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How Can I Get My Maltese to Eat? (Tricks You Can Apply!)

It is widely familiar that Maltese puppies maintain a picky habit when choosing their food.

There is no doubt that Maltese owners go through a stressful period because of their Maltese’s complex food habits. Luckily, there are some guidelines you can stick to get your Maltese to eat, and you can also quickly identify their habitual tricky eating process.

How can I get my Maltese to eat?

Maltese dogs are indeed choosy eaters, but if you add some fish oil or meat broth to their food to make it moist and tasty, you will see that they will jump over to eat as soon as you put the bowl. Also, you can make your Maltese eat by following a regular time of feeding sequence every day.

Generally, changing the food ingredients is the best way to get your Maltese dog to eat. But it might not work for all the Maltese breeds because dogs can be more confused regarding their feeding routine.

Therefore, it is necessary to prolong the healthy regular routine in order to get your Maltese to eat.

Try some chicken:

Maltese dogs love to eat chicken; even when they are not hungry, they will eat it at ease. Try to serve some boneless chicken to your Maltese puppy and see what happens. 

Changing the texture of kibble:

You might find your Maltese puppy having a hard time chewing the hard kibble, which makes them uninterested in their food. 

That is why you should serve the dog food in a bit of moist condition. You can make the texture of kibble softer by soaking them in hot water for a while. It will make the kibble more chewable and easy to swallow.

Add some fish oil:

Mostly the dogs will smell the food first before they eat because the smell gives them a proper idea of how the food will taste. Most of the Maltese breeds have a strong-smelling sensation which makes them more choosy when it comes to food.

Therefore, you can add and mix some fish oil in a bowl full of dog food which will turn the meal to smell delicious, tasty and for any dog breed, it is hard to ignore the meal.

Mix some broth with the dog food:

The meat broth softens the kibble and also makes it tastier. For this reason, you can mix hot chicken broth with kibbles because dogs become more enthusiastic when they smell hot fresh food.

Following a time to time routine:

It is better if you follow a regular routine regarding your dog’s feeding process. If you maintain a sequence starting from the bowl to time to location, the Maltese might get used to the routine.

They will learn all about the queue of time, place and also even recognize the bowl. In this way, it will trigger their instinct, and whenever it is time for lunch or dinner, you might notice that they are standing with the bowl in their mouth in the exact location where they ate before.

Therefore, making them used to a routine is an integral part of the process of getting your Maltese to eat.

So, by following the above recommendations, you can get your Maltese to eat appropriately and regularly.

Why is my Maltese not eating?

There are various factors that might affect the feeding process of your Maltese. You can identify the problems from our noted factors for which your Maltese is not eating:

New Environment:

If you have switched to a new house, then it might be hard for your Maltese to get used to the environment. They may feel confused and scared of this new environment which will hamper their consumption of food. 

Therefore, it is very much important if you take care of your Maltese for the first few days and make them feel at home. You need to act gentle and soft to make them comfortable in their new environment.

Side by side hand-feeding might be needed to start their feeding process again, and eventually, you can move to the bowl.

Change of food: 

If you switch on to a new brand of dog food, then your Maltese dogs might not be capable of digesting the new food.

When you serve the new food to your Maltese puppy, you need to look over their poop to make sure that it is not loose. Also, keep in mind that low-quality dog food can seriously affect your Maltese health badly. 

Stomach Problems:

Different kinds of stomach problems are more common among dog breeds. That is why you need to put a close eye on your dog’s supping process.

Sometimes they eat objects which are inedible and cause stomach blockage or lousy digestion. In addition to that, they can also suffer from intestinal worms, and in that case, you need to get to the vet as soon as possible.

Dental Problems:

Your Maltese may suffer from bad teeth, which is why they are not eating anything. You need to check on their teeth once every week because decaying of teeth is more common among Maltese dogs.

It is hard for them to chew hard dog foods without pain because of their bad teeth. In that case, it is recommended to take advice on treatment from the vet.

Health Problems:

Maltese dogs may suffer from different health problems for which they will stop eating.

If you notice they are weak, cannot be able to walk, and sleep most of the time, then you should contact your vet as soon as possible because these symptoms can lead to life-threatening conditions for your Maltese.

How long should I wait to take my Maltese to the vet for not eating?

It is crucial to have a close eye on your Maltese’s health condition. Because ignoring minor problems of your pet can tend to more significant and life-threatening diseases.

You need to communicate with your vet as soon as possible if you notice the noted problems in your Maltese:

  1. Discomfort in walking.
  2. They feel weak.
  3. Discomfort in their mouth for which they cannot eat.
  4. Bad stomach.
  5. Loose poop or diarrhea.
  6. Lethargic

All of the above symptoms state that your Maltese dog has a severe health issue, so you need to contact your vet immediately. Your vet will go through some tests to identify the exact problem and prescribe you the proper treatment for your Maltese.

How long can Maltese go without eating?

Any breed of dog that stays without eating for a few days means it is suffering from serious internal health problems. The illness can be very serious, and it is suggested you should take your pet to the vet as early as possible.

Maltese can go without eating for 3 to 5 days, but it depends on the weather and size of the dog. But if the size of your dog is small and it has gone two days without eating, then you need to contact the vet immediately as it might be suffering from hypoglycemia.

Are Maltese picky eaters?

The Maltese are an affectionate small breed of dogs that only wants your company and sits by your side all the time. They love to feel they are part of the family and enjoy your attention all the time.

Maltese follow a tight schedule on their supper, sleeping, playing, etc. Because of their strict diet, Maltese are known as picky and finicky eaters. If they don’t love the food, they might go without eating for several days.

Please serve the same food but with different flavors because they will recognize the same food, and the new flavor will be tempting to them. But make sure you have formulated the right diet, especially for the Maltese.

Side by side, because of their silky white fur, they need to have a healthy diet that includes a mixture of different and textures and aromas with the proper nutritional components to help them support their healthy growth development.

What are Maltese dogs’ favorite foods?

There are different kinds of food choices that Maltese dogs love to have . Typically their first priority is chicken meat, but you can also give them chicken broth or brown rice with chicken or raw chicken necks, chicken feet, or vegetables with rice.

But some dogs have allergies to chicken which is why you can give them lamb meat with vitamin supplements.

How much should Maltese eat?

From keeping your Maltese being overweight, you need to give them one quarter and one-half of high-quality dog foods twice a day.

Rather than keeping the meal all day out for them, you need to give them the meal twice a day because feeding them all the time has a chance of gaining weight.

How many times a day should I feed my Maltese?

You should follow a daily routine of giving them meals four times a day. But if your Maltese is overweight, you should provide them with a meal twice a day because being overweight will create different health issues.

What should I not feed my Maltese dog?

Because of having a sensitive digestive system, you should ignore giving your Maltese the following foods:

  • Onions
  • Raisins
  • Alcohol
  • Avocados
  • Nuts
  • Chocolate
  • Any species of chili

Giving a small amount of the above foods can cause dangerous health issues to your Maltese dog even there is a risk of life. You might never know which food they are allergic to, which can be a life-risking situation for your Maltese.

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