Best Dog Food for Yorkie Poos : 15 Healthy Recipes Reviewed by Budget, Diet and Life Stage

Your Yorkie Poo is a breed that has only existed for the past ten years, but they pack an incredible personality that is much larger than their size. This breed is a hybrid between a Yorkshire Terrier and a Poodle, and they are currently known as one of the most desirable designer breeds out there.

The breed was initially created as a hypoallergenic dog that is versatile and easy to take care of. These two breeds together are genetically healthy with a calm temperament and excellent house manner.

When breeds are so new, it can be difficult to find information about what and how to feed them because there is not a lot of research on the dietary needs of the breed.

What we do know is that Yorkie Poos vary in size so coming up with a unique feeding schedule and process for your pup is paramount to their growth and development. More important than the number of feedings is the ingredients you are putting into their body. The best Yorkie Poo food will contain a lot of protein, vegetables, healthy fats, and high-quality oils.

Here’s what you’ll learn in this article:

Understanding a Yorkie Poo’s Diet Requirements

Every dog needs love and affection as well as socialization, but a lot of pet owners never think about the food they are feeding their dog. This consideration is as, if not more important than how you behave around your pup.

What you feed them determines what type of dog they’ll grow up to be, so you want always to make sure you are providing your dog with a well-balanced diet of protein, fat, and carbohydrates.

In addition to offering a well-balanced diet, you also want to pay attention to breed specific foods as well as age intended formulas. There are different foods out there that cater to the needs of a pup based on their stage of life. Each recipe contains ingredients that are useful to the dog during that stage.

To feed your dog the best Yorkie Poo food you need to understand their dietary needs at every stage of their life.

• Puppy Yorkie Poo Diet – As a puppy, it’s important to remember that your Yorkie Poo is growing at a rapid rate so they need more protein and fat than an adult or senior. You want protein from high-quality sources and a nutritional ratio of 22% minimum protein and 8% fat.
• Adult Yorkie Poo Diet – When your Yorkie Poo is an adult you can decrease the nutritional ratio to approximately 20% minimum protein and 5% fat but you want to pay close attention to the ingredients in their food. Real meat should always be the first ingredient, complemented with fruits and vegetables.
• Senior Yorkie Poo Diet – As your Yorkie Poo ages they become less active and are prone to weight gain if they are not given a proper diet. Make sure whole ingredients are still an active part of their diet and consider decreasing the amount of fat they receive if they are putting on weight.

Special Dietary Considerations for Yorkie Poo

This breed is generally healthy, but they are not immune to common disorders of both of their parent breeds. Some of these concerns are dietary, and some are hereditary, but a well-balanced diet of high-quality food is always helpful.

Here are some common issues you want to keep an eye open for with your Yorkie Poo.

• Epilepsy – This condition is neurological and usually inherited from a parent. The result is mild to severe seizures that might show themselves from an early age. Seizures in dogs are not the same as they are in humans so the symptoms might often go unnoticed. Symptoms include running around as if something is chasing them, falling, successive hiding, and occasional loss of consciousness. It’s important to have regular trips to the vet to diagnose these issues.
• Portosystemic Shunt – This disorder consists of abnormal blood flow between the liver and body. Symptoms include abnormal behavior, low appetite, low blood sugar, gastrointestinal issues, urinary tract issues, and stunted growth. PSS can get treated with a change of diet, but it sometimes requires surgery.
• Hypothyroidism – Commonly found in small breeds, this is a disorder of the thyroid gland. It usually causes epilepsy, hair loss, obesity, and lethargy. Much of the time this disorder can get fixed by a change of diet from cheap processed ingredients to a whole and healthy formula.
• Atopic Dermatitis – This inherited skin disease is the result of extended exposure to allergens like pollen or dust mites. It can also get triggered by allergens included in foods from dyes, artificial preservatives, and added sugars if you observe your pup scratching or biting excessively at their feet, ears, armpits, or groin they may require a change or diet or steroids. Another great way to limit household allergens is by using a hypoallergenic shampoo on your Yorkie Poo regularly to wash them away.
• Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease – When your Yorkie Poo has this disease the blood supply to the femur is decreased, and as a result, the head of the femur begins to disintegrate. This is an important part of the joint because it connects to the pelvis. You’ll start to notice limping and overall awkwardness in the way your dog behaves and moves around. The disease usually requires surgery, but symptoms can be difficult to notice.

Yorkie Poo Feeding Chart

This breed is new, so there is not a lot of research into how we should feed our Yorkie Poos. There are some general guidelines that you can follow to make sure your pup gets the right amount of calories and nutrients per day.

