Best Dog Food for Morkies : 15 Healthy Options + Helpful Answers to Feeding FAQs

What used to be considered a mutt is now a designer breed called the Morkie. This breed initially came about from the desire to create a small lap dog that didn’t shed much and had that fluffy adorable look so many people love.

The breed is so new and unknown that no one knows the exact origin behind the hybrid, but they have gained much popularity over the past 20 years. Morkie is their most common name, but they are also known as a Yorktese or “Morkshire” Terrier.

Morkies get classified as a toy breed, and they grow to about 4-8 pounds and as much as eight inches tall. The difference in size depends on the two parents that bred your Morkie. Overall, these pups are happy dogs and highly playful like most toy breeds. They can be quite stubborn and independent, so most breeders recommend these pups to families with experience.

Here’s what you’ll learn in this article:

Understanding A Morkie’s Diet Requirements

Morkies are a high energy breed that requires a complex diet that meets their needs. They need protein, fat, and fiber to balance out their consumption and these components should come from high-quality sources. Real meat, fish, vegetables, fruits, and oils are the best things to include in your Morkie food.

Along with real meats and vegetables you want to look at where your dog is getting their carbohydrates. Carbs are vital because they provide a lot of dietary fiber which helps regulate your pup’s bowel movements and digestion.

Much of the time, pet foods include carbs in the form of grains like rice or barley. This is okay, and we don’t believe that grains are an inferior ingredient, but a lot of pet parents have shifted away from grains, and they choose starchy vegetables, beans, and legumes in place of grains.

Lastly, you want to see high-quality oils in your dog’s food because they work wonders on their skin and coat. There are household and environmental allergens in your pets life that you have little control over, and the best way to limit the effect of these allergens is by nourishing your pup’s skin with a high-quality food containing healthy oils like sunflower or salmon oil.

• Puppy Morkie Diet – During the puppy stage your Morkie requires more protein and fat in their diet to keep up with their growing bodies. They are a high-energy breed so they need extra calories so they can play and frolic all day. A general benchmark for Morkie puppies is 22% protein and 8% fat in their daily diet.
• Adult Morkie Diet – The most important thing to remember is it’s all about quality over quantity. Many pet owners get in the habit of leaving food out all day for their dog to munch on, but the best way to feed your Morkie is through two or three feedings of a high-quality food per day. As an adult, your Morkie should have 20% protein and 5% fat, depending on their weight.
• Senior Morkie Diet – Around eight years of age your Morkie will begin to slow down, and their metabolism will reduce as well. This means you need to decrease the amount of food you give your Morkie every day. Consider giving them a senior-specific formula at this time.

Special Dietary Considerations For Morkies

Morkies are a generally healthy dog, but when you have a hybrid breed like this, they inherit a lot of the disorders and ailments of their parents. The breed is known to live between 10 and 13 years so expect many happy years spent with your pup.

Morkies inherit a lot of the common issues that toy breeds deal with. Here are some common ailments of Morkies along with some dietary considerations you can keep in mind to help prevent or lessen the effect of these issues.

• Collapsing Trachea – This disorder is a malformation of your dog’s airway which causes difficulty breathing and a deep cough. It’s often made worse by using neck leashes because the pup is so small if they jerk themselves in one direction the pressure from the leash can collapse their trachea resulting in discomfort.

One major way to help prevent this from happening is by using a harness leash, but proper weight management also helps ensure your pup does not experience this uncomfortable disorder.

• Dental Disease – A common disorder in toy breeds; this one causes excessive tartar build-up on teeth because they have a hard time chewing hard kibble or bones. Dogs often receive most of their dental care from the food and treats they eat and if they cannot chew them because their teeth are too small – they do not get the dental cleaning they need.

Daily teeth cleanings and regular check-ups will help prevent any issues here.

• Hypoglycemia – Toy breeds typically lack sugar reserves in their body which means that they cannot keep up with the demands of their exercise and activity levels. After a period this can cause extreme weakness and lack of appetite which only makes the problem worse. This ailment is noticed late in the puppy stage of life and requires force feeding and glucose treatments.

Keeping your pup away from sugary snacks and foods that contain corn syrup is a great way to prevent hypoglycemia from getting worse or coming back after it’s gone.

Morkie Feeding Chart

Like we said above, this breed has a hard time consuming enough food to keep up with their metabolic rate, so it’s important to take feeding seriously with a Morkie. The breed should weigh between 4-8 pounds with males weighing as much as fifteen pounds as a maximum.

