Top 10 Best Dog Food for Morkie
Morkies are small but active dogs, so they require some special considerations when choosing the type of food you feed them. Finding a brand of food to feed these small dogs can be challenging and looking through the ingredients of dozens of brands can be tedious.
We’ve chosen 11 brands of food targeted for small dogs to review for you. Each brand has unique qualities and will go over the pros and cons of every one. We have also included a buyer’s guide where we look at a Morkies nutritional needs and what makes one food better than another.
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Join us while we look at protein, vitamins and minerals, kibble size, and more to help you make an educated purchase.
Can Morkies eat grapes or raisins?
The answer is no. Grapes and raisins can be toxic for Morkies.
Can Morkies eat Chocolate?
No. Chocolate contains theobromine and is toxic to dogs. Large amounts can be fatal to toy breeds like the Morkie.
Can my Morkie eat grains?
We recommend purchasing grain-free dog food if your Morkie suffers from allergies or sensitivity issues.
Is smaller kibble necessary for Morkies?
Yes. Morkies have smaller jaws and need smaller kibble for easy chewing. Large kibbles are dangerous as they pose a choking hazard to toy dogs like Morkies.
Is sweet potato good for Morkies?
Yes. Sweet potato is healthy for Morkies, and you’ll find it on the ingredient lists of many commercial dog foods.
Is cucumber good for Morkies?
Cucumber is a great snack for Morkies. It’s best to cut the cucumber before feeding it to your dog.
Can my Morkie eat cat food?
Cats and dogs have different dietary requirements and should not try each other’s food. For example, cats require higher taurine content in their diet. An occasional venture into each other’s food bowls will not be harmful, but it is not recommended.
Can my Morkie eat table scraps?
Giving big chunks of steak, poultry skin, and other leftovers isn’t a great idea. An abrupt change in diet can cause weight gain and other health conditions. Your Morkie deserves a healthy diet with essential vitamins and minerals.
Can a Morkie eat bananas?
Small quantities of bananas are safe for Morkies. Always consider bananas as an occasional treat. These fruits have high sugar content and can upset the dog’s tummy.
Will my Morkie get bored eating the same food?
No. Getting bored with food is a human trait. Dogs are creatures of habit and are happily eating the same food. Dogs eat to meet their nutritional or energy needs. They have sensitive digestive systems and may experience digestive disturbances if their diet is abruptly changed. Also, constant changes can make your Morkie a picky eater.
Can Morkies eat chicken?
Yes, Morkies can eat chicken, and they enjoy it. It is a high-quality protein source and supports lean muscle development.
How many biscuits can I feed my Morkie each day?
Feed approximately two to four small dog biscuits per cup of food. Keep in mind that when you add biscuits to your dog’s diet, it increases their daily calorie intake. So, you should reduce the amount of dog food you feed. You should also check the calorie content of the dog biscuit because they vary in size and formulation.
How can I introduce a new diet to my Morkie?
When changing your Morkie’s diet, it’s important to introduce the new food gradually. You can slowly increase the amount of new dog food and decrease the amount of old dog food.
Can Morkies eat brown rice?
Yes, Morkies can eat brown rice. It’s a complex carbohydrate and can boost their vitality.
How much does a full-grown Morkie weigh?
A full-grown Morkie weighs between four and eight pounds. A
How much should I give my Morkie to eat?
The amount to feed your Morkie depends on his age, size, and activity level. Dog foods have feeding guidelines that list the daily recommended portion. You can follow recommended feeding guidelines on the packaging and adjust according to your Morkie’s needs.
Is it OK to moisten dry food?
Adding water does not change the nutritional value of dry dog food. However, once you moisten the food, make sure your Morkie eats it soon. You should discard any uneaten portions to avoid spoilage.
Can I supplement my Morkie’s diet with vitamins and minerals?
Most commercial dog foods are nutritionally complete and balanced. Adding vitamins and minerals can offset the balance the dog food provides. High-quality dog food has proper ratios to provide optimum nutrition. And if you buy premium dog food for your Morkie, you won’t need to supplement his diet.
Can Morkies eat tuna?
No. You shouldn’t feed your Morkie the saltwater fish because it has high mercury content. It can lead to different health problems.
What is the best way to store canned dog food?
