This Maltese feeding chart shows how much to feed at every age, from an 8 week old puppy to a senior dog. A Maltese eats only a few tablespoons of food per meal, so the calculator works in grams and to the nearest eighth of a cup.
Last updated November 11, 2026
Maltese at a glance
Enter your dog's weight and age. Puppies also get an estimate of their adult weight. Open "Your food" to add the numbers from your bag, mix in wet food or work out a monthly cost. Then fine tune using body condition, since every dog and every food is a little different.
Life stage: adult
Activity, goal and neuter status apply from 10 months. Growing dogs are fed by age and weight.
Dry food label
If the bag lists kcal per kg as well, grams per cup = kcal per cup ÷ kcal per kg × 1,000.
Mixed feeding
Use the kcal per can, tray or pouch printed on the wet food label.
Cost
Exact amount: 0.625 cups
Based on a dry food with 456 kcal per cup. If you give treats, take their calories out of the daily total, and recheck body condition every two to four weeks.
Resting energy (RER) is 70 times body weight in kilograms raised to the power of 0.75, then multiplied by a factor for life stage and activity. The Merck Veterinary Manual uses 3 times RER for puppies under 4 months and 2 times RER after that. The Pet Nutrition Alliance lists 2 to 3 times RER for growth, 1.8 for an intact adult, 1.6 for a spayed or neutered adult, 1.2 to 1.4 for an overweight prone or inactive adult and 1.0 for weight loss, and stresses that individual dogs can vary by as much as 50 percent from these estimates.
How this page applies them: 3.0 under 4 months and 2.0 from 4 to 10 months, the Merck values, since toy breeds finish growing early. Adults use 1.8 for moderate activity, 1.4 for low activity (the top of the Pet Nutrition Alliance range for overweight prone or inactive dogs) and 2.0 for very active dogs, which is our own estimate for a toy companion breed. Seniors use 1.2, 1.4 and 1.6, also our own estimates. Spayed or neutered adults and seniors get about 11 percent less, the same gap as between 1.8 and 1.6. Because a Maltese eats so little, cups are rounded to the nearest eighth; the gram figure is the more precise one.
Calories are divided by your food's energy density, 456 kcal per cup and 120 g per cup unless you enter your own. Treats are capped at 10 percent of the daily total and water is estimated at about one ounce per pound. The adult weight estimate divides your puppy's weight by the typical share of adult weight for its age from the growth table below, plus or minus 12 percent.
The fastest way to see how much a Maltese eats at each stage. Ranges run from a smaller to a larger dog of the same age, using a dry food with 456 kcal per cup, to the nearest eighth of a cup.
| Age | Typical weight | Meals per day | Cups per day | Grams per day | kcal per day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 to 10 weeks | 1.3 to 2.3 lb | 4 | ¼ to ½ | 35 to 60 g | 140 to 220 |
| 3 to 4 months | 2 to 4.4 lb | 4 | ½ to ¾ | 55 to 90 g | 200 to 350 |
| 4 to 6 months | 2.5 to 6 lb | 3 | ⅜ to ⅝ | 40 to 80 g | 150 to 300 |
| 6 to 10 months | 3.4 to 7 lb | 3 | ⅜ to ¾ | 50 to 85 g | 190 to 330 |
| Adult, moderate activity | 4 to 7 lb | 2 | ½ to ⅝ | 55 to 80 g | 200 to 300 |
The adult row covers intact dogs. Spayed or neutered adults need about 11 percent less, shown in the adult chart below.
Four things decide the daily number: current weight, life stage, activity level and neuter status. The Maltese is one of the smallest toy breeds, and the American Kennel Club lists adults at under 7 pounds, with 4 to 6 pounds preferred, and a life expectancy of 12 to 15 years.
Small dogs need more energy per pound than big ones, as VCA points out, but the total is tiny. A whole day's food for an adult Maltese is often less than half a cup, so a single extra biscuit or a few bites from the table can be a large share of it. Weighing food in grams makes all the difference at this size.
