Maltipoo is a hybrid breed of dogs that is a cross between the Maltese and Toy Poodle dog breeds. They are a relatively new breed of dogs as they were first bred in the US around 20 to 30 years ago.
However, their parents’ Maltese and toy poodles are older dog breeds. Maltese was first bred in 500 BC around the Mediterranean Basin, whereas, the poodle was first bred on the French and German border during the 15th or 16th century.
Maltipoos are regarded as a small dog breed and typically weigh between 5 to 20 pounds. The diet has direct effects on both the short and long-term health of the Maltipoo dog breed.
Follow our guidelines to get a comprehensive understanding of the diet of a Maltipoo dog breed.
How much should a Maltipoo eat?
An average Maltipoo should eat around ½ to 1 cup of food per day. However, the diet can vary depending on the size. A Maltipoo weighing around 2 to 10 pounds should eat 1/3 cup to ¾ cup of food per day. Whereas, a Maltipoo weighing 10 to 16 pounds should eat 1 cup to 1 ¼ cup of food per day.
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Maltipoo dogs weigh around 5 to 20 pounds depending on whether the Poodle parent was a Toy or Miniature breed. The crossbreed of a toy poodle and Maltese produce a Maltipoo dog which weighs around 5 to 12 pounds.
These Maltipoo need to eat relatively less food than the crossbreed of a miniature poodle which usually weighs between 10 to 20 pounds.
The physical activity of a Maltipoo also determines how much food should a Maltipoo eat. Less active dogs need to eat less to avoid being overweight. Whereas, very active Maltipoo dogs need more food than less active ones.
The diet and feeding schedule also can vary depending on the age. A fully grown adult needs 2 meals per day whereas, Maltipoo puppies need 3 to 4 meals per day when they are in their early stage of growth.
2 to 3-week-old Maltipoo:
This time period is best known as the early puppyhood of the Maltipoo dog breed. They typically weigh around 0.1 pounds to 0.5 pounds during the stage. During this period, they mostly rely on breastfeeding or assisted feeding.
For the first 2 to 3 weeks of age, feed a Maltipoo puppy 4 to 5 times per day. It is recommended to keep the meal limited to 10-15mL per feeding in order to avoid any gastrointestinal issues.
4 to 5-week-old Maltipoo:
The 4 to 5-week-old Maltipoo dogs are in the mid-level of their puppyhood. In this stage, they can eat solid food by themselves, and people typically free-feed the Maltipoo puppies by making the foods available for them all the time.
However, it is recommended to feed Maltipoo puppies around ¼ cups to 1/3 cups of food by dividing them into 4 meals per day to ensure proper growth during this time.
6 to 7-week-old Maltipoo:
6 to 7-week-old Maltipoo dogs weigh around 1.5 to 2 pounds. In this stage, they usually become more active and require to feed a little bit more than in the previous stage.
It is recommended to feed a 6 to 7-week-old Maltipoo around 1/3 cups to ¾ cups of food per day by diving into 4 meals.
8 to 9-week-old Maltipoo:
An 8 to 9-week-old Maltipoo is usually very playful and weighs on average around 1.5 to 2.5 pounds. In this stage, they require ½ cup to ¾ cup of food per day by dividing into 4 meals.
In this stage, it is also recommended to feed 1 to 2 snacks or treats during training or at other times in between the meals.
10 to 11 weeks old Maltipoo:
The 10 to 11-week-old Maltipoo dogs are in their late puppyhood stage. A 10 to 11-week-old Maltipoo dog weighs around 2 to 4 pounds and requires ½ cup to ¾ cup of food per day by dividing into 3 to 4 meals.
3-month-old Maltipoo:
A 3-month-old Maltipoo usually weighs on average around 2.5 pounds to 4.5 pounds. In this stage, they are in between the late puppyhood and early adolescent stage of life.
In this stage, they usually need to feed ¾ cups of food per day by diving into three meals.
4-month-old Maltipoo:
4 months old Maltipoo is usually in its early adolescent stage of life and typically weighs around 3 to 6 or even 8 pounds, based on whether the Poodle parent was a Toy or Miniature.
It is possible to predict the final size of your Maltipoo during this age. A Maltipoo dog typically reaches their half size during the 4 to 5-month age.
Thus, if you have a 4-month-old Maltipoo which weighs 6 pounds, most likely the Maltipoo will be around 12 pounds when it is a fully-grown adult.
In this stage, a Maltipoo needs ½ cup to ¾ cup of food per day by dividing into 3 meals and 2 to 3 small snacks or treats in between the meals.
5-month-old Maltipoo:
The 5-month-old Maltipoo dogs typically weigh around 3.5 to 6.5 pounds and they need to feed ¾ to 1 cup of food per day by dividing it into 3 meals. They also need to feed 2 to 3 small snacks in between the meals
6-month-old Maltipoo:
The 6-month-old Maltipoo dogs usually weigh on average around 4 to 7.5 pounds. They need to feed ¾ cups to 1 cup of food per day by dividing it into 3 meals and 2 to 3 snacks in between the meals.
