Maltese Care: Grooming, Dental Health and Warning Signs
Dans cet article
By Dr Duncan Houston
A Maltese can be a lively companion in a small package, but the white coat is only part of its care. Comfortable teeth, safe handling and sensible feeding are just as important as keeping the hair tidy.
Quick Answer
Maltese need regular grooming, daily dental care, gentle activity and companionship. Ask about kneecap and heart screening and whether liver function testing is appropriate. A tiny puppy that becomes weak, stops eating or behaves abnormally needs prompt veterinary advice.
Does a Maltese fit your household?
Many enjoy close contact with people, but no breed guarantees a quiet or undemanding dog. Plan walks, sniffing, short reward-based lessons and quiet rest. A smaller home can work well if toileting and social needs are met.
Supervise play with children and larger dogs. Their small bodies can be injured by falls or rough handling. Support the chest and hindquarters when lifting and give the dog safe ways to get on and off furniture where needed.
Teach comfortable time alone gradually. A crate may be a useful resting place if introduced positively, but shutting a panicking dog inside does not treat separation anxiety. Persistent distress warrants professional help.
Grooming should protect skin and eyes
A long coat needs frequent brushing and combing to prevent mats. A shorter practical trim may be easier to maintain. Pay attention behind ears, under legs and around the rear, and ask an experienced groomer to demonstrate comfortable technique.
Do not cut tight mats with scissors close to skin. If the dog flinches, bites at the brush or refuses handling, consider pain as well as fear. Stop pulling and get help.
Tear staining can be cosmetic, but increased discharge, redness, rubbing or squinting is not simply a colour problem. Gently clean superficial discharge and arrange an examination for persistent changes. Keep bleaching products and unprescribed eye preparations away from the eyes.
Make dental care a priority
Build daily toothbrushing with dog toothpaste and a comfortable small brush. Begin with touching the lips and brief rewarded handling, then gradually add brushing. Stop if it is painful and have the mouth checked.
Bad breath, dropping food, chewing on one side or avoiding hard items may indicate dental disease. Dogs may continue eating despite considerable oral pain. Routine examinations and professional treatment when indicated remain necessary; ordinary dry food does not clean every tooth.
Health records and relevant concerns
The AKC Maltese health information highlights kneecap problems, cardiac abnormalities and congenital liver concerns. Ask for parental screening records and discuss whether bile-acid testing or other investigation is appropriate for your puppy.
A bile-acid result is one part of assessment, not a diagnosis by itself. Poor growth, abnormal behaviour, recurrent digestive signs or urinary problems may lead your vet to investigate liver function or other causes.
Intermittent skipping can occur with a luxating patella, but a paw injury or another painful condition can look similar. A persistent cough may involve the airway, heart or another problem. These signs deserve examination rather than automatic breed-based labels.
Feeding and monitoring
- Choose a complete diet for life stage and measure portions.
- Discuss meal frequency for a very young or tiny puppy; do not let it repeatedly miss meals.
- Count treats and avoid adding supplements without a specific reason.
- Monitor weight, appetite, stool and energy after bringing a puppy home.
- Maintain vaccinations and parasite prevention suited to your location.
Low blood glucose is one possible cause of weakness in a small puppy, but infection, liver disease and other illnesses also need consideration. Do not assume a sugary snack resolves the underlying problem.
When is it urgent?
Collapse, seizures, severe weakness or breathing difficulty requires emergency care. A young puppy that will not eat needs prompt same-day advice, particularly with vomiting or diarrhoea. Do not force food or water into a weak or poorly responsive dog. A painful eye also needs urgent assessment.
Common mistakes
- Buying an exceptionally tiny puppy without discussing health and feeding risks.
- Focusing on tear stains while missing eye pain.
- Assuming continued eating means the teeth are comfortable.
- Believing low shedding guarantees no allergic reactions in people.
Frequently asked questions
Do Maltese need daily grooming?
A long coat often does. A shorter trim can reduce the work, but skin and tangle checks still matter.
Are Maltese hypoallergenic?
No breed reliably guarantees freedom from allergy symptoms. Seek advice from the affected person's clinician.
Is skipping on a back leg normal?
It may indicate a kneecap problem or another cause of discomfort. Arrange an examination if it recurs.
Does a Maltese need walks?
Yes, suitable outdoor exploration can provide exercise and enrichment. Adapt the routine to age, health and weather.
Good Maltese care keeps the whole dog comfortable, including beneath the coat and inside the mouth.
ASK A VET™ can help you organise questions about your Maltese's grooming, feeding or health changes.
