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Picky eaters

Maltese Picky Eaters

Overview

It is very common for Maltese puppies and dogs to be perceived as picky or finicky eaters. If this is happening with your Maltese, maybe you need to hover over your dog as they eat to encourage them or perhaps your little guy or gal only nibbles and picks at their food barely seeming to consume what’s needed for the day. It may be a struggle for your Maltese to maintain a healthy weight and you may be on a never-ending cycle of trying different foods to keep your dog happy.

In any case, if your Maltese is overly picky, this no doubt causes stress and worry.

Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to identify a true finicky eater, end the game of revolving foods, and curb this sort of behavior.

Common Behaviors Seen with Picky Eaters

Some of the things that finicky Maltese may do includes:

Disinterest in food. Unlike other dogs that may excitingly run into the kitchen at the first signs of food preparation, there will be very little interest.

Nibbling at food. Eating will be slow going with no real zest.

Insistence on certain foods. There may be refusal to eat at all until a preferred food (sometimes unhealthy table scraps) is served instead of what an owner prepared in the bowl.

Quirky eating habits. A Maltese may only eat if their human is right by their side, or opposite to that, only when they are given lots of space. Some picky pups may only eat if they are hand-fed or if food is placed on the plate or on the floor.

Identifying a Truly Picky Eater

Having a preference is normal, to a degree:

Even though canines have fewer taste buds than us humans do (about one-sixth the amount), they can discern lots of tastes including bitter, salty, sweet, and sour. Also, their sense of smell (which is far better than ours) plays a huge role in how they interpret how palatable a particular food is. Typically, if it smells delicious, it’ll be wolfed down, at least for the first few minutes after being served.

Texture plays a role as well; it’s not uncommon for Maltese puppies and dogs to prefer canned wet food over dry kibble (though dry is the healthier option since it’s good for the teeth and usually keeps stools properly firm). Stale crumbly food is often a turnoff as well.

Finally, temperature can affect how much a dog likes or does not like their food. Warm food is generally appreciated and if food is cold this can be a deterrent.

Canines are also fully able to make the connection between ingesting a food and feeling ill afterward. So, if a certain recipe is causing intestinal distress, it makes sense that a dog may turn his nose up at it.

So, with all of these factors in mind, it’s normal for a Maltese to have certain taste preferences; for example, desiring room-temperature fresh lamb-based kibble with a drizzling of fish oil instead of a stale chilled beef recipe.

Keep in mind serving size:

Yet, another element to keep in mind is that the Maltese breed is tiny and requires far less food than their larger counterparts. Take for example, a 7-lb. adult eating a Wellness recipe. Serving size is a mere 63 to 83 gram PER DAY (1/2 to 2/3 cup).

Even looking at the higher end of this, 2/3 cup per day, this is just 1/3 cup if feeding two meals per day and less than 1/4 cup when feeding 3 meals a day.

So, an owner may assume that their little Maltese is being picky about food when in fact their puppy or dog is simply consuming that small 1/4 to 1/3 cup for a meal as expected and is not interested in the rest because they are rightfully full.

Signs that there is an issue:

When a dog’s preferences are always revolving to the point that an owner cannot simply choose a good food and leave it at that, or if a dog is a stubborn eater in an attempt to make their owner cave in and offer unhealthy food, this is a problem. And, when every meal is a battle, it’s time to make some changes.

It is also a red flag if a puppy is not eating enough to gain weight as expected or if an adult dog struggles to maintain their weight.

How to Handle a Maltese that is a Picky Eater

#1 Address any issues with a food intolerance or allergy.

If your Maltese is very gassy, has runny bowels, vomits after eating, or shows other signs of not tolerating their food, this should be diagnosed and treated by a veterinarian. In some cases, this may be due to chemical preservatives, artificial coloring, and other dog food additives. In other cases, it may be a true allergy to a food ingredient including eggs or even a particular meat. More details ahead under ‘#3 Decide on just one dog food brand and recipe’.