• Adult Male Morkies: 320 Calories
• Adult Female Morkies: 160 Calories
• Puppy Male Morkies: 550 Calories
• Puppy Female Morkies: 275 Calories

These guidelines also include snacks and anything else you give your pup throughout the day. During the puppy stage, you can feed them as much as four different meals and gradually decrease that down to two per day.

The main thing to remember with feedings is that feeding your Morkie a high-quality kibble goes a long way because they will fill up faster and require less food to maintain their energy.

If at any time you think they are overweight you can consult your vet and consider decreasing the amount of food. At about eight years of age, your Morkie reaches the senior stage of life, and you will most likely transition them over to a senior recipe or reduce the size of their meals to compensate for their decrease in activity.

The Best Dog Food For Morkie: Our 2023 Top 15 Picks

By this point, you should have a solid understanding of what your Morkie needs to maintain a healthy and happy lifestyle. It’s time to start looking around for examples of premium and high-quality foods, and we have 15 of the best below.

All these foods use high-quality proteins as the first ingredients along with vegetables, fruits, and the best oils for your pups’ sensitive skin. If your Morkie has a hard time digesting traditional kibble we also have some options for pups with sensitive stomachs or skin allergies.

Here are our top 15 picks:

Our 2023 Picks: Morkie Food Recommendations
Rank	Dog Food	Price	Rating
Best Overall	Nutro Wholesome Essentials Small Breed Farm Raised Chicken, Brown Rice, and Sweet Potato Buy Online Customer Reviews	$1.99/lb	A+
Great Value	Blue Buffalo Life Protection Chicken and Brown Rice Buy Online Customer Reviews	$1.63/lb	A+
Most Popular	American Journey Salmon and Sweet Potato Grain-Free Recipe Buy Online Customer Reviews	$1.66/lb	A+
Super Premium	Stella and Chewy’s Super Beef Meal Mixers Freeze-Dried Raw Topper Buy Online Customer Reviews	$2.11/oz	A+
Best for Allergies	Hill’s Prescription Diet Original Skin/Food Sensitivities Buy Online Customer Reviews	$0.29/oz	A+
Sensitive Stomachs	Wellness Small Breed Complete Health Turkey and Oatmeal Buy Online Customer Reviews	$2.83/lb	A
Grain-Free	Blue Buffalo Basics Limited Ingredient Grain-Free Lamb and Potato Small Breed Buy Online Customer Reviews	$3.27/lb	A
Most Affordable	Rachael Ray Nutrish Little Bites Small Breed Natural Chicken and Veggies Buy Online Customer Reviews	$1.19/lb	A
Skin + Eye Health	Nutro Ultra Small Breed Adult Dry Dog Food Buy Online Customer Reviews	$2.24/lb	A

Nutro Wholesome Essentials Small Breed Farm Raised Chicken, Brown Rice, and Sweet Potato

Overall Best Food for Morkie: If your pup is used to a diet that includes grains, it could be troublesome switching them to a grain-free diet, so we want first to suggest a formula that closely mimics a traditional dog food but substitutes all the low-quality ingredients with premium proteins, fruits, and vegetables.

This recipe uses farm-raised chicken as the first ingredient with plenty of fatty acids to promote healthy skin and a soft coat. The formula uses non-GMO ingredients with no by-products, corn, wheat, soy, or artificial anything.

One of the ideal features of this food is it has a unique kibble shape that is designed to reduce plaque and tartar buildup on pups that might have a hard time chewing large kibble.

• Pros: Uses high-quality grains like brown rice, helps heal damaged skin, the optimal protein content of 24% with the fat of 15%, contains no by-products, small breed kibble shape
• Cons: Recipe is not grain-free, concerns over formula changes and inconsistent kibble quality

Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Small Breed Chicken and Brown Rice

Most Affordable Food: We understand that some pet parents want to get the most bang for their buck and Blue Buffalo always delivers a high-quality food at the most affordable price possible. This recipe is geared towards small breeds and uses chicken and brown rice as its main ingredients. The formula contains whole grains, garden vegetables, fruit, and LifeSource Bits.

Blue Buffalo includes their LifeSource Bits in all their formulas, and this kibble packs all the vitamins and minerals your dog needs to stay healthy into a delicious kibble. Unfortunately, sometimes pups have a hard time adjusting to the flavor of the LifeSource Bits.