You can store canned dog food in a cupboard with other canned products.
The 10 Best Dog Foods for Morkies
Iams MiniChunks Small Kibble Dog Food — Best Value
| Main ingredients: | Chicken, Ground Whole Grain Corn, Ground Whole Grain Sorghum, Chicken By-Product Meal |
| Protein content: | 26% |
| Fat content: | 14% |
| Calories: | 380 kcal/cup |
If you want to stretch your dollar further, we recommend Iams MiniChunks Small Kibble to give you the best bang for your buck. This food is similar in quality to many much more expensive dog foods, with a high protein content of around 26%, a fat content of 14%, and 380 kcal/cup. This food also has great digestibility with lots of healthy fiber and prebiotics.
The first ingredient in this food is farm-raised chicken, which is a great source of healthy proteins and fats. This is followed by whole grain corn and sorghum. Although some dog food has lots of cheap grains like corn, giving it a bad reputation, in moderation whole grains like corn are beneficial to your dog. The fourth ingredient is chicken by-product meal. This meal is a little less ideal. Chicken by-products are a lower-quality source of meat protein that is recycled into pet foods. We also noticed that it contained artificial colors, something that doesn’t do anything for your dog’s nutrition.
Purina Beneful IncrediBites Dry Dog Food
Purina Beneful IncrediBites Dry Dog Food Features beef as its top ingredient, and it contains other protein sources as well, bringing the level up to 26%. Real fruits and vegetables like apples, carrots, and green provide 23 essential vitamins and minerals, many of which are antioxidants that help boost the immune system.
What we didn’t like about Purina Beneful IncrediBites is that a contains corn ingredients that can upset some dog’s digestive system, and there are no omega fats, which is an important nutrient for dogs of all ages. The kibble is very hard, which caused many of our dogs not to like it, and the bag is not resealable.
- Some dogs don’t like it
- Not resealable
- Contains corn
- No omega fats
- Kibble is very hard
- Real fruits and vegetables
- Beef top ingredient
- 26% protein
- 23 essential vitamins and minerals
Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Dog Food —Best Overall
| Main ingredients: | Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Brown Rice, Oatmeal |
| Protein content: | 26% |
| Fat content: | 15% |
| Calories: | 396 kcal/cup |
Formulated especially for smaller dogs, we love this recipe for its wholesome ingredients and balanced nutrition. We found Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Small Breed Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe the best food overall for Morkies. It has chicken as its primary protein source and the first ingredient. This is the backbone for bringing up the protein levels to a respectable 26%. That’s plenty to fuel your dog all day long. Many of the vitamins in this food come from real fruits and vegetables, which makes them healthier and easier to absorb. It also includes glucosamine, which is good for joint health, omega fatty acids that boost overall organ health, and lots of antioxidants that protect from diseases. This food is on the expensive side of the list, so it may not be an option for everyone. It’s also worth noting that chicken is a common allergen for dogs, so some dogs may do better on a non-chicken alternative.
Hill’s Science Diet Small Bites Dog Food — Best For Puppies
| Main ingredients: | Chicken Meal, Whole Grain Wheat, Cracked Pearled Barley, Whole Grain Sorghum, Whole Grain Corn |
| Protein content: | 25% |
| Fat content: | 15% |
| Calories: | 374 kcal/cup |
If you’ve got a growing pup, you know how much fuel is needed to keep them going. Morkie puppies may be small, but they don’t ever stop. Hill’s Science Diet Puppy Small Bites Food is an ideal food for puppies because it has great ingredients that are formulated especially for small breed puppies.
The first ingredient on this product’s list is chicken meal—a concentrated chicken that is extremely high in protein. The other main ingredients are whole grains to keep your puppies going. It is at 25% protein and 15% fat. 25% protein is within the suggested range for puppies, but it is on the lower end of the range. This food is also high in antioxidants and vitamins. All in all, it’s a great food for helping your Morkie grow to be strong and healthy.
