The adorable Maltese is one of the many Bichon dog breeds believed to be at least 2,000 years old and was favored by the nobility. Known as “Ye Ancient Dogge of Malta,” the Maltese is an aristocrat in the dog world and should be considered royalty.
With a general weight of under 7 pounds, the Maltese moves with a free-flowing gait, all the while gracefully carrying a long-haired tail over his back. They have a distinct white coat that is single-layered and has no undercoat.
A major concern with the Maltese dog breed is the dark tear stains often caused by excessive tear production known as epiphora. We’ll discuss the best dog foods for Maltese tear stains and how to prevent them. By trying to eliminate the top causes for Maltese tear staining and feeding a high-quality diet with fresh water, you’ll get to understand why certain dog foods are best for your Maltese to avoid tear stains.
In a rush? Here are the top picks!
- Pros
- The concentration of nutrients and texture provides a brushing effect for optimal dental health.
- Kibble was designed with a specific size, shape, and texture for the Maltese's tapered muzzle.
- Features Biotin, omega-3, and omega-6 fatty acids
- Includes E.P.A. and D.H.A. from fish oil
- Crafted with highly digestible proteins and precise fiber content support healthy digestion
- Flavorful for picky eaters
- Royal Canine offers 50 years of scientific research and observation.
- A prescription diet with no artificial flavoring, coloring, and no preservatives
- Cons
- None, this was specifically designed for the Maltese and helps prevent against tear stains.
Royal Canine offers more than 50 years of canine nutrition expertise. This company works with veterinarians, nutritionists, and scientists to create tailored formulas for every life stage to deliver optimal health via high-quality nutrition. Because this dog food is specifically created for a Maltese, it will help prevent allergies that are known to cause tear stains.
We like Royal Canine’s Maltese formula because it’s a breed-specific adult formula with small-sized kibble. It’s designed specifically for purebred Maltese adult dogs and features a veterinary formulated recipe that delivers highly digestible liver enriched inhibitory protein (L.I.P.) This is beneficial in reducing stool odor to promote skin and coat health with E.P.A. and D.H.A.
Features
- Features a small breed puppy diet to ensure correct growth and no growth abnormalities.
- Offers antioxidants, Omega 3’s with healthy ingredients, and a balanced diet for an adult Maltese’s appropriate life stage.
- Features 100% balanced & complete nutrition for the adult Maltese as a breed
- Relatively affordable dog food for being breed specific
- Crafted as a unique formula with a good taste for the fussiest of eaters
- Helps to support the Maltese as a specific breed
- This is a prescription formula
- Pros
- Hill's only accepts ingredients from suppliers whose facilities meet stringent quality standards and are approved by Hill's.
- The formula is crafted with high-quality ingredients, including real chicken, lamb, or salmon protein.
- Features natural ingredients (plus vitamins, minerals & amino acids)
- Formulated with nibble sized kibble for small mouths
- Added biotin, omega-3, and omega-6 fatty acids for optimal health
- No artificial colors, preservatives, or colors
- No by-product chicken meal
- Contains added vitamin E for eye health to protect against oxidative damage as an anti-inflammatory
- Features a sodium level of .39% on a dry matter basis
- Protein level at 24% with a fat level of 16.4%
- Cons
- Not recommended for mature adult dogs six years plus.
With over 8,729 positive ratings on Amazon, Hill’s Science Diet Dry Dog Food is an adult dog food made with easily digestible ingredients formulated specifically for small dog breeds. This dog food is crafted with omega-six fatty acids and vitamin E to promote healthy skin and a shiny coat.
Hills’ Science Small Paws for small dog breeds contains high-quality protein for muscle maintenance and uses an antioxidant blend specifically for lifelong immune support in toy and miniature dogs. We like this dog food formula because it’s made in the United States and features natural ingredients. It’s also veterinarian recommended and has no filler ingredients. Often times, tear stains are caused by low-quality ingredients that don’t provide any nutrition.
Features
- Every Hill’s purchase supports shelter pets.
- Crafted with a proprietary antioxidant blend that will promote lifelong health for your adult small breed dog.
- It contains nourishing omega 6s and vitamin E to promote healthy skin and a healthy coat.
- A prescription diet with no artificial flavoring, coloring, and preservatives.
- Supports a small dog breed’s immune system
- Over 220 veterinarians, food scientists, technicians, and Ph.D. nutritionists at Hill’s develop all of Hill’s pet foods to meet the needs of your pets for optimal health, wellness and longevity.
