Best Food For Maltese Puppy

Adult Maltese Nutrient Needs

6 Best Dog Food for Maltese dogs | Which Food brand should you get?

At approximately 12 months the Maltese reaches adulthood, and at that point, he should be slowly transitioned to adult kibble. Now that his fully developed body has learned to stabilize his blood sugar levels, he should now be fed 3 meals a day, unless otherwise stated by your Veterinarian.

The MSD Veterinary Manual advises that the protein and fat content is lowered to 18% and 5% respectively, which again, is an important reason to switch him to adult kibble. Overall, his adult nutrition is all about a well-balanced diet.

High-quality protein sources should be sought such as real meat, and meat and fish meals not only provide him with more protein, but they also deliver nutrients such as glucosamine and DHA, as well as extra taste. His long and sleek coat will need plenty of omega 3 and 6 fatty acids to nourish his skin and hair, and this is particularly important if he is a show Maltese, because his coat is his most renowned feature.

Which Foods Should I Avoid Feeding A Maltese Dog

Fruits with pits or stones should be avoided, as they contain chemicals that are considered poisonous to dogs. Other foods to skip include avocado, dairy products, bread dough, onions, garlic, foods containing caffeine or alcohol , xylitol , chocolate, raisins, grapes, and foods high in sodium.

While some dog owners may feed dairy to dogs on occasion, especially low-fat options like cottage cheese or plain yogurt, its generally best for medium or large-breed dogs and not ideal for small toy breeds or miniature dogs.

Nutritional Needs For Growth

When choosing food for your Maltese puppy, look for protein from lean sources such as chicken, turkey or fish to support his energy needs, lean muscle development and a healthy weight. A quality brand will have real meat as the first ingredient. Your puppys glorious coat will benefit from omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids and vitamin E. Maltese puppies also need vitamin A and DHA to support developing eye and brain functions. Support the development of his tiny bones and joints by choosing a recipe with adequate amounts of calcium and phosphorous, along with antioxidants for immune system development.

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Homemade Meals For Malteses You Can Try

A homemade diet for your Maltese has many benefits since it allows you to control the quality of the ingredients first-hand. It is also fresher and tastier.

However, cooking takes a lot of time to prepare the meals and meet all nutritional requirements.

Some of the best natural ingredients to include in homemade meals are quality animal proteins, vegetables, and fruits we mentioned already. Also, dont forget to add fatty acids from vegetable or fish oils or animal fats.

Heres another simple recipe you can try at home:

Ingredients:

1 tsp of flaxseed oil

Preparation:

Cook the white rice first.

While the rice is cooking, put the string beans and shredded carrots in a food processor. Pulse until all veggies are shredded into small pieces.

Boil the sweet potatoes and once its tender, mix with the rest of the shredded vegetables in a bowl.

Cook the ground turkey in a pan until its golden brown.

Add the minced salmon to the turkey and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes.

Mix the cooked white rice with the vegetables and cooked turkey and salmon.

Add the flaxseed oil as the final touch.

Solid Gold Mighty Mini Holistic Dog Food

This Solid Gold Mighty Mini recipe has one of the smallest kibbles on the market and is designed for active toy breed dogs and puppies. This high-protein recipe has real chicken as the first ingredient for a nutritious, tasty meal your Maltese will love.

Probiotic support for developing digestive systems
Chickpea and pumpkin for excellent source of fiber
Also available in beef, lamb, salmon and turkey

Royal Canin X-Small Puppy Dry Dog Food is designed for toy breed puppies with an adult weight up to eight pounds. This recipe will support your Maltese developing immune system with its blend of antioxidants and minerals.

Designed for small puppies up to 10 months old
Highly digestible protein and prebiotics
Tiny kibble designed for small jaws

Hills Science Diet Puppy Recipe is a dry food designed for small and mini-puppies like Maltese with a special kibble for their small jaws. DHA is added from fish oil for healthy brain and eye development.

High quality protein for lean muscle development
Enriched with minerals for healthy bones and teeth
Chicken and barley recipe for great flavor

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Recommended Vegetables And Starches

Dogs are carnivores, but they need vegetables too. This makes sense, as back in the day when their ancestors hunted, they would eat their entire prey, including partially digested vegetable matter. Your Maltese might enjoy veggies like carrots, peas, leafy greens, white and sweet potatoes, green beans and more. If veggies are new to your pup, offer cooked versions, and she might even enjoy an occasional piece of fruit. Recommended starches include brown and white rice, and pasta.

Feeding Your Maltese To Prevent Tear Stains

There is little doubt that the best dog food for your Maltese is the cornerstone for longevity and good health. Good canine health is linked closely to a high-quality diet. Because our dogs live through several life stages as they age, its important to address each of those life stages separately as our dog experiences them.

