How Much to Feed a Morkie: About Half a Pack of Fresh Dog Food a Day
How much to feed a Morkie depends on weight, but a neutered 7 to 8 lb adult needs about 265 to 295 calories a day. That's roughly half a 454 g pack of our Fisherman's Best Friend Supper, split into two meals. Morkie puppies need more calories and more frequent meals. Our Morkie dog food guide covers the breed's full profile.
How many calories does an adult Morkie need?
An adult Morkie of 4 to 10 lbs needs about 175 to 350 calories a day when neutered. Veterinarians estimate this from the resting energy requirement (70 × body weight in kg to the power of 0.75), multiplied by 1.6 for a neutered adult or 1.8 for an intact adult1.
The result is a starting point1. A meta-analysis of 29 studies found that estimates based on body weight alone may not be accurate for every dog, and that dogs at the extremes of size, including toy breeds, need more research2. Your Morkie's body condition over a few weeks is the final check.
What does a Morkie feeding chart look like?
A Morkie feeding chart turns your dog's weight into daily calories and then into packs of fresh food. These are starting estimates for neutered adults, using three meals our breed page features for Morkies.
Adult weight (neutered) | Calories per day | Fisherman's Best Friend Supper (504 kcal/pack) | Classic Pork Stew (742 kcal/pack) | Kangaroo (435 kcal/pack) |
4 lb (1.8 kg) | ~175 kcal | ~0.35 pack | ~0.24 pack | ~0.40 pack |
6 lb (2.7 kg) | ~235 kcal | ~0.47 pack | ~0.32 pack | ~0.55 pack |
8 lb (3.6 kg) | ~295 kcal | ~0.58 pack | ~0.40 pack | ~0.68 pack |
10 lb (4.5 kg) | ~350 kcal | ~0.69 pack | ~0.47 pack | ~0.80 pack |
For a portion based on your own dog, answer a few questions about your pup, and we'll set the Meal Plan by weight, age and activity.
How often should you feed a Morkie?
Most adult Morkies do well on two meals a day. Our breed page recommends dividing their daily food into smaller portions, which keeps energy steady and makes a tiny dog's portions easier to manage.
For a 7 lb Morkie on Fisherman's Best Friend Supper, each meal is about a quarter of a pack. Weigh the day's food once on a kitchen scale, then divide it in two. Puppies follow a different schedule, covered below.
How much should a Morkie puppy eat?
A Morkie puppy eats more calories per pound than an adult, because growing takes energy. The Merck Veterinary Manual estimates puppies under 4 months at 3 × the resting energy requirement and puppies over 4 months at 2 × that requirement1, based on the puppy's current weight.
Tiny puppies also need meals spread across the day. VCA Animal Hospitals lists inadequate nutrition in toy-breed puppies as one cause of low blood sugar, which can show up as weakness, collapse, disorientation, tremors and sometimes seizures3. Those signs are an emergency, so call your vet right away.
Good Morkie puppy food is a complete diet made for growth, fed on a schedule your vet sets. Our meals are formulated to AAFCO adult maintenance profiles, so check with your vet or our nutrition team before feeding them to a puppy.
Why is my Morkie a picky eater?
A Morkie picky eater is often a small dog with a small appetite who has learned that waiting brings better food. Our breed profile lists picky eating, a sensitive stomach and itchy paws and skin as the Morkie's common health risks, so rule out a medical cause first.
Mouth pain is worth checking in a dog this size. Research on 22,333 dogs under UK veterinary care linked smaller adult body weight with higher odds of periodontal disease4. Call your vet if your Morkie skips meals for more than a day, loses weight, vomits or chews on one side.
Once your vet gives the all-clear, these habits help:
- Keep to set mealtimes, and lift the bowl after 15 to 20 minutes.
- Count every treat, because a few bites can replace a meal for a 7 lb dog.
- Let the portion sit out briefly before serving, so the meal isn't fridge-cold.
- Rotate two meals your Morkie likes, keeping the daily calories the same.
What is the best Morkie diet for a fussy adult?
The best Morkie diet for a fussy adult is a complete and balanced meal with a flavour they enjoy, in a measured portion. Two of the recipes on our breed page suit different needs.
- Fisherman's Best Friend Supper pairs wild Alaskan pollock with butternut squash, brown and white rice and cranberries. It's a low fat recipe (25 g fat per 1,000 kcal or less) and a gentle choice for a sensitive stomach.
- Classic Pork Stew is a stew of lean ground pork, root vegetables and leafy greens, tagged for picky eaters. At 742 kcal per pack, it's our most energy-dense dog meal.
Kangaroo, the third meal on our breed page, is a short-ingredient recipe tagged Allergy-Friendly, for a Morkie with itchy skin.
How do gently-cooked meals make Morkie portions easy?
Gently-cooked meals make Morkie portions easy because every pack has a known calorie count and every recipe is complete on its own. Every Tom&Sawyer meal is made with 100% human grade ingredients in a human grade inspected facility, and gently-cooked to a safe internal temperature without cooking out nutrients.
A Full Plan makes our meals your Morkie's complete diet, portioned to the gram for their calorie needs. A Partial Plan mixes our meals with their current food. You can cancel anytime, and each order comes with our 14 day satisfaction guarantee.
Ready to work out how much to feed a Morkie?
Working out how much to feed a Morkie starts with the chart, then follows your dog's weight and energy as they grow and age. Weigh them, choose a meal they love, and check in with your vet.
Build your pup's Meal Plan with our meal quiz. Tell us about your Morkie, and we'll recommend meals and portion them to the gram.
Please consult your veterinarian before making changes to your pet's diet, especially if your pet has a medical condition.
Resources
- Sanderson, S. L. (2024). Nutritional Requirements of Small Animals. Merck Veterinary Manual. https://www.merckvetmanual.com/management-and-nutrition/nutrition-small-animals/nutritional-requirements-of-small-animals
- Bermingham, E. N., Thomas, D. G., Cave, N. J., Morris, P. J., Butterwick, R. F., & German, A. J. (2014). Energy requirements of adult dogs: a meta-analysis. PLoS ONE, 9(10), e109681. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4196927/
- Barnes, C., Williams, K., Ruotsalo, K., & Tant, M. S. (n.d.). Testing for Low Blood Sugar. VCA Animal Hospitals. https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/testing-for-low-blood-sugar
- O'Neill, D. G., Mitchell, C. E., Humphrey, J., Church, D. B., Brodbelt, D. C., & Pegram, C. (2021). Epidemiology of periodontal disease in dogs in the UK primary-care veterinary setting. Journal of Small Animal Practice, 62(12), 1051–1061. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9291557/