- Pros
- No artificial ingredients
- 90% meat, bone, and organs in every fresh batch
- One animal protein source- turkey & limited ingredients
- Contains omega fatty acids for skin and coat health
- No corn, wheat, soy, artificial flavors, food coloring, or preservatives
- Affordable
- Cons
- None
Stella & Chewy’s Carnivore Crunch not only features a freeze-dried raw formula for optimal nutritional benefits, but this formula is crafted in small batches in the United States in Stella & Chewy’s own commercial kitchen.
This is a natural and minimally processed dog food formula that contains no added hormones, antibiotics, grains, or fillers. Using quality ingredients is known to prevent allergies and prevent tear stains around your Maltese’s eyes. This dog food is also perfect to use as a training reward or snack. Providing raw nutrition combined with convenience, Stella & Chewy Carnivore Crunch supports optimal digestive health and allergy relief and benefits skin and coat health.
Features
- The good amino acid profile
- Turkey is the first ingredient and is high in protein.
- Zero grains
- Cage-free freeze-dried raw turkey recipe.
- Contains no hormones, antibiotics, grains, or fillers
- Features natural omega oils for optimal skin and coat health
- Made in the United States
- High protein supports and maintains lean, strong muscle and helps with endurance and energy.
- Pros
- Antioxidant-rich ingredients
- No corn, wheat, soy, artificial flavors, food coloring, or preservatives
- Features fish oil and contains has Menhaden fish meal (omega-3 fatty acids)
- Features oatmeal as some source rich in B-vitamins
- Chicken as its first ingredient
- No artificial ingredients
- No chicken by-products
- It contains barley, which is a good fiber source, and brown rice, which is easy to digest
- Features carrots, blueberries, cranberries, dried kelp, and barley grass
- Affordable
- Cons
- Some dogs don't like the taste of the life source bits.
This brand is one of the most popular Maltese tear stain dog food formulas on the market. Blue Buffalo Small Breed chicken and rice formula features real meat as the first ingredient. High-quality protein from real chicken helps your dog build and maintain healthy muscle. It’s specially formulated for the wellness of adult small breed dogs.
The BLUE Life Protection Formula dry dog food is crafted with increased protein and carbohydrates for optimal small dog breed health and wellness. This formula features BLUE’s exclusive LifeSource Bits that feature a unique blend of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals carefully selected by holistic veterinarians and animal nutritionists, to support immune system health and life-stage requirements and a healthy oxidative balance. You don’t find any filler ingredients that are known to cause allergies in this dog food. This is one factor that helps to prevent eye tear stains.
Features
- Features BLUE’s exclusive LifeSource Bits
- Contains high-quality protein and wholesome grains like brown rice, oatmeal, and barley.
- Chicken as its first ingredient
- No artificial ingredients
- Features natural ingredients enhanced with vitamins and minerals.
- Crafted with no chicken (or poultry) by-product meals, corn, wheat, soy, artificial flavors, or preservatives.
- Pros
- Crafted with essential vitamins, minerals, and nutrients
- Contains no G.M.O.'S
- Includes farm-raised chicken
- Good tasting
- Cooked in U.S.A. facilities
- High-quality protein as a first ingredient
- All ingredients are real and recognizable.
- Features blueberries, carrots, and apples
- Affordable
- Cons
- Peas contain 25% protein and need to be factored in since it's the third ingredient
Nutro Wholesome Essentials for Maltese Tear Stains offers a dog food formula specifically for small dog breeds. This formula is crafted to offer natural fiber for healthy digestion and contains Omega 3 & 6 fatty acids to promote healthy skin and coat. The first five ingredients are chicken, chicken meal, split peas, Brewers rice, and whole brown rice. These ingredients make up a majority of the dog food and you know that they are healthy and not filler foods.
With over 5 175 positive ratings, Nutro is made with non-GMO ingredients and contains 26% mean brand protein. It’s a grain-inclusive formula that features 19 recipes and also has dried plain beet pulp and flaxseed. We like this formula because it contains fruit and veggies like dried apples, dried blueberries, dried carrots, and dried sweet potato and features a fiber content of 4.4%. A balanced nutrition in a dog food helps with Maltese tear stains.
Features
- The first ingredient is chicken.
- The third ingredient is oatmeal that is packed with B-vitamins and dietary fiber.
