Maltese Puppy – All Facts, Health Problems & Dog Care

INFOGRAPHICS

• Origin: Malta
• Size: Small
• Dog Breed Group: Toy, Companion
• Purebred: Yes
• Lifespan: 12 to 15 years
• Height: 7 to 9 inches
• Weight: Under 7 pounds
• Coat Appearance: Long, Straight, Silky
• Coat Colors: White
• Temperament: Charming, Active, Playful, Friendly, Adaptable
• Good With Children: Yes with older children
• Intelligence Level: High
• Good With Pets: Yes
• Hypoallergenic: Yes
• Grooming: High
• Shedding: Low
• Barking: Moderate
• Suitable For Apartments: Yes
• Need For Exercise: Less
• Easy To Train: Yes
• Good For First Time Owners: Yes
• Health Issues: Hypoglycemia, Corneal Ulcer, Luxating Patella
• Litter Size: 2 to 5 puppies
• Average Price: $700 to $3000

There is only one kind of Maltese dog in terms of the breed. At the same time, with respect to size, Maltese dogs comprise various types. In addition, Maltese puppies belong to the family of Bichon dog breed.

Kinds of dogs that come under the Bichon family comprises Frise, Havanese, Bolognese, Lowchen and Coton de Tulear.

Bichon Frise Dogs

Bichon Frises are long-haired dogs with a pure white coat. An adult Frise weighs between 12 to 18 pounds and the height is between 9 to 12 inches.

Field experts recommend that these dogs must be brushed routinely and certainly be groomed well. These dogs may survive until 14 years.

Havanese

Havanese dogs are double-coated and they carry a thick undercoat with a curly and fluffy outer coat. They appear mostly in colors like blue, black, white or cream.

This crossbred national dog of Cuba weighs around 7 to 13 pounds and its height is 7 to 12 inches. On average, the lifespan of a Havanese is between 12 to 15 years.

Bolognese

Bichon Bolognese appears with a slightly curly, solid white coat. However, male dogs are a bit heavier when compared to females.

The height of male dogs can be between 10 and 12 inches tall, while the females are usually between 10 and 11 inches.

The weight of the Bolognese dog breed mostly ranges between 4 1/2 and 9 pounds.  Generally, the longevity of a Bolognese dog is 14 years.

Lowchen

Lowchen is a dog breed that has long hair. It does shed but rarely. Its average body weight is between 12 pounds to 18 pounds while its height is 12 inches to 14 inches.

Lowchens come in a variety of colors including black, tan, white and gold.  They live on average, between 13 to 16 years.

Coton de Tulear

Coton de Tulear dogs have the characteristics of friendliness, outgoing with the society and highly affectionate. When seen as a fully grown adult, Colon de Tulear is between 10 and 12 inches tall and weighs 12 to 15 pounds.

Cotons have fluffy, cotton-like coats that can be in white, black and mixed colors. These dogs can live on an average of 14 to 16 years

Maltese Mix

Are you looking for a mixed breed of the lovely, wonderful, white-coated Maltese dog? You will get plenty.

The adorable, popular, gentle Maltese dog has been a popular dog for many years. But, the mixed breeds of Maltese are much popular these days. The friendly and extremely alert Pomeranians

Let’s look at a few popular mixed breeds of Maltese.

1. Caltese (Cairn Terrier + Maltese)
2. Papitese (Papillon + Maltese)
3. Morkie (Yorkshire Terrier crossed with Maltese)
4. Mug (Pug + Maltese)
5. Malshi (Shih Tzu crossed with Maltese)
6. Maltipoo (Poodle crossed with Maltese)
7. Maltipom (Pomeranian + Maltese)
8. Mauzer (Schnauzer + Maltese)
9. Malchi (Chihuahua + Maltese)
10. Perkitese (Perkingese + Maltese)
11. Maltibeag (Maltese + Beagle)
12. Waltese (Westie + Maltese)
13. Havamalt (Havanese + Maltese)

Generally, the average lifespan of a Maltese dog breed is 12 to 15 years. The statement is applicable only when it is not affected by diseases and dies a natural death.

To be specific, what we mean is if a Maltese dog dies of aging process-related illness or some dysfunction.

Furthermore, the possibility that Maltese dogs can live a longer life than the mentioned age range must be considered. Usually, Maltese dogs live up to a maximum of 15 years.

Additionally, female dogs normally are known to live at least a year more than its male counterpart.

Owners of Maltese dogs must give healthy food, proper exercise and preventive care for their dog.

If you maintain your dog in a healthy and happy state, it will result in mutual benefit.