The recipe also contains glucosamine which is an ideal ingredient for dogs to maintain their mobility and joint health. This food contains 26% protein and 15% fat which is a moderate balance ideal for toy breeds.

• Pros: Affordable for all budgets, specifically geared toy breed food, helps pups with sensitive stomachs
• Cons: contains grain which causes allergies in some dogs, pups have a hard time eating the LifeSource Bits, and they often pick them out

American Journey Salmon and Sweet Potato

Most Popular Food: The best way to choose a dog food if you are unsure is to look at what everyone else is buying and read reviews from their experiences. This food from American Journey has a ton of top-notch reviews available online, and most pet parents recommend this food for their dog.

Unfortunately, they do not have a small breed kibble so your Morkie might have a hard time chewing this food, but the quality and consistency of the brand make it worth a try. The formula contains DHA which is an ingredient found in mothers milk; this plays a significant role in cognitive development for dogs.

Omega fatty acids are also in abundance in the food from sources like flaxseed and salmon oil which are both high-quality sources of oil that help your Morkies skin.

• Pros: Contains DHA, well-recommended food, contains high-quality oils, lean protein in salmon
• Cons: Does not come in a small breed formula so your pup might have a hard time chewing the kibble

Stella and Chewy’s Super Beef Meal Mixers Freeze-Dried Raw Topper

Super Premium Food: Sometimes traditional food isn’t enough for our pets, and we want to step things up a little bit. This can be hard when you have a small breed dog because they cannot always eat everything the larger dogs can. That’s why we suggest trying these meal-toppers, and you could even use them as a meal by themselves.

Stella and Chewy’s combines grass-fed beef with organs and bones to provide a ton of raw protein nutrition served freeze-dried, so it’s easy to put over your pup’s kibble or serve on its own. This recipe contains ingredients like beef kidney, beef bone, pumpkin seed, and a wide assortment of organic vegetables like broccoli and spinach.

The raw topper also uses different pre and probiotics to help regulate your pups gut health.

• Pros: Premium freeze-dried formula, contains organic vegetables, can get used as a meal topper or by itself
• Cons: Out of some families’ price range, 44% protein might be too high for some pups stomachs

Hill’s Prescription Diet Original Skin/Food Sensitivities

Best Food for Morkie with Allergies: Dogs who suffer from allergies often do so because they encounter household or environmental allergens. This could be cleaning sprays or air fresheners to pollen and dust. When your pup regularly meets these, it can cause them to become itchy and uncomfortable.

Much of the time allergies come from your dog’s food. When your pup eats low-quality foods that contain food dye and artificial flavoring it causes them to have an adverse reaction. This formula from Hill’s combats any food allergies by including ingredients that are simple and easy on your pup’s stomach.

This formula does require a prescription so you will have to get a recommendation from your vet to purchase this.

This recipe gets developed by Veterinarians, and it consists of extremely mild proteins to support your dog’s skin and nurture their coat. The food only contains one source of carbs as well in corn starch which helps improve stool quality.

• Pros: Ideal for food sensitive pups, easy on the stomach, helps improve bowel movements, contains simple ingredients
• Cons: Requires a prescription, canned food has a slightly undesirable texture

Wellness Small Breed Complete Health Turkey and Oatmeal

Best Food for Morkie with Sensitive Stomachs: Dogs with sensitive stomachs require ingredients that are gentle and easily digestible. Two of the best ingredients you can have for digestion are turkey and oatmeal, and that is what makes this food from Wellness.

The recipe contains 28% protein and 15% fat which is ideal for your active and rambunctious Morkie, but it’s not too much to upset their stomach. The formula uses a variety of probiotics which are essential for breaking down food and absorbing nutrients into the body. Another main feature of this small breed recipe is it contains the perfect calorie count to support your toy breeds weight.

• Pros: Easily digestible ingredients, optimal protein, and fat content, plenty of omega fatty acids to help keep your pups coat shiny and healthy
• Cons: Contains four different protein sources which can cause allergies, could be troubling to transition your pup to this flavor

3 More Top Rated (5 Star) Morkie Adult Foods

Blue Buffalo Basics Limited Ingredient Grain-Free Lamb and Potato Small Breed

With this recipe, it’s all about getting back to the basics. The Basic line from Blue Buffalo focuses on a limited ingredient formula that contains only the finest ingredients with real lamb as the first and potato as the second.

