What you give your Yorkie for snacks, training treats, and edible chews is as important as what you give him for main meals. These treats can account for 20 to 30 percent of a dog's daily consumption, so timing, portion size, and ingredient quality should all be considered.
Here, we'll look at the differences between different sorts of snacks, when it's appropriate to serve them, and some fantastic advice for making healthy choices, as well as specific recommendations.
Before we get started, let's quickly define four types of goodies to assist keep things organized:
Avoiding Ingredients
Knowing what to feed a Yorkie for snacks, treats, and chews entails knowing what to avoid. So, let's go through some of the harmful components that pet parents should be aware of and avoid:
Products originating in other countries (especially China) that have been linked to chemicals and poisonous substances that have resulted in illness and death. When shopping for snacks for your Yorkie, take note of where the food is produced and made.
BHA, BHT, calcium propionate, ethoxyquin, potassium sorbate, and sodium nitrate are examples of artificial preservatives that can cause minor to severe allergic reactions. Some of them have been related to liver and renal disorders, neurological problems, cancer, and other ailments.
Yellow #5 and #6, Blue #2, and Red #40 are artificial colors that might induce allergic reactions.
MSG and other artificial flavors (monosodium glutamate). Numerous animal investigations have shown that it is harmful to the liver, brain, thymus, and kidneys, as well as causing allergic reactions.
Fillers (corn, cereals, high grain counts, peanut hulls, and so on) - These can be added to bulk out food while providing little to no nutritional benefit. Some of these may trigger allergic reactions as well as digestive problems.
By-products are animal parts that are deemed inappropriate for human consumption and may include lungs, brain, bone, intestines, stomach, spleen, and other organs, as well as undeveloped eggs.
Generic meats or oils will be labeled as 'animal oil' or'meat by-product,' for example. This can be obtained from almost any animal, including road death and unhealthy farm animals.
Pig ears or raw hide Raw hide (produced from the inner layer of cow skins) and pig ears (dehydrated ear of a pig) are very hard treats that are choking dangers and can cause internal obstruction.
Now that you've learned what to avoid, let's look at how to select the best snacks and treats for your Yorkshire Terrier.
Snacks, as mentioned previously, are little quantities of food served in between meals. Yorkshire Terriers are a toy-sized breed, thus they need at least three main meals per day, plus a few snacks. This allows this breed to prevent blood glucose drops, which can quickly lead to hypoglycemia.
If you're going to be away from home with your Yorkie, carry along some food that can be provided while you're out. Snacks can also be offered before a car ride to help reduce motion sickness or when administering medication (to cover a pill and/or coat the stomach).
Store-bought snacks can be chewy or crunchy, although in many cases, the dryer 'crunchy' options (labeled 'baked,' 'oven baked,' or 'crunchy') work best to fulfill between meals.
Snacks can include fruits and vegetables from your refrigerator, as well as a spoon of peanut butter or a few spoonful of yogurt.
Top three store-bought suggestions
For a variety of reasons, this is one of our top recommendations. This line of dog snacks is fruit-based, as you might have guessed from the name, and these particular ones all feature pumpkin along with another wonderful food that complements it (blueberry, banana, cranberry, apple or sweet potato). Pumpkin is a super-healthy snack that is high in antioxidants, vitamins A, C, and E, as well as dietary fiber. It is also quite gentle on the stomach (a huge plus for this toy breed).
Importantly, this dog treat contains just natural goodness; there are no chemical preservatives or additives of any kind. It is organically preserved with green tea extract, rosemary extract, and spearmint extract. This toy's size is suitable for little canines such as the Yorkshire Terrier (though these can be given to large dogs as well). Fruitables is also made in the United States.
This has to be one of our top selections because it's a really healthy food that's grain-free and full of bold flavor, while also being specifically developed for little dogs like the Yorkshire Terrier. It's worth noting that some of the snacks in this series are chewy (like the lamb & apple), whilst this one (chicken & cherry) is crunchy.
Wellness is a high-quality brand that never employs artificial preservatives or additives; instead, they use a vitamin blend to preserve their food (it will show as mixed tocopherols). We also like that many of their kibbles and treats have extras; for example, this snack has omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, which are beneficial for keeping healthy skin and coat. This is made in the United States.
You can't go wrong with a dog snack that only has one ingredient: salmon. This is freeze-dried wild-caught American salmon with no added additives, and the freeze-drying method preserves all of the nutrients in these small square bites.
Of course, almost every dog like salmon, and it's a superfood high in protein, vitamins, and omega fatty acids, which stimulate the immune system, keep the skin and hair healthy, and are beneficial to joint health. With only one ingredient, salmon, this is great for Yorkies with dietary intolerances or allergies. These are fantastic as a snack as well as a way to break up meals and lure picky eaters. This is made in the United States.
Training treats, as the name suggests, are food nibbles provided as a reward when training a puppy or dog. Delicious treats may be incredibly motivating for dogs and are frequently used in conjunction with praise to swiftly and efficiently show a dog that they've done something fantastic. Housebreaking, command training, teaching a Yorkie to heel, and every other time you want to send a loud message of a job well-done should all be rewarded with training goodies.
In a few ways, training treats differ from typical dog nibbles. The most essential aspect is that they are designed to be extremely compact. This allows you to deliver many prizes in quick succession without disrupting your Yorkie's appetite for regular meals.
A highly desired flavor (after all, this type of goodie won't perform its job if a Yorkie doesn't regard it as a cherished reward) and a soft texture (may be termed 'chewy' or'soft') are also evident in good training treats.
It is important to note that anything you choose as a training treat for your Yorkshire Terrier should only be used for that reason and should not be provided as a regular snack. If these are distributed too freely, their worth will dwindle.