Between eight weeks and four months, you should feed them this way three to four times a day as they are growing. Make sure to keep a close eye on their weight during this time to help guide your feedings.

Around one year old is when you want to switch to a premium adult dog food. The best way to transition them is to wean your pup off the puppy food by mixing the two and gradually adding more adult food while removing more puppy food.

Most adult Yorkie Poos need approximately .5 cup and 2.5 cups per day depending on their weight and size. This breed varies significantly in size, so you want to consult your vet when making these feeding decisions.

The Best Adult Dog Food For Yorkie Poo: Our 2023 Top 15 Picks

Now that you have more information on the benefits of a premium dog food, we want to show you some examples of what a high-quality food looks like. The best Yorkie Poo food will contain premium ingredients, made in small batches, with no artificial anything.

All the foods we are recommending in this article follow these guidelines. It’s important always to choose food that balances out protein, fat, and carbohydrates.

Here are our top 15 picks:

Our 2023 Picks: Yorkie Poo Food Recommendations:
Rank	Dog Food	Price	Rating
Overall Best	Taste of the Wild Appalachian Valley Small Breed Grain-Free Buy Online Customer Reviews	$1.78/lb	A+
Super Premium	NomNomNow Tasty Turkey Fare Buy Online Customer Reviews	Varies	A+
Most Affordable	Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Small Breed Chicken and Brown Rice Buy Online Customer Reviews	$1.99/lb	A+
Most Popular	Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diet Sweet Potato and Venison Buy Online Customer Reviews	$2.69/lb	A+
Best for Allergies	Brothers Complete Turkey Meal and Egg Advanced Allergy Care Buy Online Customer Reviews	$3.39/lb	A
Best for Sensitive Stomachs	Hill’s Science Diet Adult Sensitive Stomach and Skin Buy Online Customer Reviews	$1.76/lb	A
Grain-Free	Wellness CORE Natural Grain Free Dry Dog Food Buy Online Customer Reviews	$2.49/lb	A
Weight-Management	Nutro Ultra Weight Management Chunks in Gravy Buy Online Customer Reviews	$0.15/oz	A
Food Sensitivities	The Honest Kitchen Grain-Free Chicken Dehydrated Dog Food Buy Online Customer Reviews	$8.81/lb	A

Taste of the Wild Appalachian Valley Small Breed Grain-Free

Best Overall Food: This small breed formula uses venison as its main source of protein. This protein is an excellent choice for Yorkie Poo’s because it is easily digestible and lean to provide your dog with a healthy muscle mass.

The food is grain-free and contains probiotics and prebiotics to support healthy digestion. When a formula does not contain grains, they usually make that up with additional protein sources. Taste of the Wild does this with garbanzo beans, peas, lentils, and eggs.

The protein analysis of this food is 32% which is a little too high for some pups; you’re a dog would do best on this food if they are highly active and energetic. There are also some less than desirable ingredients in the food like tomato pomace which is the leftover tomato product after they go through manufacturing.

• Pros: Works well for sensitive stomachs, contains lean sources of protein, high protein for active pups, uniquely formulated small breed food
• Cons: High protein content might be too much for some Yorkie Poo’s, the food contains tomato pomace and added salt

NomNomNow Tasty Turkey Fare

Best Super Premium Food: If you are looking to switch your dog to a Yorkie Poo food that will transform their diet than you could opt for any of the formulas from NomNomNow, this company creates entirely human-grade dog foods and all natural. Every ingredient on the list is identifiable, and you could eat it yourself.

Some of these ingredients include ground turkey, brown rice, carrots, and spinach. The formula contains an excellent source of lean protein in turkey with vitamin A from the carrots and plenty of fiber from the spinach.

When switching your pup to a raw food like this, it’s important to do it slowly because their stomach must adjust to the dramatic changes. Slowly add in some of the raw formula to the dry kibble and continually add more over time. The formula is gluten-free and all natural.

• Pros: Human-grade ingredients, contains healthy fish oil, makes pet parents feel good about feeding their pup, high protein and fat diet
• Cons: Requires refrigeration, you can only purchase from the NomNomNow website, high protein and fat could result in weight gain

Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Small Breed Chicken and Brown Rice

Most Affordable Food: Blue Buffalo is a reputable brand that offers a variety of different foods from unique food lines. This small breed formula combines real meat, whole grains, and fresh fruits and vegetables. In all of their foods, they include their LifeSource Bits which contain seven different antioxidant-rich ingredients that help nurture your pup’s health.

