Yorkies and Tuna....?

[annette22]

Hello All,

I have two 3 year old yorkie girls.
I have been having the same problem from the start - they don't want to eat their dry food... They pretty much never!!! eat their dry food. They only want to eat wet food and treats.

I spoke with a trainer who advise me to springkle a little bit of the juice from canned tuna onto the dry food. Has anyone ever tried that before?
I'm scared to give them any fish products so that they don't get sick.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you

[sbgooljar]

I actually bake fresh salmon for Romeo. Wash, pat dry and sprinkle a little lemon juice before putting in oven. I also feed him plain tuna w/water (not oil) and he has never gotten sick. If you decide to feed fish/tuna, be sure there are no bones as these can easily get stuck in their throats or worse.

[Yorkiemom1]

I do this all the time...tuna in water and canned salmon....excellent for them! Omega 3 and calcium...great for bones, teeth, and coats, as well as cardiovascular system.

[Tobybaby]

I have the same problem with Toby. He refuses to eat his dry dog food. The only thing he will eat is meat whether it be chicken, beef, or fish. He went 2 days without eating because I only gave him Acana duck & pear kibble, but he refused to eat it. So unfortunate because I read so many great reviews from users here and how their yorkies love that kibble. I had to go back to giving him his meat. I'll have to try the canned tuna and salmon.

What kind of wet food do you give your girls? Do you add any supplements?

[Herschel]

I have had Harschel since December 2011. He was in a rescue home. I have the same problem with getting him to eat his dry food. He came with a bag of Canidae dry food. The lady I got him from said to give him a quarter cup in the morning and at night. He doesn't eat it. He loves my food and treats. I have been weak and given in to him. He got sick last week and the vet did all kinds of tests. She couldn't find anything serious other than elevated crystals in his urine sample. She said to feed him Science Diet for Toy Breed. Herschel is not found of it. I have discovered that he will eat it if I hand feed him. So I hand feed him. He is much better now. His stool is solid and no problems. I raised a German Shepard and a Persian on Science Diet in the seventies and eighties. They were very healthy and never had trouble. I am hoping that this will be the same for my Herschel. Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated. I don't know a lot about Yorkies in paticular. I have learned that Herschel is very smart and has me wrapped around his little paw. LOL.

[yorkietalkjilly]

My Jilly didn't like dry kibble so I soaked it & then would microwave it & cool it. Later, just kibble soaked in warm water created enough gravy & food scent to help her learn to love it. Then she learned to even eat it dry. She couldn't eat canned as all of it caused terrible G-I problems - even the Rx!

[Herschel]

I tried soaking Herschel's dry with water, homemade chix broth, even adding chopped chix to it. He didn't like it. I am only having luck hand feeding him the Science Diet Dry.

[yorkietalkjilly]

Science Diet Sensitive Stomach in the small bites version was the only kibble Jilly could eat. Anything else - even their canned food, gave her terrible G-I problems. So I soaked it, cooked it on the stove, microwaved it, baked it, sun-dried it - I even crushed it with a mallet to change the texture for the dry version for her. She did like all of those changes in textures & I don't think she ever felt terribly deprived.

[cidneyI]

Originally Posted by Herschel

I tried soaking Herschel's dry with water, homemade chix broth, even adding chopped chix to it. He didn't like it. I am only having luck hand feeding him the Science Diet Dry.

What is it with Yorkies wanting to be hand fed? lol. I had one that would refuse to eat unless I hand fed him....and I did. He has passed on and now I have a second one that is trying to get me to do the same thing. My husband will catch me and tell me to stop and not create the same habit with Sam. So, when I put his food bowl down on the floor, Sam will just look at it and wait for me to hand feed him. I will ignore him and go about doing whatever in the kitchen. As long as I am in the kitchen with him and after a few min he has figured out I am not going to hand feed him, he will eat on his own but he eats really, really slow. My other Yorkie, cant eat fast enough and I have to keep an eye on him from trying to bird-dog Sam while Sam is eating. Scooter will pounce on Sam's bowl the moment Sam steps away and sometimes Sam takes a little breather from eating but will go back to it. Feeding dogs that eat like this makes it difficult when you have those rare moments when you have to leave them in some elses care. Thats a whole different story, lol.

