These are among the smallest dogs in the world, which means it's extremely important to know their exact nutritional needs.
There are a lot of factors that impact the number of calories that your pup should be consuming each day. Age, activity level, and health conditions all play a part in determining the nutritional needs of a dog. Size is also a large variable.
Your dog may have unique needs as well. Diet is important in controlling many health conditions including obesity, diabetes, thyroid problems and kidney disease. Your veterinarian will help you decide on the best homemade dog food for Yorkies recipe, and this one may work for your canine companion.
MORE RECIPES HERE: Homemade Dog Food & Treats Recipes
Homemade Dog Food for Yorkies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 pound chicken liver
- 2 cupsuncooked brown rice
- 3 cups raw vegetables (I used 1 cup sweet potato, 1 cup broccoli and 1 cup kale)
- 2 eggs
- 1 can mackerel
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Directions
Feeding requirements for this recipe are 1 cup per 7 pounds of weight. That's equal to 1/2 a cup per 3.5 pounds of weight.
First, you'll need to pulverize the veggies in a food processor or chop them by hand. As you can see, I chose to use sweet potato, broccoli and kale. You can use any dog-friendly vegetables you have on hand. Possible substitutions include pumpkin, green beans, carrots or peas.
RECOMMENDED:Best Dog Food for Yorkies How & What To Feed Yorkshire Terriers
In a large pot, mix all of the ingredients together. Cover them with water and then bring them to a slow boil on low heat. Stir this homemade dog food for Yorkies recipe frequently to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
You'll need to cook it on low heat for about 45 minutes, or until the turkey and chicken liver are fully cooked. Once the meal is fully cooked, you can feed it to your Yorkie as soon as it is cool.
Store the leftovers in an airtight container in your refrigerator for 5-7 days. If you prefer, you can freeze this homemade dog food for Yorkies recipes after cooking it. Store it in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 3 months!
By freezing it, you can prepare plenty of food in advance. This allows you to stick with a homemade dog food diet without having to find the time to cook for your pet every few days.
READ NEXT: Raw Diet for Dogs 101 The Ultimate Guide
A Guide to Homemade Dog Food for Yorkies
I have a yorkie and I know what its like to want the best for your furry friend. Thats why I put together this blog post about homemade dog food for yorkies! Well talk about what should be in a yorkies diet, how you can make homemade dog food for them, how much they should eat everyday, and more. Youll also find links to other informative posts on this site that will help you with anything else related to your little pup!
What should be in a yorkies diet?
Almost any food can make good homemade dog food for yorkies. But, you want to look at the ingredients and do some research before committing to anything too specific. Youll want:
Mostly protein from meat or fish (chicken is most popular) this is the most important ingredient
Some vegetables and fruits for vitamins and minerals keep this to a minimum, though. Too much will make them gassy!
A little bit of carbs from rice or potatoes again, no more than necessary to avoid diarrhea.
Beans are great for homemade dog food because theyre full of protein but also fiber, which helps with constipation
How do you make homemade dog food for yorkies?
There are lots of ways to go about this. Some people prefer a raw diet like the BARF diet and invest in a grinder, others will want something that can be made quickly without too much work.
How much should yorkies eat everyday?
This completely depends on the size of your dog! For example, a small Yorkie will need around 100 grams of food per day. This is about how many calories they need to stay healthy and happy so its just about right for their weight too. A large Yorkie will need about 300 grams of food per day.
What foods should yorkies avoid?
Some common foods to avoid with Yorkies are onions, grapes, chocolate and xylitol its especially important to keep these items away from them because theyre small enough to eat a whole onion or grape in one go and the consequences of these items are really severe.
What should be in a yorkies diet?
Yorkies need to eat about 300 calories per day (theyre not big dogs, so they dont put on weight easily). They also require lots of vitamin D for their skin and hair coat this is essential for them! You can add some egg yolk or a teaspoon of butter to the food if you dont want them on their own.