- Formulated with omega-3 and -6 fatty acids to promote healthy skin and a soft, shiny coat.
- Premium quality ingredients
- Added antioxidants for immune system support
- Includes omega-3 & omega-6 fatty acids for skin and coat health
- Pros
- Crafted with coconut and salmon oil for optimal coat health
- Broccoli, apples, and probiotics included
- Lean protein from eggs and cage-free chicken
- Ingredients slowly roasted and dehydrated for optimal nutritional benefits.
- Made in a human food facility
- Naturally dehydrated
- A good formula for dogs with grain sensitivities
- Assorted recipes available
- Cons
- Relatively expensive, but it's high-quality ingredients and our dog loves it!
Honest Kitchen Whole Food Clusters Dry dog food is a small breed blend with added vitamins, trace nutrients, and minerals for optimal health. This formula includes an extra boost of L-carnitine to help support healthy metabolism and healthy weight.
It is also crafted with an extra boost of Omega fatty acids from salmon oil for skin and coat health. This formula has been crafted by veterinary nutritionists and uses only muscle meat and liver protein with added low glycemic carbs, healthy fats, and live probiotics for optimal digestibility. Because this food is minimally processed, it’s great for Maltese tear stains.
Features
- Minimally processed
- Human-grade ingredients
- No meat meals or by-products
- Dehydrated dog food
- No grains, fillers, G.M.O.’S, and no artificial flavors, colors, or artificial preservatives.
- Made and sourced in the U.S.
Feeding Your Maltese to Prevent Tear Stains
There is little doubt that the best dog food for your Maltese is the cornerstone for longevity and good health. Good canine health is linked closely to a high-quality diet. Because our dogs live through several life stages as they age, it’s important to address each of those life stages separately as our dog experiences them.
At the same time, we need to meet the individual dietary needs of these different life stages. Here are some suggestions for choosing a high-quality food to prevent Maltese tear stains.:
- Avoid high-calcium and phosphorus intake in pups, which may lead to numerous bone issues, especially in large, fast-growing pups.
- High-quality dog food needs to be balanced and commercial puppy food. Feed your puppy for the growth that it needs. There are diets specially formulated for a breed’s specific needs. Specialized puppy diets contain controlled levels of fats, calories, and minerals to promote your pup’s proper growth rate.
- Adult Maltese need a maintenance diet without high levels of calcium and phosphorous, protein, and calories.
- Excess intake of certain nutrients for dogs over long periods of time can contribute to heart disease, kidney failure, obesity, and diabetes in adult and senior dogs.
- Always feed a high-quality adult maintenance diet that is complete and balanced.
- Senior Maltese pets at seven and up should change their diets because the kidneys are less able to handle waste materials removed by the bloodstream and excreted. Even healthy senior Maltese that appears in perfect health may have reduced kidney function.
- If your Maltese is gaining weight as he ages, reach out to your veterinarian about any changes in his diet to correct the problem. Your vet will also do tests to find out more about your dog’s weight gain.
- If your Maltese suffers from constipation, obesity, certain types of colitis, or diabetes mellitus, you’ll need to increase the amount of fiber.
- Maltese who suffer from diarrhea or excessive gas and or pancreatic issues do well with more easily digestible diets than standard diets. You can purchase these specialized diets from your veterinarian. These are aimed at counteracting diseases.
- You may be fighting obesity and need to stop feeding table scraps. Working together with your veterinarian to adjust your Maltese dietary requirements is important if you’re opting for weight reduction without malnutrition.
Opt for special weight loss canine diets formulated for weight loss to promote weight loss while maintaining lean body mass. Your Maltese will still need to get that feeling of fullness after eating, and high-fiber diets allow for calorie reduction and weight loss.
How to Choose the Best Dog Food for a Maltese Dog with Tear Stains?
The best dog food formulas are made with the simplest and most nutritious ingredients. Look for high-quality ingredients such as whole meats, fruits, vegetables, and grains, and take heed of the different macronutrients like proteins, fats, and carbs.
Feed for the Right Life Stage
You will need to provide your Maltese with the most appropriate diet that is healthy and beneficial for his life stage so that you can give your dog a long and healthy life. Keep in mind that feeding healthy helps with brain focus and behavioral issues, which will definitely benefit dog training.
Weight Issues
Also, Maltese may have weight issues. They may also be prone to digestive issues. To combat tear stains, you’ll need to feed healthy and watch your Maltese’s calorie consumption to avoid obesity.
