Low quality dog food ingredients are everywhere. They are in every single can and box that line the supermarket shelves. They are in the pet stores and on the Internet.
High quality dog food ingredients are harder to come by. They are in a few, select stores, never in the supermarket and hidden away on the Internet.
Why is it so hard to find the food that is right for our dogs? It is because every big brand out there is owned by a corporation that has millions of dollars behind it for advertising. They also use empty promises and taglines that tell us information that seems legitimate, but rarely, if ever, back that up with facts.
So for a Yorkie dog, what are the dog food ingredients that provide the best food?
All dogs need Protein, Fats, Vitamins and Minerals and twenty-two different alpha amino acids in their diet.
Twelve of these acids dogs produce in their bodies leaving ten that must be obtained through their food.
Non-essential:
Alanine
Asparagine
Aspartate
Cysteine
Glutamate
Hydroxylysine
Glycine
Glutamine
Proline
Serine
Hydroxyproline
Essential:
Arginine
Histidine
Isoleucine
Methionine
Phenylalanine
Tryptophan
Threonine
Valine
Leucine
Lysine
Vitamins and minerals are also essential dog food ingredients that should be part of any dog’s diet and they include:
Minerals:
Calcium,
Potassium,
Phosphorous,
Sodium,
Magnesium,
Sulphur,
Iron,
Copper,
Zinc,
Manganese,
Iodine,
Cobalt,
Selenium
Vitamins:
Vitamin A
Vitamin D
Vitamin E
Vitamin K
Vitamin B1
Vitamin B2
Vitamin B3
Vitamin B5
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B8
Vitamin B9
Vitamin B12
Vitamin C
Notice that missing from the list of essential elements required in a dog’s diet is carbohydrates. That’s right; dogs require absolutely no carbs at all.
Unfortunately as carbs are cheap many dog food companies cash in on creating dog food with up to 70% carbohydrates. That’s food with only 30% of the dog food ingredients that they actually need. Carbs will always be present in kibble but the smaller the percentage the better.
Avoid any dog food with the term ‘meat products’ or ‘meat by-products’ as these can contain diseased animals, euthanized pets, road kill as well as every other piece of an animal that is not fit for human consumption.
BHA, BHT and ethoxyquin should be avoided like the plague, as they are extremely harmful to dogs.
Ideally you want to buy human grade dog food ingredients. This means doing a lot of research about different brands, and most likely purchasing your food from online or finding a stockist nearby. Some good ones include: Canidae, Acana, Natura, Wellness, Eagle Pet and Holistic select, all of which use human grade dog food ingredients.
Yorkie breeders may give you advice on food when you pick up your puppy, as may your vet when you take him down for his inoculations but take all recommendations with a pinch of salt and ensure you do your own research first.
Mini Yorkshire terriers, teacup and toy Yorkies should ideally be given the dog food designed for small breeds as the kibble is smaller and will pose a less likely choking hazard.
With regards to portion sizes it depends on the ideal weight of your puppy and the manufacturer’s advice. This is a guide to go by, but if you are in any doubt about how much is too much, or too little, then talk to your vet.
Target Weight Normal Requirements
5.5 lb (2.5 kg) 250 calories
11 lb (5 kg) 450 calories
22 lb (10 kg) 750 calories
33 lb (15kg) 1000 calories
44 lb (20 kg) 1250 calories
55 lb (25 kg) 1500 calories
66 lb (30 kg) 1700 calories
77 lb (35 kg) 1880 calories
88 lb (40 kg) 2100 calories
If you are getting your dog from a Yorkshire terrier rescue centre then the chances are that they will be feeding the dogs on very cheap food to keep costs down. Make sure you introduce any new food gradually as high quality food is very rich in nutrients and can cause stomach upsets if changed too fast.
A rescue centre will obviously have a lot of Yorkshire terrier information so whether of not you got your dog from there they should be willing to help if you have a problem.
Mini, toy or teacup Yorkie puppies for sale are very cute, but don’t forget the rescue shelters if you are looking for a Yorkie dog.
Phone up your local Yorkshire terrier recue centre to see if they have any Yorkie puppies for adoption as there are so many dogs out there looking for a special home and sometimes the perfect pet is just waiting there to be found!
For more information about Yorkshire Terriers, check out the highly recommended Insider’s Guide To The Yorkshire Terrier package today!