Best recipe for homemade dog food:
200g of dried rice
100g of beef mince or lamb for meat protein (lamb is more popular with Yorkies)
400g of low-fat chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste.
How much should yorkies eat everyday?
You should feed your dog twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening.
How do you make homemade dog food for yorkies?
You should follow these steps to prepare your own Yorkie-friendly canine cuisine:
Step One Prepare all ingredients and combine them together in a bowl, mix well
Step Two Put it into a preheated oven at 140 degrees celsius for about two hours.
Step Three Remove from the oven and let it cool down until you can handle it
Step Four Feed your Yorkie!
In Conclusion:
Yorkies are wonderful little pups. Choosing a homemade diet for them can help them live a long healthy life. Remember to include rice, protein, and vegetables at every meal time. Enjoy your yorkie!
How To Make Yorkie Homemade Dog Food (Top 2 Easy Recipes)
Yorkies are notoriously finicky eaters, but it is totally possible to make your own dog food that is just as nutritious and delicious as anything that you can buy at the store. As a bonus, its likely to be even less expensive and better for your pet than store-bought products!
Making homemade dog food might seem like a very daunting task, but its actually quite simple if you follow a recipe, use the right portions, and take the proper steps. There are a few things that you need to keep in mind when it comes to making your own dog food, and plenty of questions that youll probably have.
Boiled Chicken and Rice Recipe (For Yorkies With Upset Stomachs)
Ingredients
- 3 boneless and skinless chicken breasts
- 2 cups of white rice
1. Get 3 boneless and skinless chicken breasts.
First, youll need three chicken breasts. They should be boneless and skinless.
Place those chicken breasts in a medium-sized pot. You want to make sure that the meat doesnt lay on top of one another, and instead, they all lay across the bottom of the pot.
You can also use a covered deep skillet.
Take the time to ensure that the chicken is thoroughly defrosted. Having chicken that is only semi-defrosted could affect the cooking time.
It might also cause the chicken to not cook thoroughly throughout it. The last thing you want is to give your dograw chicken.
2. Add the chicken breasts to a pot and cover with water. Leave 2 inches of space at the top so the water doesnt boil over.
With your chicken breasts put into place, youll need to fill the pot with water. The amount may vary depending on what kind of pot youre using, but the goal is to have the chicken breasts completely submerged in water.
To keep your water from boiling over the pot, you should give about two inches of headspace from the surface of the water to the top of the pot.
At this stage, you may feel an urge to add some seasonings to the pot. This should be avoided.
Certain seasonings can actuallyupset your dogs stomach. Instead, just keep the chicken bland.
3. Bring the water to a rolling boil and boil the breasts for 12 minutes.
With your chicken submerged, its time to cook it. Place a cover over the pot and let it boil for 12 minutes.
Youll want to make sure that the stove is in high heat. The 12-minute mark shouldnt begin until the water has started boiling.
Only then should you start the timer for12 minutesfor your chicken to cook.
After those 12 minutes are over, you can inspect the chicken. Take out a breast and split it apart to check the inside.
If its pink or gummy, then it isnt cooked yet. Put it back in the pot and allow it to cook for another few minutes.
4. Pull out the chicken breasts, let them cool, then shred them (save the broth!).
To keep your dog from burning their mouths, its a good idea to let the chicken cool off for 10 or 15 minutes. You might have enough sense to let hot chicken cool off before eating it, but you can be sure that your dog will stick its nose right into the dish regardless.
If you want to speed up the process, you can place it in the fridge for a few minutes.
Once the chicken is cooked, you can place it on a plate. While you may be tempted to just drop it into your dogs bowl then and there, this isnt the best practice.
Youll want to help your dog eat it in small bites. Otherwise, they could havedigestive problems.
You can use two forks to start shredding the meat into smaller pieces. The pieces should be small enough that yourdog can easily chewand swallow them without the risk of choking.
The size of your dog is also important. Larger dogs can handle larger pieces while smaller dogs may need it to be shredded twice-over.
