- Home
- Best Products
- Dog Food
- Best Dog Food for Yorkshire Terriers 2024
Best Dog Food for Yorkshire Terriers 2024
Written by Adam Lee-Smith
Veterinary reviewed by:
Published: 06/16/2023, edited: 03/07/2024
The Wag! team conducts independent research and consults pet experts to curate our recommendations. This content is supported by our affiliate pet partners and we may receive a commission on the links provided.
Yorkshire Terriers are compact canines with high energy and intelligence levels. They're the pawfect pets for families and are highly adaptable, thriving in small apartments or large houses. Plus, they're hypoallergenic and love the companionship of people and other pups. With so many great qualities, it's easy to see why Yorkies consistently rank as one of the most popular breeds in the US.
Yorkies are prone to several health concerns and conditions that their diet can affect, including obesity, hypoglycemia, periodontal disease, and patellar luxation. A Yorkie's diet can also affect the condition of their long coat.
Here are some expert tips for choosing the right food for your fur-baby:
- Try to feed your Yorkie dog food that's high in quality meat protein and low in carbs.
- The best dog food for Yorkies contains balanced levels of omega fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals.
- Human-grade dog food is ideal, as it's made of quality ingredients with minimal processing, aiding digestion.
We've sniffed out five of the best dog foods for Yorkshire Terriers so you can help your fur-baby live a long and healthy life. We've included wet, fresh, and dry foods to suit all appetites and preferences. Scroll on to discover your Yorkie's new fave food!
Overview
The Farmer's Dog
Best fresh food
Consider The Farmer's Dog food if you're looking for the best quality fresh food for your Yorkshire Terrier. The Farmer's Dog produces human-grade, grain-free, limited-ingredient dog food without artificial flavors or preservatives. The Farmer's Dog comes in four flavors: beef, chicken, turkey, and pork.
The Farmer's Dog is a dog food subscription service that customizes its food specifically to your dog's needs. You can specify your dog's age, breed, health conditions, and more — perfect if your Yorkie is counting calories. The Farmer's Dog will ship your Yorkie's food directly to your door, making mealtime super easy and convenient.
These are high-protein dog foods, with the chicken recipes comprising 46% protein on a dry matter basis. The Farmer's Dog's vet-developed recipes are highly digestible, promote a healthy coat, and improve energy levels.
All The Farmer's Dog recipes meet the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) nutrient profiles for all life stages.
The Farmer's Dog fresh food
Why Wag! loves The Farmer's Dog
- Top-quality human-grade ingredients
- No artificial preservatives, colors, or flavors
- Subscription perfect for calorie-controlling a Yorkie's diet
- Suitable for all age groups
Considerations & concerns
- Pricier than alternative dog foods
- Concerns about the benefits of grain-free diets for dogs
- Expires quickly unless frozen
What pet parents say about The Farmer's Dog
"My elderly pug was doing poorly on a well known, good food. I wanted her healthier and am so happy with Farmer's Dog. The customer service is phenomenal, they work with you and genuinely are interested in my pug and her health."
"I am so glad I switched Bella's food to The Farmer's Dog! She loves how it tastes, and I love that she is eating food that is high quality and nutritious!"
Read more reviews on TrustPilot.
Product image sourced from The Farmer's Dog website. Copyright The Farmer's Dog.
Open Farm Freeze-Dried Raw
Best raw dog food
Open Farm produces some of the finest freeze-dried raw dog food for Yorkshire Terriers. Open Farm Freeze-Dried Raw is available in six flavors:
- Surf & Turf (beef and salmon)
- Grass-fed Beef
- Pasture-raised Lamb
- Homestead Turkey
- Harvest Chicken
- Farmer's Table Pork
Each flavor is available as morsels or patties, depending on your pup's preferences. Open Farm focuses on responsible farming practices — each recipe contains organic produce, humanely raised farm animals, and wild-caught fish. Superfoods like blueberries and kale boost the nutritional value of these raw dog foods.