[pgperdue]

This is my first post here. Our Yorkie is 8 years old. He won't eat unless he thinks our other dog, a Lab, wants his food. I logged on here to get help with his scratching. Some nights I get very little sleep because he is scratching or licking most of the night. We just started using Pedigree for joint health. We also give him Milo's treats made from chicken.

I have checked him for fleas, used antihistamine twice a day, bathed him in tea tree oil and oatmeal shampoo.


He has had steriod shots in the past that work for about a week. I dont get those except as last resort.

I think I need to change his food to some with anti-inflammatory ingredients and omega.
I live in Montgomery, AL where it is hot, humid and dusty. I need help and need sleep.
Any suggestions?

[ancora_imparo]

Originally Posted by pgperdue

This is my first post here. Our Yorkie is 8 years old. He won't eat unless he thinks our other dog, a Lab, wants his food. I logged on here to get help with his scratching. Some nights I get very little sleep because he is scratching or licking most of the night. We just started using Pedigree for joint health. We also give him Milo's treats made from chicken.

I have checked him for fleas, used antihistamine twice a day, bathed him in tea tree oil and oatmeal shampoo.


He has had steriod shots in the past that work for about a week. I dont get those except as last resort.

I think I need to change his food to some with anti-inflammatory ingredients and omega.
I live in Montgomery, AL where it is hot, humid and dusty. I need help and need sleep.
Any suggestions?

Not to derail this thread, but I'd get him off the pedigree and onto a better food. If you or your vet thinks its a grain allergy, you can try grain free, or if you think it might be more than that you can try a limited ingredient kibble. As I was told by someone here, it takes 6 weeks for the toxins to leave their system after a switch, so don't switch too fast.

Also, is your dog's skin/coat dry? Our vet put Jaeger on fish oil, and I know some here use coconut oil.

[tokipoki]

Originally Posted by pgperdue

This is my first post here. Our Yorkie is 8 years old. He won't eat unless he thinks our other dog, a Lab, wants his food. I logged on here to get help with his scratching. Some nights I get very little sleep because he is scratching or licking most of the night. We just started using Pedigree for joint health. We also give him Milo's treats made from chicken.

I have checked him for fleas, used antihistamine twice a day, bathed him in tea tree oil and oatmeal shampoo.


He has had steriod shots in the past that work for about a week. I dont get those except as last resort.

I think I need to change his food to some with anti-inflammatory ingredients and omega.
I live in Montgomery, AL where it is hot, humid and dusty. I need help and need sleep.
Any suggestions?

Yes...I agree with switching to a better food. This time of year, the itching/scratching/licking can be a result of any number of things, including environmental or food allergies. Either way, Pedigree is filled with corn, wheat, and by-products with are no good for dogs. Certain grains like corn/wheat/soy are a common source of food allergies and simply not even necessary in a dog's diet.

Even if the food is not causing the scratching you have described, upgrading the food will certainly improve your dog's overall condition and future health. Some brands that I like are Fromm, Acana, and Blue Buffalo. The Acana singles line has formulas with a single protein, single grain source that are supposed to be great for dogs with sensitivities. I know that Blue Buffalo also has limited ingredient formulas in their Basics line.

Toki gets Nature's Variety raw medallions in the morning and Fromm's grain-free Game Bird kibble in the evening! She has a really soft and shiny coat! My sister's yorkie had dry skin that made her itch and a little irritated. She started feeding her yorkie the Blue Buffalo Wilderness for small breeds and giving her coconut oil once a day which has helped immensely!

My preference is a grain-free kibble but certain grains like oats/barley/millet/brown rice are digestible and fine for dogs. These types of kibbles will cost a little (or sometimes a lot) more but you will be feeding smaller amounts of a higher quality food and helping prevent future vet bills related to a poor diet.

I hope you're able to clear up your dog's scratching and licking! Having an uncomfortable pup is no fun!