Do you ever give your Yorkie human food?
 

Sometimes we give Yoda chicken (no flavoring, just steamed chicken) and he does get a bone once a week or so. Hamhocks are absolutely his favorite! It keep him occupied for an hour or more...

Hamhocks?? Hmmm....I never thought about that! Do you boil it first? What a great idea!

Sometimes I give Otis Gerber baby food, particularly the "Graduates." They're like little hotdogs for toddlers.

Once Otis got a leftover prime rib bone from a steakhouse here in San Francisco. It was as big as he was, like the one they served Fred Flintstone at the drive-thru that tipped over his car. But I think it was too rich becuase he had the worst diarrhea the next day. Never again!

Yes, usually boiled in hot water with no other flavoring for about 30 minutes. Yoda LOVES IT! It's good for their teeth and he loves to try to get the marrow inside the bone. You can leave a little bit of meat on it as well. Perhaps try a small portion at first for your Otis to see if he likes it.

Alternatively, you can cook hamcock in chicken broth (like Swanson's Chicken Broth) like normal. Then you can put the hamhock in cold water for 15 minutes or so, which cools down the hamhock and gets rid of the excess salt, as too much salt is bad for our Yorkies. Safest thing to do is definitely just boiling it in hot water.

Human food for Yorkies?
 

We decided to explore other food options after reading the contents of some of the leading dog foods and have decided to switch. Toto is naturally finicky about her food and even though I'm smart enough to know that if they are hungry enough they will eat what's there. I figure that if this little bit of fluff can give us so much .... we can go the extra mile for her! I have our vet in Alabama [we are working on a project in Texas] on "speed dial" at the office and at home so we aren't going into this blindly. I bought several good books on this subject along with a great little "cookbook" called "Barkers Grub" which are quite useful. Some things are "common sense" and some things I have learned are quite surprising, i.e., I am 61 and have had pets for most of my life and didn't know onion was like poison to pets [or at least it is for Yorkies]! I met a Yorkie lover at the courthouse in a Parish over in LA who almost lost her baby because she was eating spicy sausage and her Yorkie [being a beggar] wanted some and she gave it to her!! The second thing we taught Toto was a very firm [not mean] NO! And she knows that if she hears that one word she better quit whatever she is doing or else it's "time-out" and being ignored in her X-pen! We try not to over use the word so it doesn't become ineffective. I guess being a Yorkie lover is like a journey ... you learn as you go! ;)

I know about chocolate being potentially fatal, but onion, too? Are spices bad for our babies bettyanne? I'd definitely be interested in some kind of full list detailing FOODS TO AVOID for Yorkies, as anything we can do to save a Yorkie's life potentially is worthwhile!!!

We read every article we can find ... there's lots of good information online. One book we have found to be really helpful early on was "A New Owners Guide to Yorkshire Terriers by Janet Jackson". Our breeder knows her and respects her work with this breed. Others have advised to strictly avoid all "spicey" seasonings and food containing them. One thing I was surprised to find that's OK is garlic [in moderation]. We pretty much run anything new past our Vet for her approval. [I have her on "speed dial"! ;) ] I will try and find some of the "links" and forward them to you. Their little systems are so tiny that we are probably way too cautious ... but I would just die if anything were to happen to Toto!! Expecially, something that I did wrong!

thanks for sharing the tips! I'm sure none of us want to harm our pups in any way! Any info to prevent possible accidents is definitely appreciated!

HI everyone, I was concerned also about what was ok to feed our babies, so I asked my vet. He said that I could feed Dolce whateva I would feed a baby...he said he really has no restrictions although he would like me to keep it a balanced diet...he said not to feed her ALL meat all the time. He said vegatables and fruits are good and so is bread. He also said to use common sense and if i wouldnt think of giving it to a child, then I shouldnt give it to Dolce. I know about the chocolate thing from having other dogs, and I figured spicy foods was a NO NO. That list would be greatly appreciated though, as my boyfriend likes to spoil her and lets her eat whateva he is eating. I yell but somehow it seems to wind up on the floor right from his plate...wonder how that is happening??? Hmmmm.... :p

I'd say to try to avoid salty foods, when we give Yoda meat, we generally make sure there's no salt in it. Hamhocks and chicken are usually the only meats we give him. And we avoid a lot of sugar, he occasionally gets spoiled with some ice cream licks though! Also, too much fruit can give them diarrhea, so you have to be careful with that as well.