N&D Ancestral Grain Mini Breed Dog Food — Premium Choice
| Main ingredients: | Lamb, Dehydrated Lamb, Whole Spelt, Whole Oats, Dried Whole Eggs |
| Protein content: | 28% |
| Fat content: | 18% |
| Calories: | 395 kcal/cup |
Farmina N&D Ancestral Grain Lamb & Blueberry Mini Breed food is our premium choice because of its delicious all-natural ingredients and balanced nutrition. It is high in protein with lamb as the protein source—this is ideal for dogs with allergies as it is a less common allergen than chicken and turkey. Whole oats and spelt add healthy grains to the mix, and it’s totally free of pea and lentil products. The smaller kibble size makes it ideal for mini breeds like Morkies. At 28% protein and 18% fat, it is great fuel for active dogs, although Morkies with a tendency towards obesity might prefer a slightly less fatty diet. It also includes lots of fruit and vegetable products that make up 20% of the food by weight, including blueberry, pomegranate, orange, spinach, and turmeric. This premium food does come at a premium price though, so it might not be ideal for all owners.
Nutro Ultra Adult Dry Dog Food — Vet’s Choice
| Main ingredients: | Chicken, Chicken Meal, Whole Grain Brown Rice, Whole Grain Sorghum, Whole Grain Barley |
| Protein content: | 26% |
| Fat content: | 9% |
| Calories: | 335 kcal/cup |
Many Morkies tend towards obesity, and if yours is among them, our vet’s choice product might be for you. Nutro Ultra Adult Weight Management Chicken, Lamb & Salmon Recipe is a great choice for weight management. It has a lower fat content of only 9% and 335 calories per cup, a much lower amount than most other foods, but it keeps your dog going with plenty of protein. It uses great ingredients, including a variety of protein sources—chicken, salmon, and lamb—and lots of delicious fruits and vegetables. It is formulated especially for small dogs to help them stay as healthy as possible.
Because this is a weight management product, it isn’t ideal for all Morkies. Most dogs are healthiest with a higher-fat and higher-calorie food, and healthy fats are an important part of your dog’s diet. But foods like this do have their place for dogs who are stubbornly holding on to some extra pounds.
Nulo Frontrunner Ancient Grains Small Breed Food
| Main ingredients: | Deboned Turkey, Chicken Meal, Oats, Barley, Brown Rice, Turkey Meal |
| Protein content: | 27% |
| Fat content: | 16% |
| Calories: | 432 kcal/cup |
Nulo Frontrunner Ancient Grains Turkey, Whitefish, and Quinoa Small Breed Food is a delicious dog food that’s packed with meat. With three of its first five ingredients as meat products, along with two whole grains, it’s a great choice for your dog. Do note that although it doesn’t list chicken in the title, it does contain chicken meal. That means it’s not ideal for dogs with chicken allergies. It has lots of great vitamins, including omega fatty acids, and contains probiotics to boost digestion. We love this food, but it is on the more expensive side.
Wellness CORE Grain-Free Small Breed Dry Dog Food
| Main ingredients: | Deboned Turkey, Turkey Meal (source of Glucosamine), Chicken Meal (source of Chondroitin Sulfate), Lentils, Peas |
| Protein content: | 36% |
| Fat content: | 16% |
| Calories: | 412 kcal/cup |
Wellness CORE Grain-free Small Breed Turkey & Chicken brings in the meat with this grain-free, meat-heavy food. The first three ingredients are all meat products, including two extra-nutrient-dense meat meals. The total protein content is 36%, enough to fuel the most active dogs. It also has tons of healthy fruits and vegetables as well as salmon oil, antioxidants, probiotics, and lots of other good stuff.
Unfortunately, there’s some not-so-good stuff. Grain-free recipes have been linked to higher rates of heart health issues, and peas and lentils specifically are common ingredients in grain-free foods that might be the problem. Peas and lentils also add less digestible protein that could be inflating that 36% protein content.
Wellness Small Breed Adult Dry Dog Food
| Main ingredients: | Deboned Turkey, Chicken Meal, Salmon Meal, Oatmeal, Ground Brown Rice |
| Protein content: | 28% |
| Fat content: | 15% |
| Calories: | 408 kcal/cup |
Wellness Small Breed Complete Health food is a great option for many small breeds. It is free of meat by-products and artificial preservatives, and with 28% protein, it’s great for fueling your dog. It has a small kibble size and a formula balanced for small dogs. It also has lots of fruits and veggies, including tomatoes, carrots, spinach, and blueberries. Whole grains include oatmeal, brown rice, and barley—all wholesome and healthy choices. Although this food is nutritionally sound, reviewers do have a few warnings. First, this food is pretty smelly for a dry food, and some owners couldn’t stand the smell. Second, a few reviewers noted that something in the food caused loose stools in their dogs.