5. Optional Use the broth to make rice. Bring the broth to a boil again. Mix in white rice (one part rice to two parts water). Turn down to a simmer. Cover tightly and let simmer for 12 minutes.
I almost always use the leftover broth to make rice. A meal of just chicken for a sick dog can get expensive. Mixing it with plain rice was both recommended by my vet plus it makes the food last longer!
To make boiled rice for your sick dog do the following:
- Measure how much broth you have. You want to mix 1 part rice to 2 parts water. Youll likely have 4 cups or more of water. Lets assume 4 cups for these instructions but measure to be sure.
- Bring the broth back to a boil.
- Assuming you had 4 cups of broth, add 2 cups of white rice.
- Bring it back to a boil then turn it down to a simmer.
- Cover tightly and let simmer for 12 minutes.
- Open it and check it. When done the rice grains will turn from white and opaque to almost see-through. You can always tell its not done yet if you can still see some brighter opaque white color in the center of the rice grains.
6. Mix the chicken with their dry food or some rice then feed it to your dog
Some dogs may not find three chicken breasts filling enough. In that case, you could add the chicken to their dog food.
The mixture creates a yummy treat for the dog while also ensuring that it receives a wholesome and filling meal.
Otherwise, you could use the shredded chicken as a snack or with rice.
For dogs with upset stomachs, you could also add the shredded chicken with some white rice. This helps your dogs digestive system and can offer some additional nutrition as well.
How Much Should You Feed Your Yorkie?
For a 10 pound Yorkie, they should eat about 250 calories per day. Thats about 1 cup of boiled chicken and 1 cup of boiled rice. Split this over two meals so the morning meal would be 1/2 a cup of shredded boiled chicken mixed with 1/2 a cup of boiled rice.
Turkey and Vegetables Homemade Yorkie Food
Ingredients
- 1 cup kale (raw)
- 1 cup broccoli (raw)
- 1 cup sweet potatoes (raw)
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 can mackerel
- 1 pound of chicken liver
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups brown dry rice
- 2 cloves of chopped garlic
Step 1 Chop Vegetables In A Food Processor
Cut vegetables into smaller pieces then pulse in a food processor till they are less than a quarter-inch in diameter. Four to 6 seconds of processing should do it. You want everything bit-sized.
Step 2 Add All Ingredients To A Pot On Medium Heat
You can substitute other types of ground chicken or canned fish for this. Just like with humans be careful with too much tuna. In a study on canned salmon, mackerel, and tuna the salmon, mackerel, and light tuna in the water had the lowest mercury levels.
Drain liquid out of the can of salmon or mackerel before use.
Add in the chicken liver and the vegetables you chopped in step 1.
Add the remaining ingredients including the dry brown rice.
Step 3 Cover With Water
Just add enough water so the water level is just above the ingredients
Step 4 Bring To A Boil
Turn on full heat and bring the water to a boil.
Step 5 Turn Heat Down and Simmer for 30 Minutes Or Until
Meat Is Fully Cooked.
As soon as a rolling boil begins turn the heat down to low and simmer for 30 minutes. You want the turkey and chicken liver to fully cook.
Step 6 Portion Sizes
10-pound Yorkies need about 250 calories per day. This recipe has 3766 calories which is about 15 servings.
Divide the final cooked mix into 15 portions and feed them to your Yorkie twice a day.
- 1 cup kale (raw) 33 calories
- 1 cup broccoli (raw) 31 calories
- 1 cup sweet potatoes (raw) 114 calories
- 1 pound ground turkey 924 calories
- 1 can mackerel 415 calories
- 1 pound of chicken liver 780 calories
- 2 eggs 160 calories
- 2 cups brown dry rice 1300 calories
- 2 cloves of chopped garlic 9 calories
FAQs
Making your own dog food can be a bit of a challenge, and you probably have a lot of questions about what it entails. This article should have answered many of these questions, but there are still some additional ones that most people ask.
Are These Recipes Vet Approved?
