Yorkies that are in advanced age need more careful attention and you need to make sure you are cautious enough when it comes to their dietary needs. Given that the digestive system of senior dogs is slowing down compared to when they were at their prime age. So, you will need the best dog food for senior Yorkies in which there must be specific nutritional value and high quality.
Of course, finding the ideal kibble for your senior doggo is not that simple especially if it’s high quality. Because there are dog foods available on the market that offers low price but the quality is not that good. Although it’s quite tempting to purchase, you may need to think it through first because your dog’s health is at stake here.
Good thing you have come across this article. Because we have rounded up the best dog food for senior Yokries with careful research and several tests. This is to make sure you won’t waste your time reading this because what we aim is to recommend high quality and with good nutritional value. So check them out below!
Best Dog Food For Senior Yorkies — Our 6 Excellent Picks!
🌟OUR TOP PICK: Merrick Lil Plates 🌟
When it comes to the best and top pick kibble food, we simply pick the Merrick Lil Plates Dry Dog Food. You got to simply love the Merrick brand because of its well-rounded kibble food especially for toy and small breeds such as the Yorkshire Terrier.
The moment you transition your pooch with Merrick, we guarantee you, they will munch their food up to the bits. Also, this is packed with all-natural proteins without any grains. You may want to consider this if you really want excellent quality food for your Yorkie.
If you are looking for heavily packed nutrients made from all-natural ingredients, it’s the Merrick Lil Plates you should consider. It’s specifically formulated for senior dog breeds.
The primary protein source of this is from real deboned chicken along with sweet potato recipes. In addition, this is grain-free and there’s no wheat, soy, or even corn. This also boosts the energy of your dog for more playtime and other activities.
Moreover, this helps build muscle mass, promotes healthy hips and joints, aids healthy digestion. But what’s great about this kibble food is the inclusion of fatty acids such as omega 3 and omega 6 which support healthy skin and coat.
All in all, the Merrick Lil Plates Dry Dog Food is packed with nutritional value plus vitamins and minerals which supports the overall health of a Yorkshire Terrier. This is simply effective and made from all-natural ingredients and grain-free.
RUNNERS-UP
Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe
Our second on the list is the Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe Wet Dog Food. Who wouldn’t love the beef flavor, right? Almost all dogs will say no beef because of its mouthwatering and flavorful taste more particularly if you have a kibble food like this one.
Also, Blue Buffalo needs no introduction when it comes to dog food brands. They are among the top of the line brands which offers a healthy and effective meal for various types of dogs.
The Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe is a great way to treat your senior doggo. Because of its pate style that features beef first ingredient, this is the wet kibble food your Yorkie will definitely dig. And they made this with homemade style, it feels like a special food for your doggo.
Not only that, it’s pack with healthy vitamins and minerals to aid the overall health. Also, this is only made with wholesome ingredients without any by-product meals, wheat, corn, soy, preservatives, and even artificial flavors.
What’s more interesting is the availability of flavors to choose from such as beef, chicken, lamb, fish and sweet potato, and turkey. All of them are worth a try due to their flavorsome taste and healthy meals.
All in all, if you are looking for wet dog food, then it’s the Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe you should consider. The taste is superb and even our Yorkie ate the food down to the last bits. That’s why this is considered one of the best dog food for Yorkshire Terriers.
Nutro Ultra Senior
If you are health conscious for your pooch, it’s better for them to get kibble food that promotes natural ingredients and is filled with high nutritional value.
What we have in mind is the Nutro Ultra Senior. No pet owner wants to feed their little pooch with poor-quality dog food because it will do more harm than good. Maybe this is what you are looking for as your pet becomes a senior.
What makes this special is the special formulation designed for dogs of advanced age. Because this includes necessary nutrients that perfectly supply your dog’s dietary needs. This particular kibble food is flavored with delicious chicken which also serves as their first ingredient.
Other ingredients include chicken meal, whole grain barley, brewers rice, to name a few. With these ingredients included, your Yorkie will have the best kibble food in their senior years.
Not only that, giving this will make a huge development largely in your pooch’s health. Among those are your dog’s healthy joints and bones, aid healthy digestion, and immunity booster. Take note that there’s no corn, wheat, soy, preservatives and whatsoever. Only real and wholesome ingredients.
All in all, the Nutro Ultra Senior is another worth your investment for your senior pooch. Also, it’s well balanced, has wholesome ingredients, and is very healthy.