Beyond those ingredients, you have peas, pumpkin, and fish oil which are all high-quality ingredients we love to find in our dog’s food. The recipe has 22% protein with 15% fat. It also has flaxseed and a variety of fruits which are essential for skin and immune health.

This formula is geared specifically towards small breeds, so it contains a kibble that is the ideal shape and size for a dog with small mounts and dental concerns.

Rachael Ray Nutrish Little Bites Small Breed Natural Chicken and Veggies

This small breed dog food contains farm-raised chicken as the first ingredient followed by a ton of high-quality vegetables like peas, beets, and carrots. It contains the vitamins and minerals your pup needs to wag and chase his tail all day long. The kibble is designed specifically for small breeds who have a hard time chewing and digesting the larger ones.

The food provides a complete and balanced diet for small breeds with plenty of fiber, vitamins, and chelated minerals.

Nutro Ultra Small Breed Adult Dry Dog Food

This holistic dog food formula combines lean proteins with antioxidant-rich fruits and whole grains to always keep your pup performing at their absolute best. The recipe uses the best of the best animal proteins from chicken, lamb, and salmon to give your pup the lean protein they need as well as the essential oil to keep their coat and skin healthy.

This recipe is geared specifically towards small breeds, and it contains all the nutrients they need to maintain their high level of energy throughout the day. Something we love about this food is that it has a variety of high-quality oils like sunflower and salmon oil which work wonders on your Morkie’s skin as well as improving their eyesight and hearing as they age.

3 More Top Rated (5 Star) Morkie Puppy Foods

Our 2023 Picks: Morkie Puppy Food Recommendations:
Rank	Dog Food	Price	Rating
Most Affordable	Diamond Naturals Small Breed Puppy Formula Buy Online Customer Reviews	$1.12/lb	A+
Overall Best	Farmina Natural and Delicious Chicken for Small and Medium Puppies Buy Online Customer Reviews	$3.11/lb	A+
Most Popular	Merrick Lil’ Plates Pint-Sized Puppy Plate in Gravy Buy Online Customer Reviews	$3.45/lb	A+

Diamond Naturals Small Breed Puppy Formula

This chicken and rice formula starts your pup off on the right foot by supplying them with the lean protein and carbohydrates they need to develop strong muscles and a powerful mind. The food is made specifically for small breed puppies using cage-free chicken. The recipe combines that chicken with other whole foods like real fruits and vegetables for immune health.

The blend contains 32% protein and 22% fat which is high but ideal for puppies that are growing at a rapid rate. During the puppy stage, your Morkie will do most of their growth, and they need plenty of nutrition to keep up with their body. The recipe is not grain-free, but we like that it contains high-quality grains like barley and quinoa.

Farmina Natural and Delicious Chicken for Small and Medium Puppies

This grain-free recipe combines the perfect amounts of protein, fat, and carbohydrates to set your pup up for a lifetime of wellness. Farmina believes it’s never too early to start feeding your Morkie high-quality food.

This recipe is comprised of 70% animal ingredients and 30% vegetables, fruits, and minerals. With chicken and herring as the main sources of protein with eggs, this food contains an extremely high 42$ protein and 22% fat which might be too much for some puppies, but if your Morkie is as active as most, they should thrive on this recipe.

Merrick Lil’ Plates Pint-Sized Puppy Plate in Gravy

If you are unsure of how much wet food you should feed your pup, so they do not put on weight, Merrick does the hard work for you with this recipe. The Lil’ Plates provide your dog with delicious pieces of real chicken in gravy. The formula is 100% grain-free with no gluten, so it’s easily digestible.

Something we love about this recipe is that there is no added sugar or corn syrup. Syrup in wet food is a sign of low-quality dog food brands because they need to mask the flavor of inferior ingredients. Every ingredient in this recipe is easily identifiable like chicken, turkey, liver, and fruits.

3 More Picks For Senior Morkie Foods

Our 2023 Picks: Morkie Senior Dog Food Recommendations
Rank	Dog Food	Price	Rating
Overall Best	Simply Nourish Chicken and Brown Rice Small Breed Senior Food Buy Online Customer Reviews	$1.96/lb	A+
Heart Health	Blue Buffalo Wilderness Senior Chicken Recipe Buy Online Customer Reviews	$2.12/lb	A+
Most Popular	Merrick Grain-Free Healthy Weight Recipe Buy Online Customer Reviews	$3.33/lb	A+

Simply Nourish Chicken and Brown Rice Small Breed Senior Food

This bag contains one of the only small breed senior foods available on the market. The ingredients are all carefully selected to help a toy breed dog maintain a healthy weight as they age. The formula contains wholesome ingredients like deboned chicken to help your Morkie retain their lean muscle mass as they begin to slow down.

