Taking care of a dog can be difficult. And each dog has a different preference when it comes to their food habits. Make sure you are well aware of their food habits and meal timing.
How much should a Maltese eat?
As a growing dog, a Maltese should have from a quarter cup to half a cup of food every day. The meal should be divided into two meals a day. Dry food is ideal for meals. As Maltese tend to be picky eaters, it is better to be organized and careful about their meal.
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It is very important to take notice of the meal and meal portion you give to your dog. Their entire health depends on this. Not only with the growing dogs, with the adult dogs also you should be careful about the meal plan.
And for some breed of dogs, make sure to be extra careful.
Maltese are very picky eaters. These dogs tend to have a very sensitive digestive system as well. Which is why when it comes to planning the meal for Maltese dogs, you must keep aware of the portion size and type of food as well.
A healthy dog can be maintained with the help of a healthy dietary system. How much your dog is being fed in each meal, how many times they are given food, what type of food is being given, all these matter a lot. Make sure you prepare all these before so there is no mistake.
The food and diet chart can change depending on the age and size of the dog. As dogs start to grow, a lot of focus shifts from their food to their exercise. Which is why the components and portion of the diet charts will change as well.
Maltese are very picky eaters. And they are very sensitive when it comes to their dietary system. Which is why it is very important to keep their diet chart accurate and according to their digestive system.
The meal portions and meal timing of the day should be kept within the range they can be happy with.
A very important factor when it comes to choosing the meal size of a Maltese dog is their age. The meal size and diet chart changes as the dog keeps growing from a small puppy to a big dog. Make sure you are consistent with the change in age and their diet chart.
2 to 3 week old Maltese:
A Maltese at this age should be given a full meal of 1/2 cups a day. It is best to keep their meals consisting of less dry food as the dog might face difficulty in chewing and swallowing at such a small age. Try to feed the dog twice to three times a day.
4 to 5 week old Maltese:
At this age, which is about a month and more, you can start giving dry food to your Maltese dog. And even at this age keep the meals to 1/2 cups a day. Two times a day should be fine. You can give them small treats as well.
But make sure the treats are not frequent.
6 to 7 week old Maltese:
This age is very crucial for a growing puppy, so you should take extra care when planning the meals. Do not reduce the meal size or portions. Try to divide a cup of a full meal into two portions so your dog can have it two times a day.
8 to 9 week old Maltese:
By this age, your puppy will get used to dry food and will have no trouble with it. So you can start adding more dry food to their meal chart. Treat can be given once a day. 1/2 cups twice a day is still perfect at this age.
10 to 11 week old Maltese:
When your pup reaches near the age of a year you can start to divide the meals into three times a day. You can also go for 1/4 cups of a meal per day. This should help with the growth of your dog.
Also as they will be more active and playful, a little treat once or twice will not harm the dog.
3 month old Maltese:
A Maltese pup does not need much food when they have reached this age. Keep the previous routine of feeding them twice a day, 1/2 cups of meal. Dry food is good and so are frequent treats. This age is for good health.
Try to get more nutrients in their diet chart and meals.
4 month old Maltese:
A 4 month old Maltese will not need more portions of food. Just try to add dry food in their meal so they can get used to it as they grow up. Do not skip the treats at this age, but you can try to not give the treats very frequently.
5 month old Maltese:
If you have a very active dog then you might want to feed them 3/4 cups of food starting from this age. But if the Maltese dog is not that active in this age, then you should keep the food between 1/2 cups and the occasional treats.
You might want to skip the treats if your dog is too lazy.
6 month old Maltese:
A 6 month old Maltese should be very active and playful. But that does not mean you should give it a lot of food. 1/2 cups of food daily divided into two portions should be enough for your Maltese.
And at this point only dry food will not be a problem for your dog.
7 month old Maltese:
7 month old dogs are practically adult dogs. However their food intake remains the same as before. 1/2 cups of dry food, twice daily, is the most appropriate food amount for a Maltese of this age.
The amount of treats could be increased, however it should not be given frequently yet.
8 month old Maltese:
Same as before, 1/2 cups of food daily should be enough for a Maltese of 8 months. They will not need more food than they already had been fed. However, it depends on the physical activity.
If your Maltese is very playful, you might want to give them food three times instead of two times a day.
9 month old Maltese:
Try focusing more on the dry food during the ages of 9 months and more. Treats are okay and can be given frequently. A Maltese of this age can eat as much as a regular adult dog. But the dog breed is not very keen on food.