#2 And, if there are weight issues, this also should be addressed.

There is a big difference between a Maltese being a picky eater and outright refusing to eat to the point that it affects their weight. So, if a puppy is not gaining weight or an adult is losing weight, this warrants an immediate vet visit. Health conditions will be ruled out and, in some cases, an appetite stimulant may need to be prescribed.

#3 Decide on just one dog food brand and recipe.

This step is vital to stop the merry-go-round of food options. Yet, is perhaps one of the trickiest parts of fixing things with a finicky eater. What should you choose when your Maltese is not happy with anything?

The main goal is to have confidence that you are offering a healthy diet. Making it more appealing and setting rules that break picky behavior will come next.

Here are some checkpoints to consider:

Be sure that the food contains zero synthetic preservatives and no artificial coloring or flavoring.
For Maltese that have an aversion to dry food, adding a small amount of wet food to a dry kibble is one method to address this. If you choose this as an option, stick with the same brand as the kibble. Alternatively, you can also add in low-sodium chicken or beef broth.
Warming food can often be just the thing to make it more appealing.
Choose a top-quality dog food. Though this is vital for all dogs, with picky eaters, each bite really matters and you want to be sure that the food is as high quality as possible.
Decide on a meat base. Of course, if you suspect intolerance for a certain meat, avoid it. Otherwise, classic flavors like chicken, lamb, beef, and fish are all good choices.

If you’re looking for recommendations, one to consider is Wellness Complete Health Toy Breed Formula; this has a chicken base with brown rice. Other wholesome ingredients include turkey, peas, spinach, oatmeal, flaxseed, carrots, sweet potatoes, blueberries, and apples. All other ingredients are either plants to help naturally preserve the food or are vitamins and minerals.

And, another terrific choice is Halo Natural Small Breed Formula. This is a 100% holistic food, meaning no GMO produce and meats that are hormone-free, antibiotic-free, and cage-free. This has a base of chicken and liver which many dogs find to be a super-tasty combination. Other ingredients include oatmeal (which is easy on the tummy), pearled barley (a healthy grain), peas, flaxseed, blueberries, cranberries, carrots, and sweet potato. All other ingredients are either to naturally preserve the kibble or are vitamins and minerals.

If you think that you may want to offer homemade food, that is an option too; most dogs really love freshly prepared food. Though you can meal-prep once a week or so, you should be sure that you enjoy being in the kitchen.

#4 Know how much your Maltese weighs.

Recommended serving size, which can be found on the packaging of all dog food, is always based on age and weight. Never assume how much your little guy or gal weighs. Know the number down to the pound so that you can follow the guidelines.

#5 Use a dry measuring cup or, better yet, a kitchen scale.

Once you know your Maltese’s exact weight, the next step is to be sure that you are not going overboard on the amount of food you place in the bowl. All dogs will seem picky if they are served twice as much as they actually need.

As covered earlier under ‘Identifying a Truly Picky Eater: Keep in mind serving size’, most Maltese should be given a relatively small amount, just 1/4 to 1/3 cups per meal, on average.

A dry measuring cup (with a flat top) is more accurate than a liquid measuring cup (with a pour spout); however, the most accurate method is to use a small kitchen scale to serve the meal by weight (usually grams). Once you start measuring food in this way, you may be surprised to see the difference.

If you are looking for a great scale, we love the Mueller Digital Kitchen Scale. This sleek little stainless-steel scale can be reset to zero after you place down a container and has several measurement settings (ounce, pound, gram, ml), a nice large digital display, and automatic shutoff.

#6 Make the chosen food more appealing.

Keeping in mind a dog’s preferences for smell, texture, and temperature, there are several things you can do to make meals more appetizing.