AAFCO Regulations
AAFCO model regulations and the federal feed laws stipulate that all pet food labels need to list all the ingredients in their formulas in descending order, according to the weight of each ingredient listed.
With that said, it’s easy to see where the most important sources of calories and proteins are coming from – the first five ingredients listed. The first ingredient is the one ingredient that is present in the highest amount.
Here’s what you need in high-quality dog food for your Maltese.
- Dog food formulas should contain no artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives such as propylene glycol.
- Diets should include whole foods instead of processed foods.
- They should also use real meat instead of meat meal. This is important.
- Organ meats are also beneficial to dogs.
- Look out for by-products such as organ meats, which are fine, but no non-meat parts.
- There should be a good source of calcium in the dog food formula.
- The formulas should contain vegetables for fiber and nutrients such as flavonoids.
- Diets need to be tested using AAFCO feeding trials or by formulation to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles.
- There must be specific quality control measures to assure consistency and quality of all ingredients used in the end product.
- All dog food diets should be complete and balanced.
- The dog food formulas should indicate what life stage it is intended for.
- AAFCO provides nutrient profiles for all different life stages, all but one, the senior geriatric dog.
- All dog food formulas must meet the AAFCO profiles for all life stages and must meet the minimum nutrient levels for growth and adult maintenance in dogs.
- A reputable and knowledgeable dog food company with the highest quality control measures must make the dog food formula.
- Dog food should not be made in China, nor should any of the ingredients originate from China.
- Puppies should only eat a puppy food formula and should always be fed a puppy formula.
- Small breed pups like the Maltese need to be on a small breed puppy diet to ensure correct growth and no growth abnormalities.
- Formulas should contain antioxidants, Omega 3’s, healthy ingredients, and a balanced diet for the appropriate life stage.
Nutritional Requirements of a Maltese
Hypoglycemia
Because Maltese dogs tend towards being susceptible to hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), it’s necessary to feed your puppy a high-quality premium brand of dog food. Maltese need to be fed regularly so that their blood sugar levels don’t drop. The best way to ensure that your puppy’s nutritional needs are met is by feeding a toy or small breed specific recipe.
As with any dog food formulas, you’ll need to keep an eye on your pup’s weight and health to see if you need to make any dietary adjustments. Here you’ll find reviews on the best dog food for Maltese tear stains. These are high-quality dry dog food formulas that may be a good choice for your Maltese.
Conclusion for Best Dog Foods for Maltese Tear Stains
Although a small dog with a compact body, the Maltese is a fearless dog that is trusting and gentle with family and friends. The Maltese belongs to the American Kennel Club (AKC) Toy Group and was recognized by the AKC in 1888. It is their 42nd official dog breed with a long history of having excessive tear stains around the eyes.
The Maltese is a sturdy and playful dog breed with large dark eyes and a small gumdrop nose. With low drop ears and a mantle of long silky white hair, this breed is popular because it’s charming in a toy-dog way.
The AKC adds that “For all his diminutive size, the Maltese seems to be without fear. His trust and affectionate responsiveness are very appealing. He is among the gentlest mannered of all little dogs, yet he is lively and playful as well as vigorous.”
Although numerous high-quality dog food brands will keep your furry best friend healthy and in peak health, you should start your search by understanding your pet food ingredients. Ensuring that your pup is eating a healthy diet means avoiding added sugars like corn syrup, molasses, and beet sugar.
Keep in mind that if you’re opting for a grain-free dog food formula for your Maltese that you’ll need to look out for starchy potatoes, tapioca, or legumes like chickpeas. For Maltese who suffer from allergic dermatitis or inflammatory bowel disease(I.B.M.), a dog food formula crafted from a unique protein and unique carbohydrates helps improve the conditions.
By understanding pet food labels and staying away from innocuous ingredients, you’ll also help prevent obesity. Digestibility, quality, and optimal safety are crucial for optimal health. As usual, consult with your veterinarian for advice if you’re not sure as to which dog food is best for your Maltese!
Garrett loves animals and is a huge advocate for all Doodle dog breeds. He owns his own Goldendoodle named Kona. In addition, he volunteers at the Humane Society of Silicon Valley, where he fosters dogs and helps animals. Garrett enjoys writing about Doodles and believes that dogs can teach humans more about how to live than humans can teach a dog.
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