I try not to give anything besides dog food to my babies...but one thing i do like to "treat" them with is fruits...they love it, and as long as it is in moderate quantity and not citric, i have had no problem. Also, Mojo just can't resist to a carrot..it's his weakness.
I have read in a science book that garlic is good for "preventing" fleas and ticks in dogs...i guess they don't like the smell..:) It's living and learning...

Yes, onions are very dangerous to our yorkies, as is baking choclate, raisins and grapes. I have information on some things to make sure your babies don't get into in your homes and plants that are dangerous to them. They are on the pages listed here

http://yorkieviews.com/dangers.htm
http://yorkieviews.com/toxicplants.htm

Foods
 

I spent a bit of time this morning reviewing some of the older posts on this site concerning foods. Lexi is refusing to eat her Special Diet Food. Some of the fault is that of family members that cannot seem to resist giving her bits off the dinner table but I'm going to shoulder the greatest blame myself.

A couple of days ago I fed Lexi off of a can of Special Diet that I just assumed my husband had just taken out of the fridge. I was running late so I quickly fed her and she ate it. A few minutes later I returned to the kitchen to cap the cap of food and return it to the fridge. That's when I noticed a funky smell. Upon further investigation I found it was the food - was I horrified! There was nothing for me to do now but watch her. Luckily she never got diarreaha or anything. The next day I fed her, she took a mouth full and proceeded to vomit. I've never been able to eat any foods that were the last thing I ate just before I got sick - like momma like puppy.

Today I boiled some chicken for her meal later this morning. Is this the right thing to do? Will the chicken be OK for her? I plan to mince it up and mix it with a portion of her Science Diet food still. What does everyone think about this.

Hi,
If you look on www.peteducation.com they have a list of foods that you shouldnt give any dog.
You will need to copy and paste, as i have not figured out how to post a link!
or if you would like me to send you the page in an email, let me know your address. :) or i can instant message on aol
Tina

Your link worked fine. Thanks for the site - it's very informative.

Hamhock danger!
 

:eek: I gave my cuties some hamhocks yesterday. I boiled them and cooled them off in cold water, took the gross fat off, and gave it to them. Well, let me tell you....DON'T GIVE THEM HAM HOCKS!!!!!!! :mad: :( They broke off pieces of the bone and I was so afraid they would choke! I took the bones away from them. Be careful, you guys. They have little "pipes" and can choke easily, and if you're not with them, they could die..... :( :( :(

:) I boil chicken and give it to Nemo sometimes, because he just will not eat any dog food at all.....so I just boil chicken and he eats it right up I this because I do not want him to get hypoglycemic the nutracal is good for that but I rather do the chicken

I give Luca Dean nonfat yogurt, vegetables, his Science Diet, and he gets meat baby food every other day or so. I was trying this combo with some olive oil and vitamin E added to help his coat, but he pretty much just eats his dog food now and occassionally gets the other stuff like treats. It's been a month now, and he's gained the weight he needs without being chubby, so I'm moving towards sorta a maintenance diet. I have considered making chicken and rice food for my pups, but the dog food has all the extra vitamins they need. Luca Dean hasn't had boiled chicken yet, but I often give it to my other pups when we have a leftover carcass. I refuse to give chicken bones because I've heard they are brittle and can tear their throat on the way down if they break and have a sharp edge. But I've also heard NO RAWHIDE, and I give rawhide all the time under supervision. Onions thin the blood and can cause anemia. Some dogs have allergies to shellfish (like my sis-in-law2b's lab). Everyone's pretty much covered the bases about what not to feed yorkies. Oh, Luca Dean loves banana baby food too!! He only gets a few tablespoons at a time though, so he doesn't get diarrhea.;)

I will have to be honest in saying that yes, I give "people" food to Schatzie. It mainly depends on what we eat for dinner. If it's spicy then no way Jose, but let's say it's roasted turkey (had that last night) and yes, she got a smidgen of turkey meat. (only about the size of my finger tip).

If I make salads she gets a shred of carrot

If I eat a banana, she gets a bit of that.

So, yeah, it's pretty much based on what I eat. However her Bil Jac is her mainstay food mixed with Little Ceasers wet, the people food we give her is mainly for a treat and affection.

Schatzie has learned to sit right next to me while I eat and not "beg" or "stare me down waiting for a morsel", or whatnot. I thought i needed to train her this if we ever "hide her in a resturant" or go to friends house for dinner, I wanted her to be able to sit next to me by my side and be a good little girl.. She is awesome about that. So, usually when I get to my very last little bite I give it to her. She seems to know that so I think that is why she doesn't panic and beg for food from us, who knows.