Maltese puppies of the same age can differ a lot in size. Feeding by current weight is more accurate than feeding by birthday. Find your puppy's weight in the left column, then read across to its age.
| Puppy weight | 2 to 4 months | 4 to 10 months |
|---|---|---|
| 1.5 lb (0.7 kg) | ⅜ cup, 40 g | not typical |
| 2 lb (0.9 kg) | ½ cup, 55 g | not typical |
| 2.5 lb (1.1 kg) | ½ cup, 60 g | ⅜ cup, 40 g |
| 3 lb (1.4 kg) | ⅝ cup, 70 g | ⅜ cup, 45 g |
| 3.5 lb (1.6 kg) | ⅝ cup, 80 g | ½ cup, 55 g |
| 4 lb (1.8 kg) | ¾ cup, 85 g | ½ cup, 60 g |
| 4.5 lb (2 kg) | not typical | ½ cup, 65 g |
| 5 lb (2.3 kg) | not typical | ⅝ cup, 70 g |
| 5.5 lb (2.5 kg) | not typical | ⅝ cup, 75 g |
| 6 lb (2.7 kg) | not typical | ⅝ cup, 80 g |
| 7 lb (3.2 kg) | not typical | ¾ cup, 85 g |
Daily totals for a food with 456 kcal per cup, to the nearest eighth of a cup. Split into four meals before 4 months, three meals until 10 months, then two.
A young Maltese puppy has tiny energy reserves. The AKC's guidance on hypoglycemia notes that toy puppies under about 12 weeks are most at risk and advises small, frequent meals.
Growth slows and energy needs per pound fall, so the calculator drops from 3.0 to 2.0 times RER. Move to three meals. Watch for a puppy that stays unusually small, eats poorly or acts strangely after meals, and mention it to your vet, since those can be early signs of a liver shunt.
VCA notes that toy breeds finish skeletal growth between 6 and 9 months, and growth standards built from thousands of dogs show the smallest dogs reach adult weight between 8 and 12 months. Switch to adult food around 9 to 10 months.
Use this to check whether your puppy is on track. Because male and female Maltese share the same adult range, the chart shows a larger and a smaller Maltese instead of males and females. The calculator uses the same pattern to estimate your puppy's adult weight.
| Age | Larger Maltese weight | Smaller Maltese weight | Share of adult weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 months | 1.8 to 2.3 lb | 1.3 to 1.8 lb | About 33% |
| 3 months | 2.8 to 3.5 lb | 2 to 2.8 lb | About 50% |
| 4 months | 3.5 to 4.4 lb | 2.5 to 3.5 lb | About 63% |
| 6 months | 4.7 to 6 lb | 3.4 to 4.7 lb | About 85% |
| 9 months | 5.3 to 6.8 lb | 3.9 to 5.3 lb | About 97% |
| 12 months | 5.5 to 7 lb | 4 to 5.5 lb | Adult |
Adult ranges follow the AKC breed profile of under 7 pounds, split into a larger (5.5 to 7 lb) and a smaller (4 to 5.5 lb) adult. No growth study exists for the Maltese itself, so the monthly figures are our estimate from the typical pattern for the smallest dogs (Salt et al., 2017). The parents' size is a useful guide to your puppy's likely adult size.
A complete puppy food covers everything a growing Maltese needs. For a toy breed, kibble size and calorie density matter as much as the label.
The AAFCO floor for puppy food. Adult maintenance food needs at least 18%. Most quality puppy formulas run a few points higher.
Adults need at least 5.5%. Fat is the most calorie dense nutrient, so a rich puppy food makes overfeeding easier.
AAFCO's growth range for all sizes, with a calcium to phosphorus ratio between 1:1 and 2:1. A complete puppy food already gets this right.
These figures come from the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles (published in the AAFCO Official Publication). They are floors and ceilings, not targets, and any food labelled "complete and balanced" for growth or for all life stages already meets them.
VCA recommends kibble in pieces small enough for a small dog to grab and chew easily. Small breed foods also differ a lot in calories per cup, so enter the number from your bag in the calculator. If you are comparing labels, our guide to puppy food brands is a good place to start.