Wellness is a high-quality brand that offers everything a pet parent may want in a treat. As a preservative, they use an all-natural vitamin mixture (seen as mixed tocopherols), spearmint, sorbic acid (derived from berries), rosemary, and green tea extracts. These are also grain-free, with no soy, corn, byproducts, or artificial additions of any kind.
Chicken, salmon, chickpeas, potatoes, carrots, and blueberries are among the nutritious ingredients. These are marketed for pups (and work fantastically for toilet training), but they can also be administered to older Yorkies. The sizing on these is great, and they can be easily broken down into smaller pieces if you'll be handing out a lot of these in a single session. These are made in the United States.
This next Wellness item hits our top three list for a variety of reasons. This all-natural treat is sized perfectly for little breeds like the Yorkshire Terrier. The soft version comes in two fantastic flavors: lamb and apple and turkey, pomegranate, and ginger, both of which are quite attractive as a special treat.
These are grain-free and include no byproducts, artificial colors, flavors, fillers, or preservatives; instead, they use a natural preservative made up of a vitamin mixture (visible as mixed tocopherols), spearmint, rosemary, and green tea extract. There's flaxseed for an added omega-3 boost, and there's plenty of protein. These are made in the United States.
This is a new addition to our list of favorites, and we're really digging it. This is an all-natural, super-healthy treat designed specifically for petite breeds like as the Yorkshire Terrier. There are three delicious tastes to choose from: Small Salmon, Teensey Turducken (turkey, duck, and chicken), and Bitty Beef. Aside from the healthful components that contain no artificial additives, flavors, or fillers, they also have immune-boosting omega 3 and 6 oils as well as a prebiotic fiber that makes these incredibly digestible and easy on the stomach. These are made in the United States.
Many dogs enjoy chewing on objects, and edible dog chews are designed to satisfy those chewing desires by providing a long-lasting reward that can take hours to fully consume. These can be a terrific way to keep a Yorkie entertained and can be used to refocus a dog who is tearing apart non-toy or non-food items.
Raw hide (made from the hide of animals including cows that is pressed together into shapes and then flavored) and pig ears (literally the ear of a pig that is dehydrated and sometimes flavored) are both choking hazards for dogs and can cause stomach or intestinal blockage; both of these are choking hazards for dogs and can cause stomach or intestinal blockage.
However, there are some tasty alternatives, such as hardened cheese or sweet potato sweets, as shown below. One thing to keep in mind with this type of treat is that, due to their rough texture, it's advisable to observe your Yorkie while he or she is chewing on one; any little bits that fall off should be thrown away.
The speed with which a Yorkie can consume an edible chew varies based on the sort of chew treat, as well as their enthusiasm and jaw power, but in general, these are supposed to last far longer than snacks or training treats, lasting anywhere from 10 minutes to several hours.
Top picks include:
As previously stated, one-ingredient desserts are difficult to go wrong with, which is why this nutritious treat is a top selection. The only ingredient is sweet potato, which is a super-healthy and easy-to-digest food for dogs. These are made for little dogs like the Yorkie. These are hardened and grooved, making them beneficial to the teeth and gums (but do not use this as a replacement for regular dental chews - details ahead).
Small Yorkies may require this to be cut into two pieces, however larger Yorkies can frequently operate on a single piece. These are made in the United States.
We adore this rawhide alternative for Yorkshire Terriers, and we're sure your little boy or gal would as well. These firm cheese chews are produced with just four ingredients: yak milk, cow's milk, lime juice, and a pinch of sea salt. What's great about these yak chews is that they come in small sizes that are ideal for most Yorkies weighing 5 pounds or more.
These are extremely durable, and while the piece size will vary, most will endure more than one chewing session. Hold onto the remaining piece if your Yorkie takes a break; you can'refresh it' by microwaving it for 20 to 30 seconds and allowing it to cool before giving it back to them.
Yak cheese, like most yak chews, is sourced from the Himalayan Himalayas and produced in the United States.
Yorkshire Terriers, like many other toy breeds, are susceptible to dental problems such as decay, infection, gingivitis, and tooth loss. As a result, you'll want to take extra care of your Yorkie's teeth. Dental treats, in addition to chores such as brushing, spraying, or wiping the teeth and gums, play a function.
Dental treats for dogs are edible chews that, due to their hard substance and shape, help scrape plaque and tartar from a dog's teeth. Please keep in mind that due to the nature of their construction, a dog should be observed when eating these; any little bits that may break off should be picked up and disposed of.
This type of treat should be provided once a day, instead of as a snack.
Best recommendation:
Snacks and treats that are made from human food
Of course, some human foods can be properly fed to dogs as both snacks and treats. Many of them are used in home culinary recipes, but they can also be given as is.
Fruit is a good option because most dogs enjoy its sweetness; the fiber in most fruit helps natural fructose, so dogs do not get a "sugar high." However, fruit should be consumed in moderation. Apple (no core or seeds), blackberries, blueberries, banana, mango, pear, raspberries, strawberries, and watermelon are all safe to feed Yorkies. Never feed grapes to your dog. Freeze some fruit for a refreshing snack on hot summer days.
Vegetables can also be an excellent option, however most dogs will only eat a couple of them. Carrots, peas, green beans, sweet potato, and pumpkin are all safe to feed to Yorkies as treats. Adding a dab of plain whole yogurt on top can make it more appealing to consume.
Peanut butter, cottage cheese, and scrambled eggs are other human foods that can be given to Yorkies as a snack in moderation. Of course, many meats and fish, such as lean beef, chicken, turkey, salmon, and whitefish, are also healthy choices.
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