The Maltese dog must be taken for periodic health checkups to ensure that it does not suffer from any illness.

Monitor your dog closely to find out about the presence of allergies, check out its appetite, weight and looks for noticeable changes, if any.

The presence of such problems will require you to take the dog to a veterinarian for treatment.

Maltese Training

There are different kinds of training given to a Maltese puppy such as obedience training, potty training, socialization training etc.

Whatever be the case, the Maltese puppies respond well to positive training methods coupled with rewards and encouragement.

The trainer must be a very firm and consistent person so as to extract the best out of this dog. It is essential that the dog is given socialization training at a very early age because it is aggressive by nature.

However, it must be understood that applying excessive pressure on the dog while training will also trigger that kind of unpleasant or rude behavior in the dog.

Maltese Dog Food

Foods that a Maltese dog eats

• Commercial Dry Dog Food
• Cooked Beef
• Fish
• Cooked Chicken
• Raw Chicken Necks
• Cottage Cheese
• Cooked Grains
• Potatoes
• Boiled Beef Liver
• Apples
• Bananas
• Leafy green vegetables like spinach leaves
• Brown Rice

“Avoidable Foods”

• Macadamia Nuts
• Chocolate
• Alcohol
• Avocados
• Onions
• Garlic
• Grapes and Raisins
• Cooked bones
• Soy Milk
• Corn
• Almonds

Recommended Read: Majestic Names For Your Male Dogs, Cute Names For Female Dogs

Maltese dogs often tend to suffer from diseases such as hypoglycemia, dental problems, tracheal collapse, and luxating patella.

Other diseases that can happen for a Maltese dog comprise corneal ulcer, liver shunt, and congenital deafness.

1. Hypoglycemia

Symptoms:

Maltese puppies generally tend to show signs of hypoglycemia only after some time-lapse. The normal signs of hypoglycemia in dogs comprises of:

• Weakness
• Drooling from the mouth
• Unusual walk and behavior
• Seizures
• Polyuria
• Lethargy
• Unconsciousness

Causes:

Maltese dogs suffer from diseases such as:

• Hypoglycemia due to hepatic or endocrine disorders
• Toxicity
• Insufficient glucose in the body and
• Excessive use of glucose by the body

Other causal factors are:

• Liver inflammation
• Portosystemic Shunt
• Cancer in the liver
• Excessive hard exercises
• Inadequate Nutrition

Treatment:

Based on the nature or stage of the hypoglycemia disease and its cause, treatment varies accordingly.

• In cases of existence of hypoglycemia owing to cancer or portosystemic shunt, surgical treatment is generally advised
• Hypoglycemia, caused by inflammatory or endocrine disorders can be cured through medications
• If excessive exercising causes hypoglycemia in your dog, the veterinarian will advise sufficient rest and then do treatment
• If toxicity is the reason for hypoglycemia disease, then supportive treatment is mostly recommended

2. Dental Problems

Maltese puppies usually face teeth and gum problems. Overcrowding of teeth in its mouth causes dental problems.

Maltese puppies can suffer from periodontal disease when its plaque and tartar buildup remain unattended or untreated. Loose teeth or gum inflammation also affect these dogs.

Recommendations like regular brushing of teeth and dental checkup should be followed for the avoidance of teeth-related issues.

3. Luxating Patella

Maltese dogs commonly suffer from a luxating patella where its kneecap moves out of the socket. Mostly, the disease causes a painful injury and calls for surgical treatment.

However, luxating patella develops due to a genetic disorder that can be detected through a DNA test.  Luxating patella is a congenital disease.

4. Tracheal Collapse

Maltese dog breed suffers from the tracheal collapse that is caused due to the loosening of its tracheal rings. While the dog inhales, the collapse of its tracheal wall happens.

A tracheal collapse will narrow its windpipe.

Symptoms:

• A goose-honk cough
• Gagging
• Harsh breathing

Treatment

Based on the nature of symptoms of tracheal collapse disease, treatment will be given.

Maltese dogs with mild to medium signs of the disease can be treated by:

• Bronchodilator drugs
• A low-stress routine that does not induce coughing
• Placing a collar on the neck and remove the harness to avoid its airway being pressured

If Maltese puppies suffer from advanced-stage tracheal collapse, they could be necessitated to undergo surgery.

