Maltese: Health & Care Guide

The Maltese is a toy breed known for its long white coat, affectionate personality, and small size. Most adults stand about 7-9 inches tall and weigh under 7 pounds, with many falling in the 4-6 pound range. Their typical lifespan is about 12-15 years, so bringing one home often means planning for many years of grooming, dental care, and routine veterinary visits.

Maltese dogs usually do best with pet parents who enjoy close companionship. They tend to be alert, people-focused, and adaptable in apartments or houses, but they are still active little dogs who need daily play, short walks, and gentle training. Because they are so small, they can be injured more easily than larger breeds, especially around rough play, stairs, and accidental falls.

Their coat sheds very little, but low shedding does not mean low maintenance. Most Maltese need near-daily brushing or combing, regular face cleaning, and professional grooming every 4-8 weeks unless the coat is kept very short. Many pet parents choose a practical puppy cut to reduce matting and make home care easier.

Overall, the Maltese is often a good fit for families who want a loving lap dog and can stay consistent with grooming, dental care, and preventive health checks. A good match matters more than a perfect routine, so it helps to talk with your vet about what care plan fits your dog, your home, and your budget.

Maltese are generally long-lived, but they do have some breed-linked concerns worth watching. Common issues include dental disease, luxating patella (a kneecap that slips out of place), and congenital liver shunts or other liver vessel abnormalities. Small and toy breeds are especially prone to periodontal disease, which can start early and become painful if plaque and tartar are not managed. Many pet parents first notice bad breath, red gums, loose teeth, or reluctance to chew.

Maltese can also develop tracheal collapse, especially as they get older. This may sound like a dry, harsh, "goose-honking" cough that gets worse with excitement, heat, humidity, pressure from a collar, or after eating and drinking. Because breathing problems can become urgent quickly in toy breeds, coughing that is frequent, worsening, or paired with labored breathing should be checked by your vet promptly.

For liver shunts, signs may appear when a dog is young and can include poor growth, vomiting, diarrhea, disorientation, staring, or even seizures. Some Maltese are also reported to be predisposed to white dog shaker syndrome, a neurologic condition that causes body tremors. Not every Maltese will develop these problems, but knowing the pattern helps pet parents act early.

The good news is that many of these conditions can be managed well when caught early. Regular exams, dental assessments, weight control, a harness instead of neck pressure on walks, and prompt evaluation of coughing, limping, or neurologic changes can all make a meaningful difference. Your vet can help decide whether monitoring, medical management, imaging, or referral care makes the most sense for your dog.

Maltese dogs are small, but their yearly care needs are not always small. In the U.S. in 2025-2026, many pet parents can expect routine annual veterinary care to run about $300-$900 for exams, core vaccines, fecal testing, heartworm testing, and parasite prevention, depending on region and clinic. Professional grooming often adds another $60-$120 per visit, with many Maltese needing grooming every 4-8 weeks. That can bring yearly grooming costs to roughly $390-$1,440.

Dental care is one of the biggest budget items for this breed. Home brushing is the most affordable long-term strategy, but many Maltese still need professional dental cleanings under anesthesia. A routine cleaning with dental x-rays may range from about $500-$1,500, while extractions can push the total to $900-$2,500+ depending on severity. Because small-breed dental disease often starts early, it helps to plan for this before problems become advanced.

Food costs are usually modest because Maltese eat small portions. Many pet parents spend about $180-$420 per year on a quality small-breed diet, though prescription diets can cost more. Preventive medications for fleas, ticks, heartworm, and intestinal parasites commonly add $250-$500 per year. Pet insurance premiums vary, but for a toy breed many plans fall around $25-$70 per month, with higher costs for broader coverage.

Unexpected medical costs can be significant. Workups for chronic cough, limping, or liver concerns may involve bloodwork, x-rays, ultrasound, bile acid testing, or referral imaging. Mild issues may stay in the low hundreds, while surgery for luxating patella or a liver shunt can reach several thousand dollars. If you are planning ahead, ask your vet which preventive steps are most likely to reduce future costs for your individual dog.

