What Kind of Human Food Can Yorkie Eat?
Recently I am on a diet. Before that, every evening, around eight or ten o’clock my dog used to watch my mouth being stuffed with potato chips, meat, pizza, pasta, chocolate and so on. Even though my Yorkie is not always hungry like other dogs, but he still begs for food occasionally. I am committed to keep an eye on his health, so I started wondering what kind of human food can Yorkie eat. What kind of human food is good for my yorkie’s health and what food can potentially kill my dog?
First of all, Yorkie is a pedigree dog and it is particularly important to feed him correctly. The best food is the special one for dogs but you may treat your Yorkshire Terrier with some healthy human snacks. They are: fresh fruits and vegetables, like watermelon; lean meat, like chicken, turkey, fish or beef; and very small amounts of simple or complex carbohydrates, such as rice and pasta.
If we love ourselves, we eat good and healthy food, we take interest in the quality of food which we put in our mouth. So the same is with our dogs. If we truly care about them, we shouldn’t overlook what they are eating. That is what this article is about. How to love your dog.
What food is good for Yorkie?
I have already mentioned some food which is good for Yorkie. I usually give a little bit of it to my yorkie Boss and he seems to be happy to taste something different to dog food. But there is much more to know about the choice of food Yorkie can have. Don’t miss the chance to let your dog discover a new taste. As it is a pleasure to us, it is a pleasure to them too.
So here are some healthy products which your yorkie can eat:
Yogurt: yogurt as well as cottage cheese, if it is low-fat, is good for Yorkie’s bones and teeth which is one of the most vulnerable parts of Yorkie’s body. If the yogurt has live active bacteria, the bacteria might act as probiotics and do good for your doggy. However, be careful to not choose a product with sugars or artificial sweeteners.
Flax seeds (ground or oil): it is a good source of omega3 fatty acids which serve for keeping the skin healthy and the coat nice and shiny. Seeds might be added to your dog’s diet as a source of fibre and the oil will help to maintain a right amount of omega3 in your pup’s body.
Sweet potatoes: this is an easily accessible snack – you can buy it in every supermarket and your dog will be happy to chew it instead of a chocolate candy. Moreover, these snacks are super healthy: it is a source of dietary fibre and contain vitamin B6, vitamin C, beta carotene and manganese.
Eggs: there are some opinions that eggs might cause biotin deficiency for Yorkie if they are given raw. In my opinion, the more important is to not abuse eggs. However, you can choose a safe way and give your Yorkie a well cooked egg which will enrich the doggy’s organism with very digestible protein, riboflavin, selenium.
Apples: apples probably are one of the healthiest food of all times for people and it is widely accepted that they don’t harm dogs but help them too. Eating an apple your Yorkie will be charged with vitamins A and C, moreover, some fibre. The skin of an apple is full of plant chemicals which are considered to be protective against some types of cancer in humans. However, don’t give your dog apple seeds because they contain cyanide.
With this kind of menu your doggy will be happy: he will feel as in a dog restaurant and after it – having more energy, healthier, with a shiny fur and a big smile.
What food Yorkie needs to avoid?
Now here might be the scary part. It is rather more pleasurable to think of things which we would like doing, eating, seeing than think of something dangerous. Because once we start thinking about all the dangers, it seems they are coming right after us the very next moment. But it is nothing to worry about much. Your beloved doggy won’t die from a piece of banned food if it accidentally falls on the ground. The more important is for us, as “parents”, be conscious and to not give away harmful food intentionally. That might end up your doggy getting sick.
In order to avoid these kind of problems, I will give you some information about the products which Yorkie shouldn’t eat.
Can yorkie eat chocolate?
No, Yorkies cannot eat chocolate. Chocolate is particularly dangerous for dogs! It has a toxic element theomobromine which is easily metabolized by humans but not so easily by dogs. A small amount can cause your dog an upset stomach with vomiting and diarrhea, a bigger amount might end up tragically.
So, avoid giving chocolate to your dog. It is very dangerous and can lead to severe health problems or even death. It’s not worth the risk.
Can yorkie eat avocados?
No, Yorkies cannot eat avocados. Avocados are similar to chocolate. They have a toxic element, just a different kind. It is called “persin” and its ingestion might upset the stomach. For small dogs it is more dangerous: because of their weight, they don’t need a big amount of toxin to poison their organism.
Can yorkie eat grapes and raisins?
No, you cannot give grapes or raisins to your yorkie. Not all the dogs feel ill after eating grapes or raisins but Yorkie does. At first he can start vomiting but eventually without proper care it might end up tragically: your dog will have a fatal kidney failure. So your Yorkie should watch out for this food as he should watch out for chocolate.
Can yorkies eat cooked bones?
It is not recommended to give cooked bones to your yorkie. They might cause damage to the dog’s gums, throat, lining of the stomach and digestive system, they might lodge in the throat and cause severe damage. It is more recommended to give raw meaty bones.
Can yorkies eat fatty and oily table food?
It is not recommended to give fatty and oily table food. Fatty and oily table food such food as turkey skin and ham fat could overtax the pancreas and cause pancreatic. Your dog will have a stomach pain and vomit. It will make you take him to the vet because pancreatic needs a medical attention.
Can yorkies eat dairy products?
It depends if your dog tolerates dairy products or not. Some Yorkies can have sensitive digesting systems so the amount of milk and cheese should be very limited and given with precaution. For dogs which do not tolerate lactose consummation of milk and its products might end up with diarrhea, vomiting, excessive gas and upset stomach.
As you can see, there is quite some of food you shouldn’t give to your Yorkie. So you can make an assumption that this kind of dogs can be quite picky. However, most of the advice can be valid for other types of dogs too.
What are bad habits of dogs at the table and how to get rid of them?
I must admit that I made a big mistake with my dog Boss. Now He is five years old and when he was little, I used to spare him some food from the table which my family was eating at. So he developed a habit to ask us all the time for food when we were eating. Each time some guests came and we sat at the table, Boss was at his steady-ready position, sometimes even asking for food out loud. This was quite of an embarrassment and pretty annoying. I stopped giving him food from the table, but he still had his habit. So I commenced looking for ways out.
I have read that good ways to prevent dogs from begging is to limit their access to the table. You can put a short leash on their collar and attach to some heavy furniture. But I didn’t want to keep my little friend tied on a short leash with little ability to move. So I followed another tip. I taught him to stay in his spot while we were eating. I used to give him a toy or something he likes to chew to keep him occupied. Each time Boss came back to the table I wasn’t tired to bring him back to his spot. The most important thing which I read about and which I implemented, was no shouting – no attention giving. Since Yorkies are quite clever and my Boss is too, after a while he learned the lesson.
My lesson from these “classes” was never again to give Boss food from the table. Not human food in general, but just in this context.
Conclusions:
My dog is a friendly and enthusiastic good boy. I don’t want to imagine what would have happened if I had fed him with chocolate or those damn grapes. And I can imagine that he would have been losing some part of his dog’s life experience if he hadn’t ever tried any human food. So I am glad I have found balance: feeding him with something healthy. I hope you will find the balance too!