5. Corneal Ulcer

Symptoms:

• Squinting
• Excessive tearing
• Rubbing at the eye(s), either with paws or rubbing with the face on the ground.
• Light intolerance
• Depression
• Lethargy
• Loss of Appetite

Causes of corneal ulcer in dogs are:

• Hit injury after coming into contact with a sharp object
• The entry of irritating chemical into the eyes such as foreign substances leading to corneal burn
• Blunt Trauma such as laceration or rubbing of eyes on the ground or a carpet
• Bacterial Infection
• Viral Infection
• Epithelial Dystrophy
• Endocrine diseases like diabetes mellitus and hypothyroidism
• Dying of cornea due to decreased production of tears (also referred to as keratoconjunctivitis

Treatment:

Treatment of corneal ulcers may vary on the stage of the corneal ulcer that the Maltese dog suffers.

Corneal abrasions are generally treated with antibiotic medicines and drops for a quick heal within 3 to 5 days.

Mostly, veterinarians recommend the appropriate surgery as the treatment for healing the corneal ulcer problem caused by the injury.

Surgery could be called for either eliminating the dead corneal tissue or induct a corneal graft.

6. Liver Shunt

Maltese puppies also suffer from congenital diseases like Liver or Portosystemic Shunt.

Symptoms

• Ataxia
• Lethargy
• Appetite changes
• Constipation
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Drooling
• Increased Thirst
• Frequent Urination
• Gait

 Causes:

Maltese puppies suffer from Liver shunt, a congenital disease that occurs even before its birth.

However, Maltese puppies still survive because of its mom’s liver that does the job of filtering the fetus’s blood.

Treatment:

The stage of liver shunt disease that a puppy presently lives, will determine the treatment method.

Maltese puppies with minor liver shunt problems are generally prescribed to lower the protein level in their diet.

Concerning medium and severe liver shunt cases, surgery by a highly experienced surgeon will be sought.

The need for emphasis arises because of the risk in litigating the blood vessels, which hinders normal blood flow.

7. Congenital Deafness

Maltese puppies, just like few other dog breeds suffer from congenital deafness disease. Until now, a permanent cure remains to be unachieved.

Dogs with white pigmentation are largely noted to be inflicted by congenital deafness.

Symptoms:

• Lack of activity
• Confusion
• Unresponsive to noisy toys around and even bigger noises like shouting, clapping, whistling and barking
• Abnormal voice change
• Showing extreme aggression when playing with other puppies
• Excessive sleeping, when compared with other dogs
• Unwilling to listen to commands

Treatment:

The permanent cure remains to be elusive for congenital deafness. The disease can be regulated to some extent in the Maltese dog through medication and regular checkups during pregnancy.

Owners/trainers can use a vibrating collar that can be helpful while training their dog if required.

They could collect information about related training classes, which could help them and their dog to learn hand signals.

The fixation of price of Maltese puppies depends on various factors, such as:

• The reputation of the breeder
• State of purchase
• Vaccination detail
• Age and Size of the Maltese puppy
• Nature of breed, that is either purebred or crossbred
• Purchase from a rescue dog adoption center

In the USA, Maltese puppies come at a price tag of between $700 and $3000. Furthermore, premium quality Maltese puppies can be available from $4000 and go upwards till $10000 or maybe even more.

In the United Kingdom, a Maltese puppy is available in a price range starting from £500 up to £2500.

Maltese Puppy Breeders

Maltese Puppy Breeders in the USA

• Hicksville
  Shake A Paw
  Address: 285-11 South Broadway
  Delco Plaza
  Hicksville, NY 11801
  Tel.: 516-938-7877
• Philadelphia
  Playful Pets
  Address: 115 Ridge Pike
  Conshohocken PA 19420
  Tel.: 610-834-9951
  Fax: (610) 834-3859
  E-mail Id: Playfulpets@hotmail.com
• New Jersey
  NJ Puppy Store
  Address: 24-02 Broadway,
  Fair Lawn, NJ 07410
  Tel.: +1 201-773-8280
  Fax: 201-773-8279

Maltese Puppy Breeders in the UK

• Warrington
  Kellys Kennels
  Address: Brookside Farm, Lady Ln,
  Croft, Warrington WA3 7AY, UK
  Tel.: +44 1925 765149
• Burnley
  Douglas Hall Kennels
  Address: Spenbrook Road,
  Newchurch-in-Pendle, Burnley BB12 9JG
  United Kingdom
  Tel.: +44 1282 694461
• Lincolnshire
  Little Rascals Pets
  Address: The Dairies, Brant Broughton,
  Lincoln, Lincolnshire. LN5 0RW
  Tel.: +44 (0)1522 789191
  Mob: +44 (0)7912 088485
  E-mail Id: info@littlerascalspuppies.com