Care for Your Maltese – Feeding, Grooming, Exercise, and Potential Health Issues
Monday, June 1st, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed
A toy breed, Maltese has long silky hair and do not shed too much. Sweet and cuddly lap dogs, this breed is gentle and caring. It is well behaved and not disruptive at all. Playful, yet self-confident, a Maltese is fairly naughty, something that it does not give away from its innocent looks. Being a small dog, this toy breed is suspicious of strangers and tends to bark excessively as a show of aggression. Prone to being pampered, this breed is jealous and over possessive of its master. Even though a Maltese is gentle, they are impatient with children since they do not like being ruffled. Truly a royal, pampered breed, a Maltese performs tricks only when rewarded adequately with a treat of its choice. Breeders usually sell Maltese puppies at 10-12 weeks old.
Feeding and Grooming
While feeding is not an issue, Maltese tend to be intolerant towards rich diets or those that have large amounts of cereal content. Other than that, three small portions of meat and vegetables or a diet rich in protein and fat in a day is the recommended diet for a Maltese adult dog.
To keep the Maltese hair long and silky, brushing the coat and detangling is required daily. Since the toy breed tends to jump into puddles, just for fun, frequent bathes become necessary. Quick and effective drying and a warm environment after a bath are required to keep the dog from catching pneumonia. While the tediousness of the grooming rituals may peeve some owners who may try and trim the coat, the shiny coat is the mainstay of the Maltese. Regular cleaning of the eyes (due to tear staining) and ears is essential.
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Exercise
Exercise needs for Maltese is limited and therefore while grooming takes a lot of time, walking the dog every day for long periods of time is not required. It does well in apartments since scampering in the apartment is enough exercise for the toy dog. Outdoor walks can be included in the schedule for fun and explorations. Since outdoor exercising is not essential it is recommended that they be kept indoors in extreme cold weather since they are not comfortable with cold and damp environments.
Special care and health concerns
A Maltese is generally a healthy breed with less number of potential problems and can live up to 15 years. Some of the potential health issues that a Maltese may face are:
- Retinal atrophy – This condition leads to a reduction in vision, especially in dim light and can result in partial or total blindness if not addressed quickly.
- Respiratory issues – Cold and damp environments can trigger off breathing problems in Maltese.
- Luxating patella – A dislodged knee cap, this condition is considered to be hereditary but can even occur from an injury.
- Liver shunt – A condition wherein the circulatory system is not completely developed, a liver shunt has been seen in some Maltese dogs.
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