The formula starts with deboned chicken as the primary source of protein, and while this one is not grain-free, Blue Buffalo uses the best source of grain from rice, oatmeal, barley, and flaxseed.

Overall, most pet parents say their pups love the food, but it does contain those LifeSource bits which a lot of dogs will pick out and leave on the floor. Many pet owners wish that Blue Buffalo would blend everything in a way that disguises the nutrients rather than letting them stand out.

• Pros: Reputable and trustworthy brand, small kibble is ideal for Yorkie Poo’s, LifeSource bits contain vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, well-balanced diet of protein, fat, and carbs
• Cons: LifeSource bits are challenging for some pups to eat, contains some low-quality ingredients like tomato pomace, pea protein, and salt

Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diet Sweet Potato and Venison

Most Popular Food: Sometimes when you are unsure of what food to choose for your Yorkie Poo it’s best to go with what is most popular, and this choice from Natural Balance has tons of satisfied customers.

The grain-free formula uses one primary source of protein from venison, so it’s useful for sensitive stomachs and food allergies. The food contains omega-3 fatty acids and flaxseeds to nourish your dog’s skin and help keep their coat healthy.

The recipe uses ingredients like sweet potatoes, venison, and chelated minerals for high energy pups. With a protein of 20% and fat of 10%, it’s a premium choice for dogs that may also have trouble with their weight.

• Pros: Limited ingredients for sensitive stomachs, only contains one protein source, venison is lean, ideal for pups with weight issues
• Cons: Does not contain real meat as the first ingredient, has a higher than the desired amount of filler ingredients (pea protein and potato protein)

Brothers Complete Turkey Meal and Egg Advanced Allergy Care

Best for Yorkie Poo with Allergies: If your Yorkie Poo suffers from food allergies you want to limit the number of ingredients they have in their diet, and you want to choose food that is specially made to cater to their allergies.

The Brothers Advanced Allergy Care food line is ideal for dogs with allergies because it gets prepared in small batches with high-quality protein sources like turkey and chicken. Every ingredient they use is selected to help your pup steer clear of an allergic reaction.

The food includes digestive enzymes that help break food down and promote better absorption. The probiotics in the formula also deliver bacteria to the gut that kick starts digesting and helps regulate your dog’s bowel movements.

This formula contains a minimum protein of 36% and fat of 16% which is high, so it’s more ideal for active Yorkie Poos.

• Pros: Plain and simple diet for dogs with allergies, limited ingredients, healthy bacteria, well-balanced ingredients
• Cons: Protein and fat content might cause some pups to gain weight, the bag doesn’t have a ziplock to maintain freshness

Hill’s Science Diet Adult Sensitive Stomach and Skin

Best for Yorkie Poo with Sensitive Stomachs: If you are caring for a pup with a sensitive stomach that is prone to vomiting or loose stools you might need a formula that has limited and gentle ingredients.

Hill’s Science Diet is an excellent choice because they use wholesome ingredients like chicken meal and barley along with flaxseed which helps your pups skin and coat. Hill’s puts science into all of their formulas, so every ingredient in this food is included to help to ease your pups upset stomach.

The food contains 21% protein and 12% fat which is ideal for most pups of any level of activity.

• Pros: Specially formulated for sensitive stomachs, gentle blend of ingredients, real chicken as the first ingredient, well-balanced nutrition
• Cons: Contains some less than desirable ingredients like soybean oil, chicken liver flavor, and pork liver flavor, concerns over a high volume of recalls from Hill’s

3 More Top Rated (5 Star) Yorkie Poo Adult Foods

Wellness CORE Natural Grain Free Dry Dog Food

This company bases their philosophy on the fact that dogs want a diet that closely mimics how their ancestors ate in the wild. That means more protein and less filler. All of the Wellness formulas contain a high concentration of quality protein along with botanicals and nutritional supplements.

This food contains glucosamine and chondroitin for healthy bones and joints as well as plenty of probiotics to help regulate bowel movements and control gas.

Many pet owners say that this is the only food that their picky pup will eat and the small kibble is ideal for toy breeds. Some of the biggest criticisms of the food center around the smell and quality of the food. Many pup parents are concerned that the food quality is not consistent each time they order.

Nutro Ultra Weight Management Chunks in Gravy

What do you do when your pup is gaining too much weight, but you still want to reward them with a chunky, moist food now and then? You need to find a canned food that focuses on managing their weight rather than packing on the pounds.

