An adult Yorkshire Terrier needs a complete food and portions based on its real weight: a 2.5 kg neutered Yorkie with moderate activity needs about 141 kcal a day. Studies of thousands of Yorkies add three things that change how you fill the bowl: most weigh far more than the 3.2 kg breed standard, their teeth run into trouble early whatever they eat, and they are somewhat more prone to acute diarrhoea than crossbreds.
The FCI breed standard sets the Yorkshire Terrier's weight at up to 3.2 kg. Real Yorkies are considerably heavier: in the Royal Veterinary College's VetCompass study of 28,032 Yorkies under UK veterinary care in 2016, the median adult weight was 5.06 kg (5.50 kg for males, 4.67 kg for females), and three in four weighed more than 3.81 kg. The authors discuss it in the context of the growing divergence between registered pedigree Yorkies, bred to the Kennel Club standard, and the much larger population of pet Yorkies.
So a 5 kg Yorkie is not necessarily fat. In fact, overweight is diagnosed less often than you might expect: in 3.72% of Yorkies, while a separate VetCompass study of the same year found it in 7.1% of dogs overall (different studies, so treat the comparison as a rough guide). Two details still matter: Yorkies keep gaining weight until about five years of age, and in dogs generally neutering is linked with more overweight.
Body shape counts for more than the scales: you should be able to feel the ribs without seeing them, a score of 4-5 on the WSAVA 9-point scale, and under a Yorkie's long coat you check with your hands, not your eyes. But do weigh your dog: the portion is calculated on its weight, not the standard's.
It is a popular belief, but for Yorkies the evidence says no. In a study of 50 Yorkshire Terriers followed at a pet food manufacturer's research centre, 48 of the 49 dogs examined at 37 weeks of age (about eight and a half months) already had early periodontitis in at least one tooth, mostly the canines and incisors. The dogs ate kibble, wet food or both, and the type of diet had no significant effect. The WSAVA dental guidelines likewise state that standard dry dog food is not beneficial for oral health.
Periodontal disease is also the most commonly diagnosed disorder in the breed: 21.10% of Yorkies in 2016, almost double the 12.52% of dogs overall, with 2.16 times the odds of crossbreds even after accounting for age and other factors. Retained baby teeth are more than three times as common as in other dogs (3.57% versus 1.01%).
Somewhat, although not on every measure. In the 2016 VetCompass study, gut disorders were the second most common group of problems in Yorkies after dental ones (9.98% of dogs in a year), but that is about the same as in dogs overall (10.43% in the same year). The clearer signal comes from a separate VetCompass study of more than 2.2 million dogs under veterinary care in 2019, in which about one dog in 12 was diagnosed with acute diarrhoea during the year: Yorkies had 1.51 times the odds of crossbreds, even after accounting for age and other factors. It is not just about size: the equally small Chihuahua had lower odds (0.59). Most episodes need little follow-up: across all breeds, only one vet visit was recorded in over 80% of cases.
There is also a rarer, more serious condition described in this very breed: protein-losing enteropathy, in which the gut leaks proteins from the blood. In 30 affected Yorkies the most common signs were diarrhoea (20 dogs), vomiting and a belly swollen with fluid (11 each) and difficulty breathing (8), so one dog in three had no diarrhoea at all. In a series of 11 Yorkies managed with a vet-chosen diet alone (home-cooked in 5 cases, a low-fat veterinary diet in another 5), the signs disappeared completely in 8. Diarrhoea that will not settle, weight loss or a swollen belly need a check-up, and the diet is the vet's call.
Three Yorkie predispositions involve the bowl directly, and in all three it is the vet who chooses the diet.
Every Pappa Fresh recipe contains one meat, with the percentage of each ingredient on the label:
They are cooked in the pouch and kept out of the fridge until opened; once opened, they go in the fridge and should be used within 2-3 days. For a 2.5 kg Yorkie a 400 g pouch lasts about 3.2 days (the note under the table explains how to portion it), and the heavier the dog, the sooner it is finished. That is why the Complete plan suits a Yorkie best: on the Mix plan the pouch would last twice as long, and the Topper is not offered because it would not reach 10 pouches a cycle. Turkey is poultry: if your dog has reacted to chicken, ask your vet before trying it.
An adult 2.5 kg Yorkshire Terrier, neutered and moderately active, needs about 141 kcal a day: roughly 124 g of our Chicken recipe, or 104 g of the richer Beef. An intact dog burns more, about 176 kcal. The table runs from 2 kg to 3.2 kg, the limit of the standard: if your Yorkie is heavier, like most of those in the UK study, the quiz calculates the portion for its real weight.
Compared with kibble feeding guides these grams look like a lot, and that is normal: kibble is far more concentrated (350-400 kcal per 100 g, against 110-136 for our recipes). The general rules are in our guide to how much a dog should eat.
| Weight | Energy need (kcal/day) neutered / intact | Grams per day neutered / intact | Complete plan | Mix (½) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kg | 119 / 149 | 104 g / 131 g | €1.89/day | €1.04/day |
| 2.5 kg | 141 / 176 | 124 g / 154 g | €2.33/day | €1.13/day |
| 3.2 kg | 169 / 212 | 148 g / 186 g | €2.69/day | €1.34/day |
Grams based on the Chicken recipe (114 kcal/100 g); with Beef, which is richer (136 kcal/100 g), you need about 16% less. Prices for a neutered dog.
Figures calculated with the same method as our quiz (FEM×K: maintenance energy adjusted for breed, activity, neutering and body condition). They are an estimate: take the quiz for your dog's exact plan, and talk to your vet about any health concern.
Two minutes: enter weight, age and activity to get the exact portion, with 30% off your first order.
An adult 2.5 kg Yorkie, neutered and moderately active, needs about 141 kcal a day, which is about 124 g of chicken wet food; at 3.2 kg about 148 g. If yours weighs more than the standard, the portion should be based on its real weight, which is what the quiz does.
Not just because it weighs more than 3.2 kg: the median adult weight of Yorkies under UK veterinary care was 5.06 kg, and one in four weighed more than 6.49 kg. Check the shape instead: ribs easy to feel but not visible, a score of 4-5 on the WSAVA 9-point scale.
What matters is that the food is complete and the portion right. As for teeth, in a study of young Yorkies the type of diet (dry, wet or mixed) made no significant difference to periodontitis: the WSAVA dental guidelines point to the toothbrush, ideally every day.
Yorkies have a reputation for fussy eating, but we found no study that measures it, and tempting them with table scraps is not a good idea. If your Yorkie suddenly stops eating, especially if it is older, vomiting or lethargic, see your vet: among Yorkies that died during the VetCompass study, appetite disorders were the third most common recorded cause of death (8.20%).
Above all, fatty leftovers: table scraps are linked with pancreatitis, and Yorkies were at increased risk of fatal acute pancreatitis in a US study. Count any treats within the day's ration: for a dog of a few kilos, every mouthful counts.
Yes, to calcium oxalate stones in particular: the Yorkie was one of 12 high-risk breeds in a US analysis of more than 124,000 stones, with the first stone at around 7.6-7.9 years on average and most cases in males. If your dog has had stones, the vet chooses its food.
Written by the Pappa Fresh editorial team from published veterinary studies (see sources). Not a substitute for your vet's advice.
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