The food you feed your pet Yorkie is very important.  When still a puppy, you will need to choose only quality food, specially designed for a young and growing body.  During this time, the diet should provide your puppy with all the needed minerals and nutrients for a healthy life.

If the right type of food is not fed to your Yorkie puppy when weaned from its mother, things such as skeletal and muscle weakness could occur, becoming an even worse problem once the Yorkie reaches adulthood.  Therefore, to ensure you put your Yorkie on the right food from the very beginning, talk to your veterinarian and ask for recommendations.

Typically, a small puppy will only eat one to two tablespoons of dry kibble at mealtime.  While some people will feed soft food to their puppies, this should be avoided since it can cause teeth to rot.  The only time you would do this is if your vet suggests it for a specific reason or as an occasional treat.  The best option is to choose dry kibbles that are USDA approved, feeding your puppy four times a day.

To help with potty training, which will be covered further in this book, try to get your puppy on a very strict feeding table, starting at 7:00 a.m., then again at noon, another meal at 5:00 p.m., and then the final meal no later than 10:00 p.m.  By the time your puppy reaches 12 weeks old, the late night feeding would be eliminated.

The dry kibbles are excellent for your Yorkie while teething and then when it does have teeth, the food will help keep the teeth cleaned.  The key to having a healthy dog is by feeding it only top quality food.  A number of excellent products are available on the market to include Iams and Science Diet.  Both brands are loaded with the proper vitamins and minerals so your puppy will grow healthy and strong.

While it might be tempting to feed your Yorkshire Terrier table scraps, especially with that adorable face begging for some, this is a bad habit to start.  The best option is to stay on the quality dry kibbles, which has everything your pet needs.  As long as your Yorkie is at the right weight, has a shiny coat, its eyes are bright, it has a good appetite, and lots of energy, then you are doing exactly the right thing.

Keep in mind that if you should ever have concerns, you can talk to your veterinarian.  The problem is that similar to small children, Yorkies tend to eat anything offered, even if it is not good for them.  For this reason, it is your responsibility to make sure that only the right foods are fed.

The interesting thing about the Yorkshire Terrier and diet is that as stated, they eat everything.  As an example, if you were to offer your pet green beans, carrots, oranges, bananas, and all types of fruits and vegetables, it would scarf them down.  A fruit or veggie treat occasionally is fine but not too often.

HYPOGLYCEMIA
    
Additionally, make sure your puppy does not go any longer than eight hours without eating.  This is very important in that Yorkies will actually have a hypoglycemic attack.

In this case, you would notice your pet becoming disoriented, very sleepy, and behaving in an odd way.  You can help by coating your finger with molasses or maple syrup and then helping your Yorkie lick it off.  As the sugar enters the bloodstream, it will come out of the attack.
   
If your puppy is having an extra hard time teething, you can offer it milk bones.  After your Yorkie has finished teething, reduce the amount of milk bones offered in that they can add on unwanted weight and since the Yorkie has a slight, delicate frame, this is not good on the joints.
   
TEETHING AIDS
   
The following are a few options to help your puppy through the teething stage:
   
Kong Toys are a safe choice

Rub your puppy’s tummy when teething badly

Place small chips of ice in your Yorkie’s water dish

Small pieces of raw carrots are good for teething

Gumabone is another safe product that helps with teething

Nylon tug toys work well for teething and cleaning the teeth

Cold fingers rubbed on the gums help ease the pain

DIET TIPS
   
Four drops of olive oil added to one meal each day will help produce a shiny coat

Treat your Yorkie to a piece of wheat bread once a week, dipped in warm milk

Watermelon and cut up apples are good as occasional treats

One teaspoon of cottage cheese is a nice treat

Never feed your puppy chocolate, which is toxic to it

At the age of 10 months, talk to your veterinarian about the proper diet for your Yorkie