At the same time, we need to meet the individual dietary needs of these different life stages. Here are some suggestions for choosing a high-quality food to prevent Maltese tear stains.:

Opt for special weight loss canine diets formulated for weight loss to promote weight loss while maintaining lean body mass. Your Maltese will still need to get that feeling of fullness after eating, and high-fiber diets allow for calorie reduction and weight loss.

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Purina Beneful Incredibites For Small Dogs With Real Beef Dry Dog Food

Protein 26% | Fat 13.5% | Fiber 4% | Moisture 14%

Top 5 Ingredients: 1. Beef, 2. Chicken By-Product Meal, 3. Whole Grain Corn, 4. Barley, 5. Soybean Meal

Purina Beneful IncrediBites Dog Food is specifically designed for the needs of smaller pooches by one of the best in the industry. It features a high-protein content with real, farm-raised beef being the main source of protein to help nourish and repair muscles. The formula also contains 23 essential vitamins and minerals including vitamins E, A, and B-12 which strengthen the immune system and helps nourish the heart and nerves.

For flavor, the recipe uses real carrots and peas to get your pups attention. And talking about flavor, it also features crunchier smaller-sized kibble that fits easily in the mouths of smaller dogs allowing them to chew easily while also cleaning their teeth.

Best Foods For Maltese Dogs

Best Foods for Maltese Dogs

Although there are a number of foods on the market that will keep your Maltese healthy and well-fed, the following six are clearly among the best options. Look over the following reviews, and try to select the one that best suits your individual pet and situation.

Some owners prefer to feed their dogs grain-free formulas, while others prefer to avoid this additional expense .

To help answer different needs, weve compiled three different options for each: The first three products contain grains, while the last three do not.

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Blue Buffalo Basics Lid Grain

If youre concerned about your Malteses digestion, choose a limited ingredient recipe like this Blue Buffalo Basics LID Grain-Free Lamb & Potato Small Breed Recipe. This formula features lamb and a single source of animal protein and it is a grain-free recipe as well. It also contains natural sources of glucosamine for joint support, prebiotics and probiotics for digestion, and a mixture of fresh fruits and vegetables for nutritional balance.

Allergy Information And Best Foods

All dogs can get allergies. Maltese are not particularly prone to food allergies, but they can still happen.

Allergies are caused when a dog is repeatedly exposed to a particular protein source. If your dog eats nothing but chicken for the first half of their life, the odds of them developing a chicken allergy are quite high.

Most dog owners are not aware of this and continue to feed their pets the same food for as long as possible. However, this increases your pets chance of allergies substantially.

The best way to avoid allergies is to change your dogs food often. You may want to choose a few different dog foods and cycle them out. Preferably, they should contain different primary sources of protein.

Many dog food brands create different flavors, though each flavor has about the same macronutrient content. Switching between the flavors can be a great way to mix up your pets diet. Some companies even offer a variety pack, which is an easy and effective way to accomplish this as well.

For dogs who already have allergies, your best option is to avoid the ingredient theyre allergic to. You may have to choose a rarer protein, like salmon or turkey, as these are less likely to cause an allergic reaction simply because dogs dont tend to be exposed to them as much.

However, dogs can still develop allergies to the hypoallergenic foods. No protein wont cause an allergy if your pet eats enough of it.

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What Are The Best Ingredients For Home

The best ingredients are proteins like fresh fish, turkey, and chicken. You should also toss in a few carrots, sweet potatoes, and peas into the mix as well as fruits like blueberries and raspberries. Pasta can also be used as an excellent source of starch. Just make sure to avoid using onions or garlic.

Instinct Raw Boost Small Breed Dog Food

Best Dog Foods For Maltese Puppy & Adults With Tear Stains

Dogs are carnivores, and they live on meat protein.

Most of the kibble out there is made for large breeds, not small ones. The problem with that is that its too heavy for their tiny stomachs to digest correctly. If youre a Maltese owner, this means your dog might be suffering from digestive issues like diarrhea or constipation, bloating, and gas because he cant tolerate his food well enough to absorb nutrients properly.

Instinct Raw Boost Small Breed Grain-Free Recipe contains Real Chicken & Freeze-Dried Raw Pieces Dry Dog Food that gives dogs precisely what they need to thrive lean animal protein! This high animal protein formula features bites of freeze-dried raw meat throughout the kibble so your pup can get all the benefits of raw nutrition without having to eat actual raw food! With 40% more animal-based protein than other brands, this grain-free formula will help keep your little guy happy and healthy.