This canned food from Nutro is a great option for pet parents who believe in rewarding their pup with healthy, all-natural food that fuels their day. The formula contains a balance of lean protein with antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables, plus healthy sunflower oil for skin and coat health.

The food combines three protein sources from chicken, lamb, and turkey along with superfoods like salmon, flaxseed, pumpkin, and avocado. The company uses a ton of high-quality ingredients in this formula, but there are also some components that are less than desirable.

The inclusion of things like guar gum, xanthan gum, and wheat gluten is not ideal, but we can accept them. Overall, the moist formula boasts a great texture of chunks in gravy for pups who prefer this over pate.

The Honest Kitchen Grain-Free Chicken Dehydrated Dog Food

If you are looking for something a little different for your Yorkie Poo, you could try this nutritious dehydrated formula. The grain-free food contains free-range chicken alongside fruits and vegetables including bananas, sweet potatoes, green beans, and pumpkin. The food contains no corn, wheat, or soy.

This food is ideal for dogs with food sensitivities, and every formula they have is made using human-grade ingredients in a quality-controlled facility. The blend contains 24% protein with 15% fat.

3 More Top-Rated (5 Star) Yorkie Poo Puppy Foods

Our 2023 Picks: Yorkie Poo Puppy Food Recommendations
Rank	Dog Food	Price	Rating
Overall Best	Merrick Lil’ Plates Grain-Free Puppy Pint for Small Breeds Buy Online Customer Reviews	$0.46/oz	A+
Most Popular	American Journey Lamb and Sweet Potato Grain-Free Puppy Food Buy Online Customer Reviews	$1.66/lb	A+
Most Affordable	Diamond Naturals Small Breed Puppy Formula Buy Online Customer Reviews	$1.12/lb	A+

Merrick Lil’ Plates Grain-Free Puppy Pint for Small Breeds

For pet owners who want to feed their small breed pup canned food but they are afraid of wasting it you could try these pre-portion Lil’ plates from Merrick. They feature the taste and texture your pup wants in a small container ideal for toy breed puppies.

The food is 100% grain-free with no gluten for optimal digestibility. This formula is high-protein with average fat and low carbs. It contains potatoes, carrots, peas, and apples with deboned chicken as the main source of protein.

Pet owners rave about the flavor of this food, and they say the texture and smell make them want to eat it themselves. The size of the portions is also ideal for small breeds, and it limits waste and guessing about the perfect portion.

American Journey Lamb and Sweet Potato Grain-Free Puppy Food

This formula contains a high concentration of nutritious ingredients that set your puppy up for success as they grow. The food uses deboned lamb as the primary protein source with sweet potatoes and chickpeas for added energy.

The food uses whole fruits and vegetables like carrots, dried kelp, and blueberries for antioxidants and healthy fibers. The best Yorkie Poo food combines all of these ingredients for a well-balanced diet, and American Journey does this well.

Diamond Naturals Small Breed Puppy Formula

With puppies, you want to make sure you give them a food that is rich in protein and fat to nurture their growing bodies. This one contains 32% protein and 22% fat which is high for some, but if you have an active Yorkie Poo, this food will give them the energy and nutrition they need to stay active and grow strong.

The food contains high-quality ingredients like chicken and flaxseed to help nurture your pups skin and coat. This blend also uses a wide variety of fruits and vegetables like kale, pumpkin, and blueberries which are loaded in antioxidants.

3 More Picks For Senior Yorkie Poo Foods

Our 2023 Picks: Yorkie Poo Senior Dog Food Recommendations
Rank	Dog Food	Price	Rating
Overall Best	Blue Buffalo Wilderness Senior Chicken Recipe Buy Online Customer Reviews	$2.12/lb	A+
Most Popular	Canidae Grain-Free Pure Senior Chicken Recipe Buy Online Customer Reviews	$2.70/lb	A+
Most Affordable	Nutro Ultra Senior Dry Food Buy Online Customer Reviews	$1.98/lb	A+

Blue Buffalo Wilderness Senior Chicken Recipe

The Wilderness line from Blue Buffalo caters to your dog’s natural wolf instincts. The food uses a limited ingredient list with abundant protein as the main source of nutrition. This specific formula is crafted specially to meet the needs of your dog as they enter their final stage of life.

Similar to all the Blue Buffalo foods this one also contains the LifeSource Bits that have a blend of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals recommended by holistic vets and animal nutritionists.

Blue Buffalo Wilderness is grain-free and contains no artificial preservatives, flavors, or dyes.