Royal Canin Health Nutrition Small Adult Formula Food
| Main ingredients: | Corn, Chicken By-Product Meal, Brewers Rice, Brown Rice, Corn Gluten Meal |
| Protein content: | 25% |
| Fat content: | 14% |
| Calories: | 359 kcal/cup |
Royal Canin Health Nutrition Small Adult Formula Food comes in at 25% protein, a good amount, and has some other good ingredients we like, including DHA and omega fats that will help with your dog’s brain, eye, and coat health. There’s also L-Carnitine, which helps your dog regulate weight and metabolize food well. But overall, this isn’t our favorite choice because it doesn’t have meat as the top ingredient, and the meat protein it does have is chicken by-product—a lower quality chicken that’s left over from other processing.
Buyer’s Guide – Choosing the Best Dog Food for a Morkie
Here are some things to consider when choosing a dog food brand for a Morkie.
Fruits and Vegetables
- Many brands spray their food with liquid vitamins and minerals. While spraying is an acceptable way to provide these nutrients, real fruits and vegetables are preferable. Organic foods like cranberries, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, raspberries, blueberries, and more provide powerful antioxidants and fiber. Antioxidants will help boost your pet’s immune system, which will ward off disease, help them heal quicker, and help the systems in their body function better. Fiber will help balance the digestive system and can relieve constipation as well as diarrhea.
- We recommend purchasing a brand of food with real fruits and vegetables listed in the ingredients. The higher they are listed, the better.
Protein
- Because the Morkie is an active breed, it will need a food high in protein to maintain energy levels and build strong muscle. Protein from whole meat like chicken, turkey, beef, or lamb is preferable to a meat by-product or meat meal. Meat by-products are dried and ground meats that often come from countries with lower pet food standards.
- We recommend a food with no less than 20% protein for adult dogs and 25% protein for puppies.
Ingredients to Avoid
Unfortunately, there are some ingredients commonly found in dog food that you should avoid.
Omega Fats
- Most omega fats come from fish oil, but flaxseed and many fruits also provide them. You will see Omega fats listed with many names, including omega-3 omega-6, DHA, and EPA, but fish oil provides everything you need, and we recommend a brand with fish oil listed in the ingredients.
- Omega fats provide many benefits to your dogs. It helps with the development of the eyes and brain while your dog is still a puppy. It promotes a shiny, soft coat, and helps their heart, skin, and immune system.
Corn and Soy
Corn and soy provide very little nutritional value to your dog and are empty calories used as a filler. For some reason, many dogs seemed to like the corn ingredient, but it’s not part of their natural diet, and it could upset their sensitive digestive system, leading to gas, loose stools, and even diarrhea. Corn and soy are also the two most genetically modified foods on earth, so it’s best to avoid them when possible.
Chemical Preservatives and Artificial Colors
Two other ingredients you want to look for on every package of dog food are chemical preservatives and artificial colors. Since your dog is colorblind, there is little need for artificial colors in their food and they may contain ingredients that can cause an allergic reaction. Chemical preservatives like BHT are even more dangerous to your pet and can lead to serious health problems like cancer.
We recommend choosing a brand with no artificial colors that use natural preservatives like rosemary.
Final Thoughts
Morkies have tons of great options out there, as we hope our reviews have proven. Our overall favorite pick is Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula for its clean ingredients and balanced nutrition. A good low-cost alternative is Iams MiniChunks Small Kibble, which is comparable and comes at a much lower price point. Farmina N&D Ancestral Grain Lamb & Blueberry Mini Breed Food is a delicious premium choice with lots of delicious ingredients and is chicken-free as a bonus. For puppies, we love Hill’s Science Diet Puppy Small Bites—it’s made to help puppies grow up strong and healthy. Finally, our vet’s choice product is Nutro Ultra Adult Weight Management Chicken and Brown Rice food. If your dog struggles to maintain weight on standard dog food, our vets wholeheartedly recommend this one.