CANIDAE Less Active Formula
Our next contender is none other than CANIDAE Less Active Formula. This kibble food is the real deal if you want a premium quality for your little pooch. What is more fascinating about this is it features all life stages and it features less active formulas.
Packed with different flavors making this flavorful and one of the healthiest dry dog food we have seen on the market. This also has amazing features that are beneficial to your dog.
There’s nothing to be said about Canidae. Probably you have encountered this on the market and it’s among the well-reputed brand along with other top brands.
Plus, even this dry dog food alone can aid your senior dog’s overall health in line with proper diet and exercise. Also, it is great for all breeds, ages, and sizes. As they say, this is the one bag to feed them all. In addition, it’s vet formulated so you know that this fits to your dog’s diet.
Additionally, this includes densely rich in vitamins and minerals in which your doggo needs. Also, because this brand is committed to its high-quality production of kibble food, this excludes and filler, corn, soy, wheat, and other artificial ingredients. Of course, this has omega 3 and omega 6 for healthy skin and coat.
Is this worth buying? Yup, it is. More particularly if you have more than one breed in your household. The CANIDAE Less Active Formula is your go-to for versatile dog food.
Royal Canin Yorkshire Terrier
If you really want to be a “purist” when it comes to feeding your pooch especially if it’s a Yorkshire Terrier, it’s the Royal Canin Yorkshire Terrier you should be looking at. Specifically for purebred Yorkies ages 8 and above. Sometimes, there are dogs that need certain nutritional requirements. Good thing that Royal Canin has dog food solely for a Yorkie only. And knowing the brand, expect that you will get high-quality dog food.
There are many reasons why this could be the perfect dog food for you besides its specific formulation. So, if you want to be sure that your dog is getting their dietary needs this is the one.
Because it has omega 3 and 6 fatty acids along with folic acid and biotin for a better and healthy long coat. In addition, this has high levels of fiber which is an excellent option for your dog who is struggling with digestive problems.
In addition, this will aid and support several functions of your body n order to maintain a healthy well-being. Also, the kibble is small with a unique texture and shape which is intended for the Yorkie’s small jaw.
Why buy this? Because it has nutrients that are needed for the Yorkie’s dietary needs especially for senior dogs. Also, it’s a premium quality dog food and you can never go wrong with this particular product.
Rachael Ray Nutrish Little Bites
Our last but not the least featured product is the Rachael Ray Nutrish Little Bites Dry Dog Food. Yup, you heard it right. And it’s owned by Rachel Ray you see on TV. Quite surprisingly, this is an interesting dog food because it has decent quality ingredients and many reviewers are leaving positive reviews.
This means this is a nice thing to consider especially if you want to experience new brands and not the popular brand you have normally seen in the pet store.
The Rachael Ray Nutrish Little Bites has actually more to offer. With high protein content made from chicken (as their first ingredient), along with peas, carrots.
There’s no added wheat gluten, wheat, artificial preservatives, artificial colors, etc., what you can get is all-natural. With these contents, your dog will get the necessary nourishment that his body needs.
Having this will greatly supply high energy to your dogs. Also, this contains antioxidants to aid your dog’s stress levels. Not only that, with its bite-size and crunchy kibble, this will make sure your dog will have no problem eating this.
Is this worth it? If you want to try other brands besides popular ones, it’s well worth a try. Plus, the ingredients are sourced from high-quality foods and there are no artificial ingredients. So, it’s definitely worth considering.
Choosing The Best Dog Food For Senior Yorkies — Buying Guide
In order to make sure you will get the right kibble food for your little doggo, there are certain factors you need to consider. Particularly if you want your Yorkie to live in good health for many years to come. Also, keep in mind that every dog breed and their life stage have certain dietary needs.
That’s why you need to carefully select what’s best for your dog. It’s not enough to buy them low-cost kibble food because that will never work for your dog, plus it will do more harm than good to your dog.
With that, we have listed some of the important factors to consider when choosing a suitable diet for your dog. This is to make sure you will end up buying the ideal and that has the necessary nutritional value. Check them below.
Consider High-Quality Protein Content
Always make sure that the kibble food you are buying has high-quality protein content. It is because Yorkshire Terriers need higher protein content mainly for two reasons: for maintaining and consistent development of tissues more particularly for the muscles and to restore the lost energy during their physical activities.
That said, it’s important to take a closer look at the protein content of a certain kibble food. These high protein content are mainly sourced from animals such as lamb, chicken, beef, and fish. But you need to be wary when selecting the protein.
