homemade dog food 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:

1. 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.
2. Bring the broth back to a boil.
3. Assuming you had 4 cups of broth, add 2 cups of white rice.
4. Bring it back to a boil then turn it down to a simmer.
5. Cover tightly and let simmer for 12 minutes.
6. 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.