Alice White
Yorkie puppies consume a small amount of food at a time. But feeding Yorkshire terrier puppies is necessary often. During the first three months, babies should eat whenever they want. You can not restrict babies in food until they gain enough weight to eat solid and varied foods. Otherwise, the risk of developing hypoglycemia increases. Moreover, the food must always be fresh.
Starting from three months, Yorkies are fed according to the schedule 3-4 times a day. The last meal should be 2 hours before bedtime. Between meals, it is allowed to give small amounts of treats as a reward for good behavior, for example, during training, thereby reinforcing the desire to obey.
From one year of age, meals can be reduced to two or three times. The chosen schedule must be maintained throughout the pet’s life. Scheduled feeding of your Yorkshire Terrier allows you to predict the moment when your pet will want to use the toilet, thereby teaching him to walk. Otherwise, the chair will become unstable.
Calories in Food
The calorie content of the daily portion is influenced by the activity of the animal, physiological state, age. For example, active dogs spend more energy, therefore, the calorie content of food should be higher than in dogs with a normal level of activity or in older individuals. So for active dogs, 200 calories per day are considered optimal, for dogs with low activity 150 calories per day. Up to one year of age, 400 calories are allowed per day, because puppies spend a lot of energy on growth and development. Older individuals need 100 calories a day.
With a slowdown in growth, energy consumption slows down, respectively, the calorie content of food decreases. Overeating, which leads to a decrease in life expectancy, should not be allowed.
Natural Food for Yorkshire Terriers
A balanced Yorkie diet consists of:
- meat (skinless chicken, turkey, veal, lamb);
- offal (chicken liver);
- fish (herring, salmon, cod, haddock, mackerel);
- vegetables (carrots, zucchini, spinach, green beans, cabbage, bell peppers);
- fruits and berries (melon, pear, apple, banana, blueberry, raspberry);
- cereals (rice, buckwheat, oats);
- eggs (without shells or with shells crushed into dust);
- low-fat dairy products.
Most pets love carrots, bananas, strawberries, green beans, and some other vegetables and fruits. Pieces of these foods can be given between feedings as a reward.
The breed has a sensitive digestive system, so dairy products should be fed with caution. To avoid indigestion, it is advisable to feed the Yorkshire Terrier with plain yogurt, low-fat cottage cheese. A raw egg is usually mixed with cottage cheese. It is permissible to give hard cheese as a delicacy. Dairy products are rich in calcium, so they are very beneficial for the dog’s body.
Daily vitamin and mineral supplements are a great addition to a natural diet.
Food should be at room temperature. After reheating your Yorkie food in the microwave, stir the food thoroughly so that the food reaches an even temperature.
Feeding Dry Food
It is important to choose food for your Yorkie that meets the energy needs of your pet, does not cause allergies and digestive upsets. Therefore, you should pay attention to the composition. For dogs with grain allergies, it is necessary to select a grain-free food (no wheat or rye), or with reduced gluten content.
High-quality dry food should not contain chemical preservatives, artificial colors, flavors, cheap ingredients that have no nutritional value. Quality food for Yorkies contains chicken, turkey, rabbit, beef, lamb, fish (salmon), fruits and vegetables, sources of omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil, flaxseed).
Dry food is not always attractive to dogs. To make capricious pets more willing to eat dry granules, you can slightly soak them in warm water or sprinkle them with chicken or beef broth.
Usually, manufacturers of dry food on the packaging indicate a table by which it is easy to determine the amount of food for a dog of a particular size and weight. The most accurate portion can be calculated by weighing the animal. The daily portion is indicated on the package. Depending on the weight of the animal, the daily portion should be divided into 3-4 meals. It is convenient to use a measuring cup.
Regardless of age and type of feeding, Yorkshire Terriers need water, access to which is unlimited. Dehydration is very dangerous, especially for small dogs.