Most Maltese do well on a complete and balanced diet made for their life stage and small size. Because they are toy dogs, calorie needs are easy to overshoot even with small treats. A few extra bites a day can matter. Your vet can help you choose a target body condition and daily calorie plan based on age, activity, and whether your dog is intact, neutered, or living with a medical condition.

Small-breed or toy-breed formulas are often practical because the kibble size is easier to chew and portion. Puppies may need more frequent meals to support growth and help avoid low blood sugar, while adults often do well with measured meals twice daily. If your Maltese has dental disease, liver disease, food sensitivities, or another health issue, your vet may recommend a different diet strategy rather than a standard over-the-counter food.

Treats should stay controlled, ideally under about 10% of total daily calories. Soft, sticky treats can cling to teeth, which is not ideal for a breed already prone to periodontal disease. Fresh water should always be available, and any sudden drop in appetite, vomiting, weight loss, or trouble chewing deserves a veterinary check.

Many Maltese also get tear staining around the face, and pet parents often look for diet fixes online. Sometimes food changes help if there is an underlying sensitivity, but tear staining can also be related to normal tear overflow, hair irritation, or eye and eyelid problems. It is best to let your vet guide any diet change, especially if facial staining comes with squinting, redness, discharge, or rubbing at the eyes.

Maltese usually have a moderate activity level. They do not need intense endurance exercise, but they do need daily movement and mental stimulation to stay fit and settled. For many adults, 20-40 minutes of total activity per day works well when split into short walks, indoor play, training games, and sniffing time.

Because they are tiny, exercise should be scaled to the dog in front of you. A young, healthy Maltese may enjoy brisk neighborhood walks and short play sessions, while an older dog with luxating patella, dental pain, heart disease, or tracheal issues may need shorter, gentler outings. Heat and humidity can make breathing harder in dogs with airway disease, so early morning or evening walks are often more comfortable.

Use a well-fitted harness rather than a neck collar for walks. This is especially helpful in a breed that may be prone to tracheal weakness or collapse. Avoid repeated jumping off furniture, rough play with larger dogs, and long stair sessions if your dog has knee concerns.

Mental exercise matters too. Maltese often enjoy positive reinforcement training, food puzzles, hide-and-seek, and short trick sessions. These activities can tire out a bright little dog without overloading joints or airways. If your dog coughs, limps, tires quickly, or seems reluctant to move, pause the routine and check in with your vet.

Preventive care is where Maltese often do best. At minimum, plan on regular wellness visits, vaccines based on lifestyle and local risk, year-round parasite prevention, and routine screening tests recommended by your vet. Adult dogs are often seen yearly, while seniors over about 7-8 years old commonly benefit from visits every 6 months. Puppies need more frequent visits early in life.

Dental prevention deserves special attention in this breed. Daily tooth brushing is ideal, and even brushing several times a week is better than doing nothing. Because periodontal disease often affects small dogs early, your vet may recommend dental cleanings under anesthesia before obvious symptoms appear. That approach can feel proactive, but it often helps avoid more painful and costly disease later.

Coat and skin care are also part of prevention. Brush or comb regularly to prevent mats, keep the face clean and dry, and dry the coat thoroughly after baths to reduce skin irritation. Check the eyes, ears, nails, and paw pads often. A short practical haircut can be a very reasonable preventive choice for pet parents who want easier home maintenance.

Finally, watch for breed-specific red flags: skipping or hopping on a back leg, chronic cough, exercise intolerance, bad breath, trouble chewing, poor growth, vomiting, confusion, or tremors. None of these signs automatically means a serious disease, but they are good reasons to schedule an exam. Early conversations with your vet create more options, which is the heart of good Spectrum of Care planning.