I know they say that most dog foods have enough vitamins and such to keep a dog healthy, and they advise that our pets never need any human food. Well, i just have a hard time following their advise.

Joey loves fruit. His favourite is Apples. I dice up some apple for him sometime and put it in his food. He loves it. As for table scraps, I try to avoid those all together so he doesn't get used to it and starts begging at the table.

Our Toto loved veggies so much that she refused dog food of any kind except a few little pieces of Royal Canin Yorkie 28 once in a while. All she would eat was fresh cooked veggies!! The problem was the weight gain! We are now practicing "tough love" and Miss Prissy Paws is on a diet to shed 1.5 lbs.! She gets strictly 1/8 c. of her Natural Balance twice a day ... about 1 T. RC Yorkie 28 and an occasional liver treat or if she is real lucky she gets a little minced apple or pear! I feel really bad about it because it was my fault! :o We are happy to report ... Toto has lost about 6 1/2 ozs. in about 12 days! ;)

We give them human food - or rather daddy does. When they were little (before they discovered cat poop :p ) he would even let them eat on one side of his plate. Yes, this is a man who did not tolerate dogs in the house when we got married and about had a cow when I bought our two babies. They totally ignore me when we're eating - they concentrate on the easy mark. We boil chicken, chicken liver and ground beef (we raise our own) with some garlic and a smidge of salt and give them. The ONLY bones I ever give them are ones that are way too big for them to break and they only get the leftover meat on the bone also the ones that have a lot of marrow. If I am not sure of the splinter factor, I will scrape the marrow out for them.

I have been advised by numerous vets that RAW beef bones are ok to give to dogs, just never cooked ones as they splinter. The raw ones are healthy for them and do not splinter, plus gives all the bone marrow to them that they desire.

Honestly I do not know if this is true or not. I have in the past given my Great Paranese (sp) raw beef bones and she loves them and chews on them forever. I have never had a problem with her. Also, she eats deer carcuses (sp) that she finds in our country area that we live in. However, she is stronger than these little Yorkies and I just never wanted to take the chance giving any kind of bones, uncooked or cooked to Schatzie. Besides, it would make such a mess on her face, yech!! It's hard enough keeping her clean let alone add to it by a messy bone.

Cecilia eats basically everything. I put out RC Yorkshire for her and she eats that when she is hungry. Whenever I am eating though I give her a little of whatever I am having. The only thing that has ever made her sick was some dog treats that a person I work with gave her. She likes to eat. I watch her so that she doesn't gain weight. She loves to get crazy and run around so she burns it all off. I think all dogs are different just like humans. My friends yorkie Toby can't eat anything but his dog food or he will puke and have diarreah everywhere. Cecilia has never been affected by foods.

I try not to give Biggie "people food" like food I'm eating for dinner! But I do give him chicken, apples, lettuce, carrots, eggs, other veggies and fruit... mixed in with his Royal Canin.

If I'm eating any one of those things myself I usually give him a little in his own bowl, I try to make sure I'm not directly feeding him from my plate. I didn't want Biggie turning into a beggar dog, especially when I'm eating myself.

human food for yorkies
 

Hi,
My yorkie absolutely loves raw carrots and canned green beans. There are very few calories in the green beans....have to watch the weight you know! Vet said O.K. I have also given her boiled chicken breast mixed with white rice for the occasional tummy ache per vet instructions.......of course she loves that. For a chewing treat she gets a bacon flavored edible nylabone, I buy the larger ones,,,,it takes her forever to consume it and it satisfies her need to chew(they are cheaper at Walmart). My baby will be 9 months on Valentines day and getting sweeter by the minute.............hope this helps....just remember to always ask your vet and any new food must be introduced very slowly to avoid tummy upset.

Wow! It's good to know what other dogs are eating and what's not good. JD will be 3 months old tomorrow and is a Hoover already. Anything that is on the floor gets sucked up by JD. He is too much. I'm glad I read grapes aren't good. He had a couple the other day, now everytime we open the container he is there for a grape. I guess no more for him. I'll have to try the apples, carrots and green beans. :)

Human Food
 

My Yorkie babes, Samson & Delilah, adore raw fruit and veggies, especially crunchy stuff like carrots and celery. Watermelon, apples, bananas, strawberries, lettuce, on and on, but NEVER any of the no-no foods.
ALL IN MODERATION.

They get cooked chicken breasts and very little red meat, no raw meat ever. Their normal diet is Royal Canine. They are happy, healthy and have super shiny coats, so something must be working. :D