You must check these recipes with your specific vet for your specific dog. In general, these are simple whole food recipes. Not all vets will agree on ingredients. Check with your vet before moving your dog to a whole foods diet.
How Do I Know That My Dog Is Getting All Of The Nutrients They Need?
To ensure that your dog is getting all of the nutrients that they need, you must follow a vet-recommended recipe. There are plenty of dog food recipes on the internet, but many of them are sadly lacking in the vital nutrients that your dog needs to be healthy. Its important to remember that just because it tastes good doesnt mean that it is good for your pup. You can solve this problem by using a recipe that is approved and sanctioned by veterinarians.
What Is The Most Important Ingredient To Include?
You need to feed your Yorkie plenty of protein. Its the most important element to include in a balanced diet. Animal protein is best and will provide your dog with the fuel that he or she needs to be as healthy as possible. You can also use dairy, but you should remember to include at least some animal meat in the food itself. Eggs are an excellent choice also.
Can I Experiment With The Recipe?
No matter how good of a cook you are, its best not to experiment with the recipe because you could fail to include some important ingredients. Dog food needs to have the perfect balance of fats and protein, as well as some lean carbohydrates. Resist the urge to play around with the elements of the dog food and stick to the recipe completely. This is the best way to ensure that your Yorkie is getting exactly what they need in their diet.
Is It Okay To Swap Out Ingredients?
Just like experimenting with the recipe, swapping out ingredients is a bad idea. There are certain foods that your dog cant eat or might have trouble digesting. Even an innocent-seeming swap can totally throw off the whole recipe and possibly even make the food dangerous for your animal. Stick to the recipe in its entirety.
What Is The Best Way To Make Sure That Im Getting The Right Measurements?
Correct measurements are the best way to make sure that your dog is getting all of the nutrients that he or she needs. Although measuring cups are a generally useful tool, a kitchen scale is actually better for ensuring that the portions are on point. You can get a kitchen scale at just about any retailer that specializes in cookware, and you dont have to break the bank to do it. Kitchen scales are precise tools that will make sure that your dog food experiment is a total success. You can also use them to measure your own food if youd like.
Is It Okay To Flavor The Food With Onion Or Garlic?
Never flavor your dogs food with onions or garlic. These seasonings might be delicious for humans, but they are toxic to dogs. To be on the safe side, dont mess with the recipe at all.
How Often Should I Feed My Yorkie?
Yorkies need to eat a few times a day and prefer small meals on a regular schedule. Most people think that its best to feed these tiny canines two times per day. Dont give them too much food at once, and monitor them for signs of discomfort after eating. Yorkies can also be finicky, so make sure that they are eating all, or most, of their food.
What Do I Do If My Dog Doesnt Like The Food I Make?
Yorkies are unlike most other dogs in that they can be very finicky eaters. Their stomachs are also more sensitive than other breeds, so, unfortunately, there is a chance that your dog will not like the food that you give him or her. The best way to deal with this is to make a smaller batch of dog food so that youre not wasting ingredients or spending too much time on a meal that your pup will not like. If your dog doesnt like the first batch of food, simply try a different recipe.
Where Can I Find Recipes For Homemade Dog Food?
There are countless recipes for homemade dog food on the internet, and youll be able to easily find one that sounds appealing to you, and hopefully will be appealing to your pup. The challenge is finding one that your dog will enjoy and also has all of the nutrients that he or she needs to be healthy. To accomplish this, youll need to find a recipe that is sanctioned by a veterinarian, and also one that has plenty of reviews from other dog owners on it. Look for recipes that are specifically designed for smaller dogs, and maybe even one that was created for Yorkies.
Making your own vet-approved homemade dog food doesnt need to be a huge challenge. Some many guides and resources can help you whip up some yummy food from scratch.
My name is Ken and Im one of the staff writers at Petloverguy.com. Ive cared for pets most of my life starting with hamsters, turtles, and snakes. Then moving up to parakeets, guinea pigs, and even ducks.I currently live with two yorkies and a chihuahua mix.
