For a Yorkie with diarrhea, the safest first step is a bland diet of boiled white rice mixed with plain boiled chicken, served in small, frequent meals throughout the day. Most mild cases resolve within 24 to 48 hours with this approach, proper hydration, and rest. But because Yorkies are a toy breed, they face unique risks from diarrhea that larger dogs don’t, especially rapid dehydration and dangerous drops in blood sugar.
The Bland Diet: What to Feed and How Much
The go-to recipe is 75% boiled white rice and 25% boiled lean chicken breast (no skin, no bones) or lean ground beef like sirloin. White rice is easy on the gut and helps firm up stools, while the protein provides calories without adding fat that could make things worse. Skip any seasoning, butter, or oil.
For a Yorkie under 5 pounds, feed about half a cup total per day. If your Yorkie weighs between 5 and 15 pounds (which covers most adult Yorkies), aim for half to three-quarters of a cup daily. The key is splitting that total into 4 to 6 small meals spaced about two hours apart. Tiny, frequent portions keep the digestive system from being overwhelmed while maintaining a steady supply of energy, which matters a lot for a breed prone to blood sugar crashes.
Stay on the bland diet for two to three days after stools return to normal, then gradually mix in your Yorkie’s regular food over the course of another three to four days. Switching back too fast often triggers a relapse.
Canned Pumpkin for Firmer Stools
Plain canned pumpkin (100% pure pumpkin, not pie filling with sugar and spices) is a reliable way to add soluble fiber that absorbs excess water in the intestines. For a small dog like a Yorkie, start with 1 tablespoon mixed into a meal. You can increase to 2 tablespoons if needed, but more isn’t better. Too much fiber at once can backfire and worsen loose stools. Pumpkin works well stirred into the bland rice-and-chicken mixture or added to regular food once your dog is transitioning back.
Keeping Your Yorkie Hydrated
Diarrhea pulls water and electrolytes out of the body fast, and a 5-to-7-pound dog doesn’t have much reserve to lose. Fresh water should be available at all times, but if your Yorkie isn’t drinking much on their own or the diarrhea is watery, an electrolyte solution helps replace what’s being lost.
Unflavored Pedialyte is safe for dogs. The guideline is 1 teaspoon per pound of body weight every 2 to 3 hours. So a 7-pound Yorkie would get about 7 teaspoons (just over 2 tablespoons) per dose, offered throughout the day and night. You can syringe small amounts into the side of the mouth if your dog won’t drink voluntarily. Avoid flavored or sugar-free versions, as artificial sweeteners like xylitol are toxic to dogs.
Probiotics That Help
Probiotics can shorten a bout of diarrhea by restoring the balance of beneficial bacteria in the gut. Cornell University’s veterinary college recommends 1 to 10 billion colony-forming units (CFUs) per day for dogs. For a Yorkie, stay toward the lower end of that range.
Not all probiotic strains do the same thing. The ones with the best evidence for diarrhea in dogs include Bifidobacterium animalis (strain AHC7), which has been studied specifically for acute diarrhea, and Lactobacillus acidophilus, which improves stool quality and frequency. Enterococcus faecium (strain SF68) is another well-researched option you’ll find in many veterinary probiotic supplements. Look for a product made specifically for dogs rather than using human probiotics, since the formulations and CFU counts are designed differently.
Should You Fast a Yorkie?
A common recommendation for dogs with diarrhea is to withhold food for 12 to 24 hours to let the gut rest. This is risky for Yorkies and other toy breeds. Their small bodies burn through stored glucose quickly, and fasting can trigger hypoglycemia, a dangerous drop in blood sugar. Symptoms include trembling, lethargy, stumbling, glazed eyes, and in severe cases, seizures or collapse.
Instead of fasting, go straight to the bland diet in very small portions. If your Yorkie refuses to eat entirely for more than a few hours and starts showing any signs of weakness or shakiness, rub a small amount of Karo corn syrup or honey on their gums to temporarily stabilize blood sugar, and get to a vet right away.
Over-the-Counter Options
Kaolin-pectin products (the active ingredients in some pet-safe antidiarrheal liquids) coat the intestinal lining and help absorb toxins. The veterinary dosage is roughly 1 to 2 milliliters per kilogram of body weight every 6 hours. For a 7-pound Yorkie (about 3 kilograms), that works out to approximately 3 to 6 mL per dose. Use a product labeled for dogs, and measure carefully with a syringe.
Do not give your Yorkie Imodium (loperamide) or Pepto-Bismol without explicit guidance from your vet. Imodium can cause serious reactions in some dogs, and Pepto-Bismol contains salicylates (related to aspirin) that are harder for small dogs to process safely. The margin for dosing error in a dog this size is very narrow.
When Diarrhea Signals Something Serious
Mild diarrhea from a dietary indiscretion or minor stomach upset typically improves within a day or two on a bland diet. But Yorkies can go downhill faster than larger breeds, so watch closely for these warning signs:
- Blood in the stool (bright red or dark, tarry black)
- Vomiting alongside diarrhea, which accelerates fluid loss dramatically
- Lethargy, trembling, or wobbliness, which may indicate hypoglycemia or severe dehydration
- Diarrhea lasting more than 24 to 48 hours despite bland diet and hydration
- Refusal to eat or drink for more than a few hours
- Puppies under 12 weeks, who are especially vulnerable to both dehydration and blood sugar crashes
Any of these situations calls for a vet visit rather than continued home management. Persistent or recurring diarrhea may point to parasites, infections, food intolerances, or conditions like inflammatory bowel disease that need proper diagnosis. Prescription medications that target specific gut bacteria or parasites are sometimes necessary, and your vet can determine whether that’s the case based on a stool sample and exam.