Maltese Guide

What to Feed a Maltese: Puppy Schedule, Portions and Foods to Avoid

A Maltese eats very little, but what and when it eats matters a great deal. Tiny puppies burn through their energy quickly and can drop their blood sugar if meals are spaced too far apart, while adults gain weight easily if the treats add up.

This guide explains what to feed a Maltese, a sensible puppy feeding schedule, how much to give, which common foods are dangerous and what low blood sugar looks like. For the wider picture of settling a puppy in, see the Maltese puppy care guide.

What is the best food for a Maltese?

There is no single best brand. Look for a complete and balanced food that states it meets the nutritional profiles of the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) for the right life stage, with a named meat as the first ingredient. Choose a formula for small or toy breeds: the kibble is smaller and easier for little mouths to crunch, and the calories are packed for fast metabolisms.

Puppy food until about a year old, then an adult formula, with the switch made gradually.
Dry kibble, wet food or a mix all work. Dry food helps a little with tartar, though it is no substitute for tooth brushing.
Fresh or home-cooked diets need a veterinary nutritionist's recipe, because it is easy to get calcium and other nutrients wrong.
Raw diets carry a risk of bacteria for dogs and the people handling the food, so talk to your vet first.

Keep feeding whatever the puppy ate at the breeder's for the first couple of weeks, then change slowly if you want to.

How often should I feed a Maltese puppy?

Young toy puppies need small, frequent meals, because their livers store very little energy. A common pattern, which your vet may adjust, looks like this:

Age	Meals per day
8 to 12 weeks	Four, evenly spaced through the waking day
3 to 6 months	Three
6 to 12 months	Two to three
Adult	Two

Offer the last meal late in the evening so the puppy is not empty overnight. Leave the bowl down for fifteen to twenty minutes, then pick it up. Regular mealtimes also make toilet breaks predictable, which helps with house training.

Some very small puppies are only comfortable with five or six small meals a day for a few extra weeks. Ask your vet if your puppy falls into that group.

How much should a Maltese eat?

The feeding chart on the bag is the starting point, not the final word. It gives a daily amount by body weight, and you divide it across the day's meals. A four to six pound adult Maltese, which is the weight the AKC breed standard prefers, usually eats only a fraction of a cup of kibble daily, which is why measuring with a proper cup or a kitchen scale matters. A scoop that is "about right" can easily be double.

Weigh the puppy every week or two at first and share the numbers with your vet.
Feel the ribs. You should be able to feel them under a thin layer of flesh, and see a waist from above.
Count treats and table scraps as part of the daily food, and cut them down on days when many are given.
If the puppy is thin and eating well, or round and eating little, ask your vet to adjust the amount.

Adults tend toward weight gain, which strains the knees, back and breathing. The guide to how big a Maltese gets shows what a healthy range looks like.

What is low blood sugar in a Maltese puppy?

Low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia, is a real risk in the smallest toy puppies, especially in the first months of life. A young puppy has little body fat and a liver that cannot yet store much glucose, so a missed meal, a chill, stress, a stomach bug or hard play can push the level too low.

Watch for these signs:

Sudden sleepiness or weakness, and a puppy that is hard to rouse.
Wobbling, stumbling or trembling.
Glassy eyes, pale or tacky gums.
Twitching, collapse or seizures in severe cases.

If you see these signs, call your vet at once and keep the puppy warm. Many vets advise rubbing a small amount of corn syrup or honey on the gums on the way, so ask yours in advance, and go in even if the puppy perks up. Do not pour liquid into the mouth of a limp or seizing puppy. Prevention is simple: regular small meals, a warm bed, calm play and no skipped breakfasts. Some puppies with liver shunts also have low blood sugar, so repeated episodes are worth a vet's attention. See the Maltese health problems guide.

Which foods are dangerous for dogs?

Many ordinary foods are harmful, and a Maltese puppy needs only a small amount to get into trouble. The ASPCA and veterinary schools list these among the most common:

Xylitol (birch sugar), found in sugar-free gum, mints, some peanut butters, baked goods and toothpaste. It can cause a dangerous drop in blood sugar and liver damage.
Chocolate and cocoa, especially dark and baking chocolate.
Grapes and raisins, which can cause kidney failure in some dogs.
Onions, garlic, chives and leeks, which damage red blood cells.
Macadamia nuts.
Alcohol, caffeine and raw yeast dough.
Cooked bones, which splinter, and fatty scraps that can trigger pancreatitis.
Salty snacks and heavily seasoned leftovers.

If your puppy eats any of these, call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center straight away rather than waiting for symptoms. For the household side of the problem, such as medications and cleaning products, see puppy-proofing your home.

What treats are safe for a Maltese?

Treats should stay under roughly ten percent of the day's food. For a four-pound dog that is not much: a tiny piece of a soft training treat the size of a pea is plenty.

Small bits of plain cooked chicken, turkey or lean meat, with no seasoning, skin or bones.
Small pieces of carrot, cucumber, apple (no seeds) or blueberries.
Plain cooked egg.
Commercial dental chews sized for toy dogs, given under supervision.

Skip rawhide, hard bones and anything big enough to get stuck. Teething puppies may want to chew on everything; a soft chew toy sized for small dogs is safer, as the chewing section of the proofing guide explains.

Why is my Maltese a picky eater?

Maltese have a reputation for fussiness, and often it is learned: a puppy that holds out gets chicken, then cheese, then a new brand, and soon nothing in the bowl is good enough. Rule out illness first, since a dog that suddenly stops eating, or one with sore teeth, needs a vet, not a new recipe.

Once a vet has confirmed that the puppy is well, set fixed mealtimes, pick the bowl up after about fifteen minutes, give no snacks between meals and keep the food the same. A teaspoon of warm water or a little wet food mixed into kibble can tempt a reluctant eater. Never let a very young or very small puppy go a whole day without eating: for them, skipping meals is a medical concern, not a training lesson.

How do I change a Maltese's food safely?

Switch gradually over about a week. Start with roughly a quarter new food and three quarters old, then move to half and half after two or three days, then three quarters new, and finish with all new food. Watch the stools: soft ones for a day are common, but vomiting, watery diarrhea or refusing meals means going back to the old food and calling the vet.

Keep fresh water in a shallow, stable bowl at all times. If you are still choosing a dog, the Maltese puppies for sale page lists who is available now. Whichever puppy you take, ask what it has been eating, so the change is easier to plan.

Quick Answers

Can a Maltese eat human food?

A few plain items such as cooked chicken or carrot in small amounts are fine, but many human foods are harmful, and rich or fatty scraps can cause pancreatitis. Use the foods-to-avoid list above and ask your vet when unsure.

Is grain-free food better for a Maltese?

Not as a rule. The FDA has investigated a possible link between some grain-free diets and a heart condition in dogs, so talk to your vet before choosing one unless a medical reason calls for it.

How much water should a Maltese drink?

Roughly an ounce per pound of body weight each day is a common guide, though it varies with food type, weather and activity. Sudden big changes in thirst deserve a vet visit.

Should I free-feed a Maltese puppy?

Usually not. Scheduled meals let you see how much the puppy eats, support house training and prevent weight gain, though some tiny puppies are given extra snacks on a vet's advice.

What can I give a Maltese with a sensitive stomach?

Stay with a single, consistent food and avoid new treats. If loose stools continue for more than a day, or the puppy is very small, see the vet, who may suggest a bland diet or a stool test.