Canidae Grain-Free Pure Senior Chicken Recipe

This premium senior food uses real chicken, sweet potatoes, and garbanzo beans as its primary sources of protein. The food gets crafted with your senior Yorkie Poo in mind with limited ingredients. The formula contains only nine ingredients which makes it an ideal Yorkie Poo food.

If your dog suffers from allergies, itching, or biting this formula should help prevent that because it does not contain common allergens like grain, corn, wheat, or soy. The food also uses live and active cultures to promote gut health and digestion.

Nutro Ultra Senior Dry Food

The ultra-holistic superfood blend from Nutro contains a lean source of protein with antioxidant-rich vegetables and fruits to provide a balanced and weight controlling formula. This food gets specially formulated for dogs who are five years and older.

They use three animal protein sources from farm-raised chicken, pasture-fed lamb, and salmon that work well together to provide healthy and lean muscles. Something crucial for seniors is an optimal amount of protein and fat, and this food contains 26% protein and 11% fat which is ideal for pups looking to maintain a specific weight.

Our FAQ and Yorkie Poo Feeding Guide

Now you know feeding your Yorkie Poo can positively impact their lives and you have some high-quality examples of Yorkie Poo food. In this section, we’re diving into more details about how you should feed them and some factors you want to keep your eyes open about.

For example, if you are taking your pup off of a high sugar and carb diet and transitioning them to grain-free food, it could be tough on their stomach at first. You want to mix in the new kibble with the old and slowly take away the old kibble over time while increasing the new.

Something else you want to pay close attention to is the methods of storing and feeding your Yorkie Poo. As soon as you open the bag of food, the nutrients begin to disappear, so you want to keep that food fresh for as long as possible. The best way to do this is by storing it in an airtight container.

Below we have some of the most commonly asked questions about Yorkie Poo food.

What are the best ingredients to find in my Yorkie Poo food?

The first thing you should always look for is real meat-based protein as the main ingredient. A lot of cheap foods use fillers like wheat germ and soybean meal as the primary source of protein which does nothing more than fill your pup’s stomach.

Here are some other ingredients you want to look out for:

• Protein Meal – Some manufacturers will state that “meal” is a low-quality ingredient, but we don’t agree. When you find “meal” in dog food, it means that its a highly concentrated protein that comes from the meat after all the water is cooked out of it.
• Probiotics – Digestion is an essential factor in your Yorkie Poos life because it plays a significant role in how they feel daily. It’s critical that their food contains a lot of gut healthy components that regulate their bowel movements and prevent them from getting bloated. Pro and prebiotics are a simple and effective way to keep your Yorkie Poo’s digestive system flowing.
• Healthy Oil – The emphasis here is on healthy. A lot of pet food manufacturers include industrial oils like vegetable and canola, and these contain a lot of toxins, plus they do nothing for your pup’s nutrition. Whenever possible, you want to choose healthy organic oils like coconut, sunflower, or fish oil.

What are some ingredients to avoid?

Unfortunately, the standards for pet foods are very low, and as a result, we get a vast majority of brands that contain low-quality “filler” ingredients. If you find any of these in your dog’s food, you should stay away from the brand altogether because premium dog food brands will never use these components in their foods.

• Corn Syrup – Added sugar is never needed in dog food, and if you find it in there it’s usually trying to disguise an undesirable flavor. Dogs, like humans, become addicted to the sugar and it will make it impossible for you to get them off it down the road.
• Soy – Soybean meal is a major ingredient in a lot of cheap dog foods. You’ll usually find it in the first five instead of real meat as the protein.
• Animal by-products – By-products are the remnants of an animal carcass after all the good cuts of meat are gone. These protein sources are often riddled with toxins and chemicals because the animals are usually diseased or euthanized when this ingredient gets extracted. By-products also have no known origin, and they include everything from chicken beaks to cow ears.
• Colors and Dyes – The primary source of allergies and behavioral issues in dogs are food colorings. The best Yorkie Poo food will never contain these because dogs don’t care about the color of the food. Manufacturers dye the food to make it more appealing to human eyes. These dyes make your pup itchy, resulting in patchy fur and discomfort.

Yorkie Poo Dog Food – A Final Word

If you’ve made it this far, you now have a complete understanding of how and what to feed your Yorkie Poo. The best Yorkie Poo food contains real meat as the first ingredient alongside whole fruits and vegetables. Premium foods also use probiotics to balance out your dog’s digestive system, and they contain plenty of vitamins and minerals for overall health and well-being.

If you are considering switching your Yorkie Poo to a healthier, premium dog food, any of the foods listed above will do the trick.