One of the best qualities of Open Farm Freeze-Dried Raw is it consists of between 85% and 95% meat, organs, and bones. Raw diets benefit Yorkies as they're minimally processed and highly digestible. And as you can adjust the moisture levels of freeze-dried foods, they're ideal for fussy pups.
Given the brand's commitment to sourcing ingredients that don't cost the earth, it's no surprise that Dr. Jeremiah recommends Open Farm:
"Open Farm dog food is formulated with high-quality ingredients and does not contain any artificial preservatives, flavors, or colors. The company also prioritizes the use of ethically sourced and humanely raised ingredients."
Open Farm Freeze-Dried Raw meets the AAFCO nutrient profiles for all life stages.
Open Farm Freeze-Dried Raw Grass-Fed Beef Recipe
Why Wag! loves Open Farm
- Contains high-quality meat as the top ingredient
- Ethically sourced meat and produce
- Variety of flavors and recipes
- Suitable for all life stages
Considerations & concerns
- Pricier than some alternative raw foods
- Above-average fat content
- Concerns about the benefits of grain-free diets for dogs
What pet parents say about Open Farm Freeze-Dried Raw
"This is excellent food. High quality and sourced well. Balanced nutrition for any dog. The dogs love this stuff. I use a few pinches of it dry as a topper over the open farm kibble. All of the open farm products are top in the marketplace."
"Sometimes with our fur babies we just instinctively know based on their non-verbal language that it is time to bring joy to their life...this food brings it at meal time. I add it to their regular meal as a supplement by adding water prior to adding regular kibble. Freeze dried food is expensive but worth the money."
Read more reviews on Amazon.
Product image sourced from the Open Farm website. Copyright Open Farm.
The Honest Kitchen Whole Grain Chicken Clusters for Small Dogs
Best dry food
The Honest Kitchen is one of the original human-grade dog food brands, and its Whole Grain Chicken Clusters for Small Dogs recipe is among the best dry foods for Yorkshire Terriers.
This grain-inclusive dog food is only made with human-grade ingredients, with chicken as the top ingredient. The Honest Kitchen adds salmon oil and veggies like pumpkin, carrot, and broccoli to promote heart health, coat health, and healthy digestion. Oats and barley are the primary grains.
One great feature of The Honest Kitchen Whole Grain Chicken Clusters for Small Dogs is it's minimally processed. The Honest Kitchen gently roasts and dehydrates its ingredients before cold pressing them into clusters to preserve nutrients.
Dr. Georgia Jeremiah, pet nutrition expert and one of Wag!'s licensed veterinary consultants, recommends The Honest Kitchen to pet parents:
"The Honest Kitchen offers convenient dry, dehydrated, and wet food options that use high protein meat sources and are fortified with fish oils and essential nutrients such as taurine."
The Honest Kitchen Whole Grain Chicken Clusters for Small Dogs meets the AAFCO Nutrient Profiles for all life stages.
Dig into our review of The Honest Kitchen dog food to learn more about this furrific brand!
The Honest Kitchen Whole Grain Chicken Clusters for Small Cluster
Why Wag! loves The Honest Kitchen
- 100% human-grade ingredients in dry food
- No fillers Or GMO ingredients
- Recommended by trusted veterinarians
- Suitable for all life stages
Considerations & concerns
- Pricier than alternative dry foods
- Lack of flavor variations for small breeds
What pet parents say about The Honest Kitchen Whole Grain Chicken Clusters for Small Dogs
"Don't know how long honest kitchen has been making kibble but I am so glad that you are. My dogs have such a food allergies and I am happy to report that with the introduction of your kibble product their side effects are now subsiding. I can't tell you how grateful I am. What's also nice is not having to serve them wet food."
"My 2 Yorkie pups love this food. When I mixes it in with theory old food, they picked out the new and left the old behind. I'd say it's a winner!"
Read more reviews on Chewy.
Product image sourced from Chewy. Copyright The Honest Kitchen.