Some brands don’t specify their animal source labeling only “real meat” which seems dubious. Other manufacturers will put a specific animal source like “real chicken”, this is more credible and worth considering because you know where the protein source comes from.
If there are byproducts included in the dog food, that’s perfectly okay. Because these came from internal organs, bones, blood, that are filled with different nutrients.
Look For Healthy Fats
If you have a complete aversion to a high-fat diet, you need to be aware that not all fat contents are bad. Although it’s good for your pooch to be trained in staying away from high-fat content, there are good fats that are good for your dog.
Those fats are known as fatty acids which have omega 3 and omega 6. These fatty acids are beneficial to your dog’s skin and coat as they maintain good health and glossy shine. In addition, fatty acids are essential for brain and eye development for healthy cognitive ability.
Generally, Yorkies should have at least 12 to 18 percent of fat in their overall diet. So, never neglect fatty acids and consider them when finding the ideal dog food for your furrye friend.
Go For All Natural Ingredients
Besides looking closely at the high-quality protein content in every kibble food you consider, you should also look for food that features all-natural ingredients. Being a pet owner of a Yorkshire Terrier, you need to make sure that all the ingredients are sourced from healthy foods. Also, kibble food that features all-natural ingredients will make sure your dog will get the necessary nutrients they need and it will be evident in the long run.
You need to stay away from kibble food formula that contains artificial flavors, preservatives, GMOs, or grain foods. These are just mostly filler ingredients that don’t give benefits to your dog’s health. Staying away from these harmful ingredients and sticking only with all-natural products will guarantee your Yorkie’s good health even in their senior years.
Don’t Forget The Healthy Carbs
Even though Yorkies have small stature, but never underestimate them because they have immense energy. Yorkies are bred for chasing rats in the mills and mines during the Industrial Age. This means that they have high energy levels and high prey drive.
Because of this, you need good healthy carbs in the kibble food you are intended to buy. The importance of carbohydrates is to supply the necessary energy that Yorkies consume.
That said, you will need to look for healthy carbs with high-quality content. This can be sourced from wholesome whole grains, vegetables, and fruits. If your dog is allergic to grains, then you leave this option. Instead, opt for kibble food that contains carrots, peas, sweet potatoes, as these give superb antioxidants and other healthy nutritional values.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: Are Yorkshire Terriers Energetic Dog Breeds?
A: Yorkies are highly energetic and have a high prey drive. This is evident when you play with your Yorkie with squeaky dog toys and other moving objects. This is because they were bred to chase down rats during the Industrial Revolution in Yorkshire England.
So, it shows in their personality that they are highly energetic. That’s why they needed physical and mental activities on a regular basis.
Q: What Are The Best Brand For Dog Food?
A: If you notice, most of our featured dog food above is one of the best brands. This is not because of their popularity along, but because they earned enough reputation and great reviews from both vets and pet owners.
Among the best brand are (in no particular order) Royal Canin, Hill’s Science Diet, Blue Buffalo, Taste of the Wild. Also, these brands produce high-quality dog food that meets the specific dietary needs of different dogs.
Q: Why Do Yorkies Shake?
A: There are numerous factors why Yorkshire Terriers shake and among them is because of their hypoglycemic in nature. Yorkies are prone to this kind of medical condition. Basically, this is a sudden drop of blood sugar and commonly occurs in this particular breed from their birth up to 4 months.
In addition, hypoglycemia has many causes such as lack of nutrients or sometimes stress. If you feel your Yorkie’s shaking is beyond normal, this is the time to consult with your vet immediately.
Q: Are Yorkshire Terriers Picky Eaters?
A: Yorkies are known for being finicky eaters. Although there are certain factors why they are picky when it comes to food such as stomach sensitivity or because they don’t like the texture of the kibble. In this case, you will need to carefully choose the right dog food for them.
However, this may seem difficult because you will have to try various kibble food in order to finally like the food. It’s recommended to give them savory flavor dog food regardless of wet or dry.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, we gave you the best recommendation for your doggo. Although the best dog food for them is that they will munch their food up to the last bit. Also, be sure that what you choosing has the right amount of nutrients based on their metabolism, weight, and health. Moreover, look for healthier and all-natural ingredients because this will guarantee your dog’s optimal health even in their senior years.
However, if you are still struggling to select the ideal dog food for your little doggo, you can read our buying guide. This guide will guarantee that you will have the right kibble food with high quality and high nutritional value. After all, it’s your job to ensure your Yorkie’s health is well-taken care of.
Do you have any experience with these dog foods? Kindly share your thoughts and we love to know them by leaving a comment below!