7-month-old Maltipoo:
The 7-month-old Maltipoo dogs usually weigh on average around 4 pounds to 8.5 pounds and typically they need to eat ¾ cup to 1 cup of food by dividing it into 3 meals and 2 to 3 snacks in between the meals.
8-month-old Maltipoo:
The 8-month-old Maltipoo dogs usually weigh on average around 4 pounds to 9 pounds. They need to eat 8-month-old Maltipoo 1 cup of food per day by dividing it into 3 meals and 2 to 3 snacks in between the meals.
9-month-old Maltipoo:
The 9-month-old Maltipoo dogs are in their early adulthood stage and they typically weigh on average around 4.5 to 10 pounds. They need to eat 1 cup of food per day by dividing the into 3 meals per day and 2 to 3 snacks in between the meals.
10-month-old Maltipoo:
The Maltipoo dogs usually become fully grown adults around 10 to 12 months old. The 10 months old Maltipoo dogs typically weigh around 6 to 15 pounds.
They need to eat 1 cup to 1 ¼ cups of food per day by dividing it into 2 meals and 2 to 3 snacks or in between the meals. The small snacks or treats during the training or walking are very good for positive reinforcement.
| Age | Expected dog Weight (pounds) | Recommended amount of food per day (cups) | Daily calorie intake | Feeding frequency |
| 2 week | 0.1-0.5 | 1/4 | 25 | 4 |
| 3 week | 0.5 | 1/4 | 25 | 4 |
| 4 week | 1-0.5 | ¼ to 1/3 | 55 | 4 |
| 5 week | 1.5 | ¼ to 1/3 | 85 | 4 |
| 6 week | 2 | ¼ to 1/3 | 110 | 4 |
| 7 week | 2.5 | ¼ to 1/3 | 125 | 4 |
| 8 week or 2 month | 1.5 – 3 | ¾ – 1 | 165 | 4 |
| 9 week | 2 – 3.5 | ¾ – 1 | 180 | 4 |
| 10 week | 2 – 4 | ¾ – 1 | 200 | 4 |
| 11 week | 2 – 4 | ¾ – 1 | 220 | 4 |
| 12 week or 3 month | 2.5- 4.5 | ¾ – 1 | 240 | 3 |
| 4 month | 3 – 6 | 1 | 260 | 3 |
| 5 month | 3.5 -6.5 | 1 | 275 | 3 |
| 6 month | 4 – 7.5 | 1 | 285 | 3 |
| 7 month | 4 – 8 | 1 | 300 | 3 |
| 8 month | 4.5 – 9 | 1-1/4 | 200-300 | 3 |
| 9 month | 4.5 – 10 | 1-1/4 | 220-400 | 3 |
| 10 month | 5- 15 | 1-1/4 | 200-500 | 2 |
Are you overfeeding your Maltipoo or not feeding enough?
There are some signs and symptoms you need to consider to determine whether you are overfeeding or underfeeding your Maltipoo dog.
Overfeeding a Maltipoo can cause several health problems such as obesity, bloating, damaged stomach lining, impaired blood flow to the heart, and breathing difficulty.
Overfeeding also can cause joint problems, ear issues, skin disorders, moulting, etc.
If your dog is showing any of these symptoms you must consult with a vet for a proper diagnosis. To avoid overfeeding a Maltipoo, you can maintain a diet chart and feeding schedule to make digestion easier.
If you are not feeding your Maltipoo enough, several health problems can occur such as lethargy, loss of hair, hormonal imbalance, impaired wound healing, reduced bone density, and shortened life expectancy.
If your Maltipoo is not getting enough nutrition, it may also face an impaired immune system function. That can make the Maltipoo more susceptible to various infections and diseases.
In order to ensure that your Maltipoo is getting enough food and nutrition, you must maintain a diet chart and feeding schedule. You must also regularly check the weight to determine whether your Maltipoo is underweight or not.
How frequently to feed your Maltipoo?
If your Maltipoo is a 2 to 3 months old puppy, you need to free-feed them for the early stage of growth. Thus, you need to keep the food available for the puppy all the time, so that they can eat whenever they want.
If your Maltipoo is 3 to 12 months old, feed them at least 3 times a day. You can also provide snacks or treats in between meals during the training or walk.
If your Maltipoo is more than 1 year old, feed them at least 2 meals per day with some snacks and treats in between the meals.
Recommended feeding time:
There are no hard and fast rules for feeding time for a Maltipoo. However, there are some general guidelines. As I mentioned earlier you need to feed your Maltipoo at least 2 to 3 times per day, depending on their age.
It is recommended to feed the first meal of your Maltipoo within an hour of the morning walk.
You can also provide the mid-day meal after 6 to 7 hours of feeding the first meal. On the other hand, you need to feed your Maltipoo at night before at least 2 to 3 hours of bedtime.
Final thought:
A typical Maltipoo should consume 12 to 1 cup of food per day. However, the diet might differ based on size. A Maltipoo weighing 2 to 10 pounds should consume 1/3-3/4 cups of food every day. A Maltipoo weighing 10 to 16 pounds, on the other hand, should consume 1-1/4 cups of food every day.