Key Features:

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Best Food For The Senior Maltese

Its not uncommon for this breed to live well into the double digits. We recommend placing your Maltese on a Senior Dog food around 7 years of age, perhaps 8 depending on the dog and if they have any health conditions. Its not uncommon for health issues to start coming into place as your dog crosses the 8 year mark.

Senior dogs will usually need some type of joint support in their Senior food formulas, as well as an antioxidant boost in order to keep their immune system strong. Youll also want to watch the caloric intake so that your pup doesnt become overweight in old age. Below are our favorite foods for Maltese dogs, in no particular order.

Common Health Issues Of The Maltese

Good nutrition definitely supports good health, and a proactive approach to health certainly helps prevent some disorders, but it also helps slow the progression of certain diseases.

What are some of the most common problems Malteses experience?

Dental Issues

Larger breeds of dogs have more space between teeth, so bacteria have nowhere to take refuge.

Smaller breeds frequently have crowded mouths, and because they dont have as much space between teeth, plaque buildup can cause major issues later.

Dry kibble can help remove plaque in between teeth cleanings and keep that build up at bay.

Eye problems

Maltese dogs tend to live for a long time. So, like lots of dogs with long life spans, they tend to be prone to eye problemsespecially later in life.

Fortunately, you can help your best buddy out when it comes to this issue by means of proper diet.

One way you can help out is by supplying your Maltese with sufficient amounts of beta carotene .

Obesity is always prevented by diet unless your dog has a thyroid issue or some other underlying health condition.

Malteses have low energy requirements, meaning they dont need a lot of calories to be fully nourished.

However, despite their low caloric needs, that doesnt mean they arent happy to eat anything and everything you give them.

Ensure you arent overfeeding your Maltese. Once theyre neutered or spayed, their energy needs are going to go way down.

Hypoglycemia

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Transition: How To Switch From Puppy To Adult Dog Food

The transition from puppy food to adult dog food for Maltese should begin once they reach maturity, between 9 to 12 months of age. The switch needs to be done slowly.

If you need to switch your new Maltese puppy to another dog food with better nutritional value, it also has to be a gradual change to not upset his digestive system.

To do this right, mix the puppys old food and new food 1/4 new food and 3/4 old. Increase the amount of new food by 1/4 after each week until your dog is eating just the new food.

Now Fresh Senior Small Breed Grain

food treats for dog maltese/shih tzu

Our Rating: 4.5Top Ingredients: De-Boned Turkey, Potatoes, PeasType: Dry

A grain and gluten-free dog food specially formulated for senior dogs 9 years older. Aside from real turkey, the formula also features fresh salmon and duck for a balanced protein source.

Includes a mix of probiotics and prebiotics to support good digestion.

Pros:

Contains L-carnitine that promotes healthy body weight and supports healthy heart function
Has omega fatty acids to help nourish your dogs skin and coat health
Formulated with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants for a healthy immune system

Cons:

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Should You Feed Your Maltese Dogs Home

Yes, you should feed your Maltese dogs home-cooked food. Commercial dog food is often loaded with unhealthy additives, preservatives, and fillers. By cooking for your Maltese dogs yourself, you can control the ingredients and ensure theyre getting a healthy diet that meets their specific nutritional needs.

In addition to cooked meat and vegetables, you can also give your dogs small amounts of unprocessed grains and dairy products. Just make sure to avoid giving them fatty foods or anything harmful or poisonous to them . And as always, consult with your vet or veterinarian to make sure youre providing the proper diet for your pets.

Instinct Raw Boost Canine Food

Even though Maltese dogs are small, they have demanding nutritional requirements.

Especially when we seek to reduce tear stains tendencies, it is important to keep a close eye on the diet overall.

We love this food for its approach to overall health.

Dogs, no matter how petite, benefit from raw protein sources .

The food here uses freeze drying to keep raw ingredients in the food supply.

Since it couples with a dry kibble, there is little risk of stomach upset- even for these picky pups.

Ensure proper hydration by providing sufficient access to water.

The presence of raw meat makes the meal palatable to even the pickiest pups.

Since it comes in a variety of flavors, it makes transitioning between foods easier.

When there is a taste change, though we still need to titrate the different food, there is less worry about stomach trouble.

Does your Maltese like venison this week?Lamb next month?

With this food source, it is possible to diversify while mitigating risk.

Pros:

It is essential that we monitor eye health.

In order to achieve this, there are some straightforward steps which we can take.

These include providing suitable access to dietary sources of micro-nutrition.

The recipe here offers a great option for achieving this goal.

Featuring sweet potato, the food stays calorically dense while offering significant access to Vitamin A.

Another draw that assists with coat health is the plethora of omega fatty acids included in the kibble.