The recipe contains glucosamine and chondroitin from the chicken meal which is an ideal component for increasing your pup’s mobility and joint health as they age. It is not a grain-free formula, but it has only the highest quality grains from oatmeal, brown rice, and flaxseed. These are easily digestible ingredients that help your pup absorb the nutrients and have regular bowel movements.

Blue Buffalo Wilderness Senior Chicken Recipe

This recipe is inspired by wolves, and Blue Buffalo believes that your dog’s diet should closely mimic what they ate in the wild. This means no carbohydrates and maximum protein. This type of diet is ideal for dogs who have allergies to gluten or multiple protein sources. Blue Buffalo keeps it simple by only including the ingredients that make sense.

Merrick Grain-Free Healthy Weight Recipe

If your Morkie has put on a bit too much weight, they might benefit from a weight management formula like this one from Merrick. The recipe is grain-free with no artificial coloring or preservatives. They balance out the protein and fat content with plenty of fiber to help keep your Morkie’s digestive system flowing.

The recipe contains 34% protein which is ideal for your Morkie’s vitality as they age, but it only has 8% fat due to the lean protein sources of chicken and turkey meal.

Our FAQ And Morkie Feeding Guide

By this point, you should have an excellent understanding of how to pick a high-quality Morkie food for your canine companion. Something as important as the food you choose is where you keep it.

How should I store my dogs food?

You want to make sure you store your dog’s food away from any household contaminants and always seal the bag as best you can.

If the bag does not have a resealable zipper on the top consider buying an airtight container because that will allow the food to maintain its freshness and when it’s fresh it locks in all the nutrients and vitamins your pup needs.

Another essential thing to think about is how you will transition your pup from their current food to the new food. A lot of pet parents believe they can get rid of the old food and expect their Morkie to eat the new food, but that will never happen. You need to slowly wean them off their old food by mixing the two at a ratio of 25% new to 75% old.

After a week or two, if they are receiving the food well, you can up that percentage to 50/50 and so on from there. Eventually, you will have your Morkie off their old diet and enjoying their new, healthier recipe.

We’re sure you have questions so here are some of the most frequently asked questions about Morkie food:

What are some bad ingredients to find in my dog’s food?

There are so many inferior ingredients that cheap food manufacturers use to fill your dog’s stomach. These components do much more harm than they do help your dog so here are some things you never want to find in your Morkie food.

• Corn Syrup – This added sugar does nothing but causes your pup to become addicted to the sweet flavor. Including this will make it difficult to get him or her off the food down the road.
• By-products – These are the leftovers when all the prime cuts of meat get stripped from the animal. The by-products can be anything from cow hooves to pig snouts. They might still contain an ample amount of protein, but they usually contain parasites and bacteria.
• Artificial Coloring – Dyes and coloring in food are for human marketing; they do nothing for your pup other than cause allergies and itchy skin.

How can I tell if my pup is overweight?

Other than a trip to the vet, one great way to check your pup’s weight is to have them sit down in front of you and look at them head-on. If you can see any stomach sticking out from the side of their body, it means they could afford to drop a few pounds. Generally, a Morkie should never weigh more than 12-15 pounds max.

How many feedings should I give my Morkie per day?

Small breed dogs like Morkies have a fast metabolism which means they burn through their energy quickly. This breed is also prone to hypoglycemia, so they benefit greatly from frequent small feedings throughout the day. When they are a puppy feed them at least four times a day, and you can decrease that to three at one year.

Morkie Dog Food – A Final Word

Now you should have a complete understanding of how to feed your Morkie the best food and what to look for in a premium dog food brand.

You always want to make sure your Morkie food contains high-quality protein in the first five ingredients. You want that protein to come from actual meat, and it should come alongside plenty of fruits and vegetables to balance out their diet.

Remember that grain-free is not always the way to go and you don’t need to jump on the bandwagon with what everyone else is doing. If the grains are from high-quality sources, your pup should do just fine unless they have an allergy.

If you are on the fence about the best Morkie food, consider choosing one of the top 15 picks above!