Feed by current weight and activity, then adjust every few weeks based on body condition. Most pet Maltese fit the moderate or neutered column. The 8 and 9 lb rows are there for dogs above the standard.
| Weight | Low activity | Moderate activity | High activity | Neutered, moderate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 lb (1.8 kg) | ⅜ cup | ½ cup | ½ cup | ⅜ cup |
| 4.5 lb (2 kg) | ⅜ cup | ½ cup | ½ cup | ⅜ cup |
| 5 lb (2.3 kg) | ⅜ cup | ½ cup | ⅝ cup | ½ cup |
| 5.5 lb (2.5 kg) | ⅜ cup | ½ cup | ⅝ cup | ½ cup |
| 6 lb (2.7 kg) | ½ cup | ⅝ cup | ⅝ cup | ½ cup |
| 6.5 lb (2.9 kg) | ½ cup | ⅝ cup | ¾ cup | ½ cup |
| 7 lb (3.2 kg) | ½ cup | ⅝ cup | ¾ cup | ⅝ cup |
| 8 lb (3.6 kg) | ⅝ cup | ¾ cup | ¾ cup | ⅝ cup |
| 9 lb (4.1 kg) | ⅝ cup | ¾ cup | ⅞ cup | ¾ cup |
Daily totals for a food with 456 kcal per cup, split into two meals. Low, moderate and high use 1.4, 1.8 and 2 times RER for an intact dog. Neutered moderate uses 1.6.
Cups change from brand to brand. Calories do not. If your food is denser or lighter than 456 kcal per cup, work from these numbers and divide by the kcal per cup printed on your bag, or enter that number in the calculator.
| Body weight | Resting energy (RER) | Intact adult (1.8) | Neutered adult (1.6) | Weight loss (1.0) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.8 kg (4 lb) | 109 kcal | 200 kcal | 170 kcal | 110 kcal |
| 2 kg (4 lb) | 118 kcal | 210 kcal | 190 kcal | 120 kcal |
| 2.3 kg (5 lb) | 131 kcal | 240 kcal | 210 kcal | 130 kcal |
| 2.5 kg (6 lb) | 139 kcal | 250 kcal | 220 kcal | 140 kcal |
| 2.7 kg (6 lb) | 147 kcal | 270 kcal | 240 kcal | 150 kcal |
| 3 kg (7 lb) | 160 kcal | 290 kcal | 260 kcal | 160 kcal |
| 3.2 kg (7 lb) | 167 kcal | 300 kcal | 270 kcal | 170 kcal |
| 3.6 kg (8 lb) | 183 kcal | 330 kcal | 290 kcal | 180 kcal |
Weight loss calories should be calculated from the target weight, not the current one. The calculator does this for you.
Grams beat cups for a Maltese. An eighth of a cup of kibble is roughly 15 grams, which can be 20 percent of a Maltese's daily food. A small kitchen scale is the easiest way to keep portions accurate.
The AKC puts Maltese life expectancy at 12 to 15 years, so the senior stage starts later than in bigger breeds. Most slow down somewhere after age 10 and need fewer calories.
| Weight | Low activity | Moderate activity | Neutered, moderate | Meals per day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 lb (1.8 kg) | ¼ cup | ⅜ cup | ¼ cup | 2 |
| 4.5 lb (2 kg) | ¼ cup | ⅜ cup | ⅜ cup | 2 |
| 5 lb (2.3 kg) | ⅜ cup | ⅜ cup | ⅜ cup | 2 |
| 5.5 lb (2.5 kg) | ⅜ cup | ⅜ cup | ⅜ cup | 2 |
| 6 lb (2.7 kg) | ⅜ cup | ½ cup | ⅜ cup | 2 |
| 6.5 lb (2.9 kg) | ⅜ cup | ½ cup | ½ cup | 2 |
| 7 lb (3.2 kg) | ½ cup | ½ cup | ½ cup | 2 |
| 8 lb (3.6 kg) | ½ cup | ⅝ cup | ½ cup | 2 |
Daily totals for a food with 456 kcal per cup. Low and moderate use 1.2 and 1.4 times RER for an intact senior. Neutered moderate uses about 1.24.
Four meals until about 4 months, three until about 10 months, then two for life. Here is what that looks like in a normal day.