Halo Small Breed Chicken & Salmon
Best wet food
Halo Small Breed Chicken & Salmon is top-tier grain-free wet food for Yorkshire Terriers. It's specially formulated for small dogs with high metabolisms, making them ideal for your energetic Yorkie.
This recipe is easily digestible and packed with nutrients, made with only whole animal protein and no meat meal. Both flavors contain no fillers, GMOs, artificial flavors, or artificial preservatives. Carrots and peas are key ingredients that provide vitamins, proteins, and fiber.
Halo is another brand that Dr. Jeremiah personally recommends:
"Halo's science-based recipes are geared towards your pet's breed size and life stage. Their food contains high-quality protein sources, and they offer a money-back guarantee if you or your pet are not completely satisfied."
Halo Small Breed Chicken & Salmon recipe meets the AAFCO nutrient profiles for maintenance (adults).
Halo Small Breed Turkey Recipe
Why Wag! loves Halo
- Whole, quality meat protein is the top ingredient
- No GMOs, artificial flavors, artificial preservatives
- Recommended by trusted veterinarians
- Money-back guarantee on orders
Considerations & concerns
- Pricier than alternative wet foods
- Concerns about the benefits of grain-free diets for dogs
- Not suitable for all life stages
"I have seven Chihuahuas and it was very hard to find a brand of dog food that everyone liked and could digest. I tried everything. Then one day at Petco they had these samples of Halo Small breed dog food. I brought home three different flavors and all seven of my Chihuahuas went right to the food and started eating, they simply loved it. It's been four years now and they still love it so much."
"I like the ingredients in the product. It has high quality ingredients that provides my dog with nutrients and nourishment. More brands should be like this brand. My dog likes this product and other people should try it out."
Read more reviews on Consumer Affairs.
Product image sourced from Chewy. Copyright Halo Pets.
Farmina N&D Prime Mini (Dry)
Most affordable
Farmina N&D Prime Mini is a grain-free dry dog food formulated especially for small breeds. Farmina N&D Prime Mini is available in four recipes:
- Boar & Apple Adult
- Lamb & Blueberry Adult
- Chicken & Pomegranate Adult
- Chicken & Pomegranate Puppy
Farmina N&D Prime Mini is one of the best traditional kibbles for Yorkies on the market, with a named whole meat as the first ingredient. Farmina N&D Ancestral Grain Mini recipes aren't human-grade with meat meal listed in the top five ingredients.
Farmina N&D Prime Mini recipes contain no grains, no gluten, and no fillers — 98% of protein comes from animals in every recipe. Farmina states that their Prime range retains essential nutrients for longer thanks to "cold infusion" technology.
Ingredients like herring oil ensure your Yorkie gets enough omega-3 fatty acids, while superfoods like pomegranates, blueberries, and sweet potatoes are packed with essential vitamins and nutrients.
Farmina N&D Prime Mini Adult recipes meet the AAFCO nutrient profiles for maintenance (adults), while the Farmina N&D Prime Mini Puppy recipe is suitable for all life stages.
Farmina N&D Boar & Apple Adult Recipe
Why Wag! loves Farmina
- Premium kibble with named meat source as top ingredient
- Contains superfoods like pomegranate and blueberry
- 98% protein from animal sources
Considerations & concerns
- No adult recipes for all life stages
- Made outside of North America
What pet parents say about Farmina N&D Prime Mini (Dry)
"This is the first brand of dog food my dog was willing to eat consistently and actually enjoyed! He eats it plain and with additional toppers and we vary the flavor so he doesn’t get bored. Totally with a try!"
"My Chorkie is allergic to a lot especially peas and that's in almost every dog food there is this so far has not caused any allergy attacks or just save me some money."
Read more review on Chewy.
Product image sourced from Chewy. Copyright Farmina Pet Food USA.
FAQ
How much should you feed a Yorkie?
Should I feed my Yorkie wet or dry food?
What foods are Yorkies most commonly allergic to?
How does Wag! determine paw ratings for dog food?