Yorkshire Terrier nutrition: dental disease and liver shunts

Periodontal disease was the most common problem recorded in Yorkshire Terriers in a 2025 study of UK primary-care veterinary records, diagnosed in about one in five dogs over a single year. Retained baby teeth also made the top five. The same records put the median adult weight at 5.06 kg, a good deal heavier than the 7 pounds (about 3.2 kg) in the American Kennel Club standard, and the Yorkies that died during the study did so at a median age of 13.6 years. Feeding this breed well means scaling everything to a very small body, keeping young puppies' blood sugar steady, looking after crowded teeth, and knowing the signs of a congenital liver shunt, which is far more common in Yorkies than in dogs overall.

Daily calories by body weight

Because adult Yorkies range from under 3 kg to well over 5 kg, a single calorie figure for the breed is not much use. A better starting point is the resting energy requirement (RER), which the Merck Veterinary Manual calculates as 70 × body weight in kg to the power 0.75. That number is then multiplied: 1.6 for a neutered adult, 1.8 for an intact adult, 1.4 for a dog that gains weight easily, 3 for a puppy under four months and 2 for an older puppy.

These are estimates, and real dogs can need noticeably more or less. Weigh the dog every few weeks and adjust the amount against its body condition, not against the bag. Treats need counting at this size. A 20 kcal chew is close to a tenth of the day for a neutered 3 kg dog, and three of them turn a correctly fed dog into an overfed one.

Low blood sugar in young puppies

Toy-breed puppies are tiny at birth, often cut their teeth late, and have trouble keeping warm. Veterinary Partner's article on hypoglycemia in toy breeds explains how those factors add up: a cold puppy that finds kibble hard to chew eats less, and its blood sugar falls. The brain runs almost entirely on glucose. A puppy with low blood sugar turns listless, then uncoordinated, and in severe cases loses consciousness or has seizures. Stress, diarrhea, parasites and infection all raise the body's demand for sugar, and in Yorkies a liver shunt can be part of the picture, since the liver helps keep blood sugar steady.

What prevents it is mostly routine:

• Frequent meals. A toy-breed puppy may need feeding four to six times a day.
• Food the puppy can actually eat. Soft or moistened puppy food for a puppy with few teeth.
• Warmth. A chilled puppy eats less.
• Early vet care. A prompt first check, deworming and flea control, because a puppy this small has little reserve for parasites or illness.
• No waiting out a missed meal. Appetite loss, vomiting, diarrhea or unusual quietness in a very small puppy is a reason to call the vet the same day.

The risk fades as the puppy grows, puts down some body fat and gets stronger teeth. Most adult Yorkies do well on two or three meals a day. An adult that shows the same signs needs a veterinary workup, not just extra meals.

Teeth and periodontal disease

Yorkie mouths are crowded, and gum disease starts young. Researchers who examined a group of Yorkshire Terriers under anesthesia found that 98% already had early periodontitis on at least one tooth at 37 weeks, about eight and a half months old. Their conclusion was that susceptible breeds need prevention from a young age. They also found that daily brushing, one of the most effective home measures, was hard to keep up in practice.

The evidence on wet versus dry food is thinner. In a 2025 study of young Yorkies, the plaque bacteria at the gum line of dogs fed wet food leaned towards species linked with periodontal disease, while those of dogs fed dry food leaned towards species linked with healthy gums; dogs on a mix fell in between. That is a finding about bacteria, not about how many dogs went on to lose teeth, and it does not make kibble a substitute for brushing.

• Brushing. Daily if possible, with a small brush and dog toothpaste, started while the dog is young.
• Kibble size. Toy-breed kibble is easier for a small jaw to crunch properly.
• Dental chews. Pick ones sized for dogs under 5 kg and take their calories out of the day's food.
• Baby teeth. Ask for a check once the adult teeth have come through. Retained puppy teeth crowd the adult ones.
• Professional care. A dental exam at least yearly, with cleaning under anesthesia at whatever interval the vet finds necessary.

Liver shunts and protein

A portosystemic shunt is an abnormal blood vessel that carries blood from the intestines around the liver instead of through it, so ammonia and other substances the liver would normally clear reach the rest of the body. Yorkshire Terriers had more shunt diagnoses than any other breed in North American veterinary teaching hospital records from 1980 to 2002. The condition was recorded in 2.9% of Yorkies, compared with 0.18% of all dogs and 0.05% of mixed breeds.

VCA lists stunted growth, poor muscle development, disorientation, staring into space, circling, head pressing and seizures as the most common signs, with the behavioral ones sometimes appearing only after a high-protein meal. Excessive thirst and urination, vomiting and diarrhea are less common, and some dogs show nothing until they are older and develop bladder infections or stones. A bile acid blood test is the usual screening step, and a puppy that grows poorly or behaves oddly after meals should have one.

For a dog with a shunt, diet is set by the vet, often alongside lactulose, which changes the pH in the large intestine and reduces how much ammonia is absorbed, and sometimes antibiotics. According to VCA Animal Hospitals, the ideal diet has not been firmly established. Current approaches focus less on cutting protein and more on protein that is highly digestible. Soy-based rather than meat-based diets and limits on copper and manganese have also been recommended, though VCA notes more research is needed. After surgery, a protein-restricted diet is usually kept for at least six to eight weeks. A healthy Yorkie with normal liver function has no need for a liver diet.

Coat and skin

The long, fine Yorkie coat reflects the diet behind it, but it does not need special ingredients. A complete and balanced food supplies the protein, essential fatty acids and zinc that skin and hair depend on. When a Yorkie on such a food develops a dull coat or dry, flaky skin, fatty acid supplements are often suggested, but the Merck Veterinary Manual advises ruling out an underlying medical cause first. Long-haired small dogs also get matting and skin irritation from grooming problems that no food will fix.

Supplements at toy size

A Yorkie eating a complete and balanced food does not need a multivitamin, and in a 3 kg dog it is easy to overshoot. Doses of fish oil and similar supplements are worked out per kilogram, while many capsules are made with a 20 or 30 kg dog in mind. Liquids or products labeled for small dogs make a small dose easier to measure. Ask the vet for a dose based on the dog's weight, and treat any supplement given alongside a prescription liver or kidney diet as something to clear with the vet first.

Sources

1. Yorkshire Terriers under primary veterinary care in the UK: demography and disorders. Companion Animal Health and Genetics, 2025.
2. Yorkshire Terrier dog breed information. American Kennel Club.
3. Nutritional requirements of small animals. Merck Veterinary Manual.
4. Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) in toy breed dogs. Veterinary Partner, VIN, revised 2025.
5. A longitudinal assessment of periodontal disease in Yorkshire terriers. BMC Veterinary Research, 2019.
6. Influence of wet and dry commercial diets on the oral microbiota of Yorkshire terriers. BMC Veterinary Research, 2025.
7. Association of breed with the diagnosis of congenital portosystemic shunts in dogs: 2,400 cases (1980-2002). Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 2003.
8. Portosystemic shunt in dogs. VCA Animal Hospitals.