Exact times do not matter. Consistency does. VCA advises at least three small meals for puppies under 4 months and at least two for adults. Do not let a small puppy skip a meal because it was busy playing, and if a puppy refuses two meals in a row, call your vet.
Hypoglycemia is the most urgent feeding related risk for any toy breed puppy. It is preventable with regular meals.
Tiny puppies have small energy stores and burn through them quickly. VCA lists inadequate nutrition in toy breed puppies, and congenital liver shunts, among the causes of low blood sugar.
Weakness, trembling, wobbliness, unusual sleepiness and, in severe cases, seizures. Missed meals, stress, cold and illness make an episode more likely.
Four meals a day until about 4 months, no skipped meals, and a vet check for any puppy that eats poorly, vomits or has diarrhea, since a puppy this small can run low quickly.
Low blood sugar is an emergency. If your puppy is weak, trembling or unresponsive, call your vet or an emergency clinic straight away.
Three Maltese health issues change how you feed. Most Maltese never have them, but owners should know the signs.
In a study of 2,400 dogs with congenital liver shunts, the Maltese had the third highest proportion of diagnoses of any breed, and a study of Maltese families found the condition is strongly inherited.
A milder liver blood flow problem that the American College of Veterinary Surgeons lists in the Maltese. Many dogs show no signs. When treatment is needed, it is medical, with a vet directed diet.
In a UK study of more than 22,000 dogs, the odds of periodontal disease rose as body weight fell, and dogs under 10 kg had about three times the odds of heavier dogs. Daily brushing does more than any food.
In a UK study of acute diarrhea, Maltese had about twice the odds of crossbreeds, with roughly 15 percent seen for diarrhea in a year.
For a dog with a liver shunt or symptomatic microvascular dysplasia, the diet is set by the vet. Do not cut protein or switch to a liver diet on your own, since a growing or healthy dog needs normal protein.
The charts give a starting point. Your dog's body tells you whether it is right. The WSAVA 9 point body condition scale puts the ideal at 4 to 5 out of 9.
View from above
Ribs, spine and hip bones are easy to see. Muscle loss may be visible. Feed about 10 percent more and recheck in two weeks.
View from above
Ribs are easy to feel under a thin layer of fat. From above you see a waist behind the ribs, and from the side the belly tucks up.
View from above
Ribs are hard to feel, there is no clear waist, and fat builds up over the back and base of the tail. Cut food by about 10 percent and trim treats.
A Maltese's long, silky coat hides the body completely. Use your hands, not your eyes: part the coat, press lightly along the side of the chest and feel for the waist behind the ribs. Weighing monthly on the same scale catches changes the coat hides.
A Maltese can become overweight on very small extras, and half a pound on a 6 pound dog is more than 8 percent of its body weight.
Start with an honest count of everything your Maltese eats. For a dog eating around 250 kcal a day, a single large biscuit or a few bites from the table can be a quarter of its daily needs.
Use a kitchen scale for both the food and the dog, since small changes matter at this size. Very large cuts should only be made with a vet, since dogs fed too little can lose muscle along with fat.
A healthy Maltese on a complete and balanced food does not need anything added. Doses made for bigger dogs are easy to overdo in a toy breed.
EPA and DHA from fish oil have the strongest research behind them for stiff joints. In a controlled study of dogs with osteoarthritis, those fed a food high in fish oil omega-3s bore more weight on their sore legs than dogs on a control food.
Widely used and generally well tolerated, but studies disagree on how much they help. Worth a trial for an older dog with a vet's input, not something a young healthy dog needs.
Many supplements are dosed per chew or per scoop, sized for a medium dog. For a 6 pound Maltese, check the dose by weight with your vet before starting anything, including tear stain powders.
Everything your Maltese eats or drinks counts, not just the main meals.
Plan on about one ounce per pound of body weight a day, roughly 4 to 7 ounces (120 to 200 ml) for an adult. Needs rise in warm weather, after exercise and on a dry kibble diet. A shallow bowl or a water bottle keeps the face and moustache cleaner.
Keep treats under 10 percent of daily calories. For a Maltese eating 250 kcal a day, that is only about 25 kcal, often less than one standard biscuit. Choose tiny healthy dog treats, break them into crumbs for training, or use part of the daily kibble as rewards.