1. Keep the kibble from going stale. Though it may seem easy to simply store dog food in the bag that it comes in, those bags are not airtight and the kibble can become stale rather quickly, especially if no chemical preservatives are being used in the recipe (the one downside to steering clear of these nasty ingredients, but well worth it).

Consider transferring the kibble into an airtight container. If you buy 4-lb. bags of kibble for your Maltese, one like the Vittles Vault Jr. Airtight Dog Food Container is ideal. This is made of human grade, BPA-free materials and is compact. If you buy larger bulk bags, there are larger containers to choose from.

2. Add a dash of fish oil.

We covered the importance of smell; dogs rely on this more than actual taste, at least before they stop to think about if they even do like a food or not. And adding in a dash of quality fish oil to a bowl of kibble can both make a dog’s meal smell delicious and add a hard-to-resist flavor.

And, fish oil, which contains the two essential fatty acids of EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) has many health benefits for canines. It plays a huge role in maintaining good skin and coat health (and can help cure dry skin and skin-related issues linked to allergies like itching and hot spots), is good for heart health, and works to reduce inflammation like that seen with arthritis (a disease that 80% of dogs 8 years and up suffer from to some extent).

For this, a terrific choice is Pure Wild Alaskan Salmon Oil which has zero additives and comes in a handy pump dispenser. Don’t go overboard with this; Maltese need just a half-pump per day, so divide that into the two or three meals you serve. Once you’ve dribbled it over the kibble, use a spoon to mix it up well.

3. Add more moisture, if needed.

Keep in mind that a dry kibble is the best choice for Maltese; it is good for the gums and teeth. And, too much canned food can cause runny bowels. This said, some Maltese will eat their meals if the food is at least a bit moist.

You can do this by soaking the kibble in warm water for a few minutes, drizzling low-sodium chicken or beef broth over the kibble, or adding in a small amount of canned food.

4. Warm the food.

In some cases, just warming up food can lead to more enthusiast eating. You can use the microwave for this, just be sure to make it warm, not hot, and stir it well to avoid hot spots.

#7 Stand firm.

You’ve done a lot to get to this point.

You’ve made sure that there are no health issues that are causing a lack of appetite and you’ve had any weight issues diagnosed by the veterinarian. You’ve chosen just one food as your Maltese’s main meals and are confident that it’s high quality.

You know exactly how much your puppy or dog weighs and have the right type of measuring cup or a kitchen scale to ensure you’re doling out the correct serving sizes. And, you’ve even taken steps to make the kibble more tempting via smell, taste, moisture level, and temperature.

Now, comes the final step which in theory is very easy but many owners find difficult to execute: Place the bowl down and walk away.

In the vast majority of cases, a Maltese will be as picky as they are allowed to be. If they know that their behavior will eventually lead to being coddled (hand fed, etc.) or by having the bowl taken away in exasperation and replaced with something else, they will hold out.

It is exceedingly rare for canines to have anorexia. 99.9% of the time, a dog will not allow himself to starve. Picky dogs will eat what they are served as long as their human proves that the matter is not debatable.

If an hour passes and your Maltese still refuses to eat, transfer the bowl to the counter for 20 minutes and then place it back down. If needed, as each hour passes, repeat this.

The longest that you’ll want to go is to the point of the next meal, to help avoid possible hypoglycemia (drop in blood sugar). Stubborn dogs may very well hold out this long; but they typically make up for it by eating with more gusto at the next opportunity.

If your little guy or gal still refuses to eat, this is a red flag sign of an issue much more serious than finicky eating and should be reported to the veterinarian asap. You may be directed to offer a nutritional gel supplement like Tomlyn NutriCal Gel until the time of the appointment.

A Final Word

Dealing with a very picky eater can be frustrating, but the answer to resolving this is to find a balance between meeting your Maltese's preferences and having the willpower to stand firm in your choices. As a pet parent, you sometimes have to outlast your dog's stubbornness in order to have them follow the rules and guidelines that you have established for their health and well-being.

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