Grain-Free Food and Yorkies: What the FDA DCM Investigation Found

General nutrition information compiled from product labels and published sources, not veterinary advice. Your veterinarian is the right person to choose a diet for your dog, especially one with a health condition.

Grain free dog food became popular fast, and then a heart condition called dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) entered the conversation. If you feed a Yorkshire Terrier, you may have seen warnings, rebuttals and a lot of marketing on both sides.

This guide is a short process, not a verdict. It shows you how to read what the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has actually published, how to check your own Yorkie's food against it, and what to bring to your veterinarian. The tone here is neutral on purpose. The science is not settled, and nothing below should be read as a reason to panic.

What the FDA investigation is, in plain terms

The FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine began investigating in July 2018. The agency had received reports of DCM in dogs eating certain pet foods. Many of those foods were labelled grain-free and listed peas, lentils, other pulses and/or potatoes among their first 10 ingredients. That is the FDA's own description of how the investigation started.

The FDA's most recent public update on the page is dated December 23, 2022. The agency said it does not intend to release further public updates until there is meaningful new scientific information to share.

That date matters. If you read a headline that sounds like a fresh finding, check it against the FDA page itself before you change anything about your dog's bowl.

Materials you need

The bag or can your Yorkie eats now, or a photo of the full label.
The ingredient list, including the first 10 ingredients.
The AAFCO statement, which says what life stage the food is made for.
Your dog's age, current weight and any health history.
A list of everything else your dog eats: treats, toppers, table scraps.
The FDA's DCM investigation page, linked in the Sources list below.
A pen, or a notes app, for questions to take to your veterinarian.

Step 1: Learn what "grain free" does and does not tell you

A grain free label only says the recipe leaves out grains such as wheat, corn or rice. It does not say the food is lower in calories, higher in meat or better balanced. It also does not say what replaced the grain.

In the FDA's description, the foods that drew attention were not simply grain-free. They were foods where pulses and/or potatoes sat among the first 10 ingredients. So the more useful question is not "does it have grain?" but "what is in the first 10 ingredients?"

Step 2: Read your Yorkie's ingredient list the way the FDA described it

Take the label and go through the first 10 ingredients in order. Mark any peas, lentils, chickpeas, other pulses or potatoes. Write down how many you found and where they sit in the list.

Two cautions:

A food with grain can still contain pulses. For example, the label data we compared for Hill's Science Diet Adult 7+ Senior Vitality Small & Mini Chicken & Rice Recipe lists yellow peas third, even though it is not a grain-free recipe.
A grain-free label does not automatically mean pulses are present. You have to read the actual list.

Marking an ingredient is not a diagnosis of anything. It simply gives you something specific to show your veterinarian.

Step 3: Check what the FDA does and does not say

Open the FDA page and read the most recent update yourself. As of its December 23, 2022 date, the page describes an investigation into a potential link. It does not give you a Yorkie-specific rule, and it does not hand owners a list of foods to avoid or a feeding formula.

It helps to keep two columns in your notes:

Stated by the source: the investigation began in July 2018; many of the foods in the reports were labelled grain-free; pulses and/or potatoes were among the first 10 ingredients; the last public update is dated December 23, 2022.
Not stated, so check with the FDA or a veterinarian: a cause for any individual dog's heart disease, a safe or unsafe list for toy breeds, and what the agency will conclude later.

Step 4: Ask whether the breed has a stated DCM predisposition

This is where Yorkie owners often get confused, because DCM stories tend to center on larger dogs. The breed sources we relied on do not name DCM as a Yorkie predisposition.

The American Kennel Club breed page for the Yorkshire Terrier notes that some Yorkies are prone to becoming overweight and suggests watching calories and treats. The Yorkshire Terrier Club of America, the AKC parent club, names hypoglycemia in puppies, portosystemic shunt and protein-losing enteropathy in its brochure. The Merck Veterinary Manual adds liver conditions and reports an increased prevalence of pancreatitis in the breed. None of those sources lists DCM for Yorkies.

That is not the same as saying the question is closed. Absence from those pages is not proof about any one dog. If you want a firm answer for your Yorkie, ask your veterinarian, and check the Yorkshire Terrier Club of America for current breed health information.