So do not be alarmed if they do not eat more than 1/2 cups of food daily. Try to give treats to cover for any lacking.
10 month old Maltese:
Basically at the ages of 10 months, a Maltese becomes an adult dog. And during this age their food habit becomes permanent. So your Maltese dog will get used to 1/2 cups of meal twice daily.
Do not worry about the food being not enough, the Maltese dogs do not require much food as a breed.
Maltese are very picky and choosy when it comes to their food and meal. You will not find a Maltese who is very happy and excited about food, be it a treat or dry food. The most amount of food you can make your Maltese dog eat is around 1/2 cups of food daily.
Try not to pressure your Maltese dog to take too much food daily. It might disrupt their digestive system, as they have a very sensitive digestive system as well. Keep the food amount appropriate to their choice.
Maltese feeding chart:
| Age | Expected dog Weight (pounds) | Recommended amount of food per day (cups) | Daily calorie intake | Feeding frequency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 week | 1 to 5 | 1/2 | 55 | 2 |
| 3 week | 1 to 5 | 1/2 | 55 | 2 |
| 4 week | 1 to 5 | 1/2 | 55 | 2 |
| 5 week | 1 to 5 | 1/2 | 55 | 2 |
| 6 week | 1 to 5 | 1/2 | 55 | 2 |
| 7 week | 6 to 10 | 1/2 | 55 | 2 |
| 8 week or 2 month | 6 to 10 | 1/2 | 55 | 2 |
| 9 week | 6 to 10 | 1/2 | 55 | 2 |
| 10 week | 6 to 10 | 1/2 or 1/4 | 55 | 2 |
| 11 week | 6 to 10 | 1/2 or 1/4 | 55 | 2 |
| 12 week or 3 month | 11 to 22 | 1/2 or 1/4 | 55 | 2 |
| 4 month | 11 to 22 | 1/2 or 1/4 | 55 | 2 |
| 5 month | 11 to 22 | 1/2 or 1/4 | 45 | 2 |
| 6 month | 11 to 22 | 1/2 or 1/4 | 45 | 2 |
| 7 month | 11 to 22 | 1/2 or 1/4 | 45 | 2 |
| 8 month | 11 to 22 | 1/2 or 1/4 | 45 | 2 |
| 9 month | 11 to 22 | 1/2 or 1/4 | 45 | 2 |
| 10 month | 11 to 22 | 1/2 or 1/4 | 45 | 2 |
Are you overfeeding your Maltese or not feeding enough?
Maltese dogs are very sensitive when it comes to their digestive and food habits. They do not require much food but that does not mean you should be laid back about their meal. You should be very careful when deciding about the meal and food of your Maltese dog and puppy.
A problem you will face while dealing with the food habit of your Maltese dog is overfeeding your dog. As said before, the Maltese do not require a lot of food. So it is very easy for you to overfeed the dog. A way to know if you have overfed your Maltese dog is to see its poop.
Usually, when you have overfed your Maltese dog, their poop in the morning is normal. But at night it is soft. That is the first sign of overfeeding your dog. Another sign is that they become gassy from all the extra food.
If you mistakenly underfeed your Maltese dog, you will notice our dog being less energetic. Also they might show some issues regarding their skin and hair. You will notice hair loss. And their immunity system will also be hampered and they will fall ill quicker than usual.
How frequently to feed your Maltese?
A Maltese dog does not require much food. And their meals do not need to be frequent as well. Twice a day should be enough to keep your Maltese dog full and healthy. Make sure the meal portions are not too much and you will be good for the entire day.
1/2 cups of food twice a day is a good enough amount for the Maltese dog. Be it dry food or regular dog food. Make sure you do not feed your dog more than two times a day. Divide the entire meal portion into two parts and it should be enough.
Recommended feeding time:
During the puppy days make sure you give food to your Maltese pup once in the late morning and the other in the first half of the night. This is a good time and a good cycle to maintain until your dog has grown into a big or adult dog.
Once you have an adult dog you can adjust their meal time according to your convenience. Make sure it is properly divided into once a day and the other one during the night time. This will keep them less fussy and more energized during the entire day and before sleeping.
Final thoughts
A Maltese dog does not require much food intake. A half a cup of food twice a day should keep your Maltese dog healthy and happy. Make sure there is dry food and other nutrients as well because the dog breed is very much fussy about their food and meal. Their digestion system is sensitive.