Is grain free bad for Yorkies?

The sources above do not support a flat yes or no, and a page that gives one is overreaching. What can be said:

The FDA investigated reports of DCM in dogs eating certain foods, many labelled grain-free with pulses and/or potatoes high in the ingredient list.
The FDA's last public update is dated December 23, 2022, and it said it would hold further updates until there is meaningful new science.
The breed sources we used do not name DCM as a Yorkie predisposition.
Whether a given food is right for a given dog is a veterinary decision.

That last point is the practical one. A small dog with liver, pancreas, weight or puppy blood sugar concerns may have much bigger diet questions than the grain label.

Step 5: Look at the other things on a Yorkie's label that matter more often

Before you decide a grain-free question is the main issue, check the basics that the breed sources do raise:

Life stage. Look for the AAFCO statement. It should say the food is complete and balanced for your dog's stage, such as growth or maintenance. A 7 lb toy breed is not covered by the large-size growth rule. That wording matters only for dogs expected to reach 70 lb or more as adults, according to the Merck Veterinary Manual.
Calories per cup. The AKC notes that some Yorkies are prone to becoming overweight. Compare kcal per cup on the label to see how quickly a small scoop adds up. For example, the Royal Canin Yorkshire Terrier Adult dry food lists 336 kcal per cup.
Feeding frequency. The Yorkshire Terrier Club of America brochure says a young puppy can be fed three to four times a day, and two feedings a day should be enough once the dog matures.
Treats and extras. They count toward calories, too.

Step 6: Write your questions for the veterinarian

You do not need to arrive with an opinion. You need a clear picture. Bring your notes and ask things like:

Given my Yorkie's age, weight and health history, is my current food a good fit?
Do the pulses or potatoes I marked in the first 10 ingredients matter for my dog?
Is there any reason to screen my dog's heart, or is routine care enough?
If we change foods, how should we switch, and what should I watch for?
Are the treats and toppers I use changing the picture?

If your dog has been prescribed a special diet, that is a veterinary prescription, not a shopping choice. Do not swap it out on your own.

Step 7: If you decide to change food, compare labels the same way each time

When your veterinarian agrees a change is reasonable, use the same checklist for every candidate: the AAFCO statement, the first ingredients, the calories per cup and the feeding guide. Treat feeding guide numbers as starting points, since each brand's table is built around its own food.

Our label-by-label comparison of dog foods for Yorkies lays out this data side by side. To be clear about the method: we compared label data from brand pages. We did not run feeding trials or taste tests, and the comparison does not say any food will prevent or treat a condition.

Tips

Take a photo of the label each time you buy. Brands change recipes, and the ingredient order can shift.
Check the date on any news you read. The FDA's last public update here is from December 2022.
Change foods gradually unless your veterinarian says otherwise, so your dog's stomach has time to adjust.
Weigh your Yorkie regularly. Even a small gain is a big share of a 7 lb dog.
Keep one place, such as a note on your phone, for food names, dates and any symptoms you notice.

Common mistakes to avoid

Switching suddenly out of worry. An abrupt change can upset a small dog's digestion and does not answer the DCM question.
Treating "grain-inclusive" as automatically safe. The FDA's description centers on pulses and potatoes in the ingredient list, not only on grains. Read the list.
Assuming one label tells the whole story. A label shows ingredients and guaranteed analysis. It cannot show how a particular dog will respond.
Ignoring calories. The AKC specifically points out that some Yorkies tend to gain weight.
Adding supplements on your own. Ask your veterinarian before adding anything to the bowl.
Treating a missing breed warning as a guarantee. The breed sources not naming DCM does not mean it can never happen.

What to expect

After working through these steps, you should be able to say what is in your Yorkie's food, whether pulses or potatoes sit in its first 10 ingredients, and what the FDA has and has not said. Many owners find that this turns a vague worry into a short, specific list of questions.

A conversation with your veterinarian may confirm that your current food is a reasonable fit, or it may lead to a change. Either outcome is possible, and neither is guaranteed. If the FDA publishes new information in future, this process still works: read the update, re-check your label and ask your veterinarian what it means for your dog.