Small habits that make any feeding chart work better.
Worth doing
Worth avoiding
The daily calorie target stays the same whatever the format. What changes is volume, cost, prep and how easy it is to keep the nutrients balanced.
| Format | Typical energy | Prep | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry kibble | 350 to 500 kcal per cup | None | Easy portion control, small kibble sizes | Large calorie differences between brands |
| Wet or canned | Much lower per gram | None | Picky eaters, extra moisture | Easy to overfeed in a very small dog |
| Raw | Varies with fat content | Thawing, strict hygiene | Owners willing to follow a complete recipe | Bacteria, nutrient balance |
| Fresh or home cooked | Varies by recipe | High | Food sensitivities, full ingredient control | Unbalanced homemade recipes |
For raw diets, the FDA's testing of commercial raw pet foods found Salmonella and Listeria in a meaningful share of samples, a risk for the people in the house as well as the dog. Home cooked diets are safe from that angle but easily drift out of balance on calcium and other minerals. Whichever format you use, pick a recipe that is complete and balanced for your dog's life stage, or one written by a board certified veterinary nutritionist.
Many toy breeds are picky, and owners end up adding toppers. That is fine in small amounts if the calculator's mixed feeding option accounts for it, so the kibble portion shrinks to match. The calculator defaults to a 100 kcal tray, a common small breed wet food size; check your label.
Itchy skin, tear stains and upset stomachs are common reasons owners change a Maltese's food. Rule out environmental allergies, eye problems and dietary indiscretion first.
Itching all year round, especially the paws, face, ears and rear end, repeated ear infections, and sometimes soft stool or more frequent bowel movements. Seasonal itching points more toward environmental allergies.
A review of published cases found beef, dairy, chicken and wheat were the most commonly reported food allergens in dogs. The trigger is almost always a protein, so "grain free" alone rarely solves it.
Blood, hair and saliva tests sold for food allergies are not reliable, and vets generally do not use them to diagnose one. During the trial, enter the new food's kcal per cup in the calculator, since therapeutic diets often differ a lot from regular kibble.
For a sensitive stomach without allergy signs, the fix is usually simpler: a gradual food change, consistent meal times, fewer fatty extras and gentle treats. In a small puppy, vomiting or diarrhea can cause low blood sugar and dehydration quickly, so call your vet sooner rather than later.
Whether you are moving from puppy to adult food or changing brands, go slowly over 7 to 10 days.
Recalculate portions when the switch is done. A new food almost never has the same kcal per cup as the old one, and feeding the same number of cups can quietly add or remove a lot of calories. If stools go soft at any step, stay at that ratio for a few extra days before moving on. For a second opinion on the new portion, our dog food calculator works out daily amounts in cups, grams and ounces for any breed.
With a toy breed, measure the new and old food by weight during the switch. Small breed foods differ a lot in calories per cup, so the same scoop can mean a very different amount.
The charts on this page assume a healthy dog. These situations need a different plan.
Energy needs stay fairly stable until the last third of pregnancy, then rise to about 1.6 to 2 times resting energy. At peak lactation, three to four weeks after whelping, the Pet Nutrition Alliance puts needs at 2 to 6 times resting energy, so a mother with a large litter can need more than twice her normal amount. Many breeders switch to a puppy or all life stages food in late pregnancy.
A Maltese diagnosed with a portosystemic shunt needs a diet plan from the vet, before and after any surgery. Protein level, meal size and meal frequency are all part of the treatment.
Dental disease that needs extractions, chronic diarrhea, kidney disease, pancreatitis and food allergies all change what and how much a dog should eat. The diet should come from your vet, and the chart becomes background information.
A puppy well below the weights in the growth chart, or one that is eating poorly, needs a vet check and a feeding plan, not just a bigger portion.
Feeding a different small breed as well? Compare with our Havanese feeding chart, Shih Tzu feeding chart, Chihuahua feeding chart and Poodle feeding chart, or use the general dog calorie calculator for mixed breeds.
The amounts on this page are general estimates meant as a starting point, not a substitute for veterinary advice. Every dog's metabolism, health and food are different, so confirm portions with your vet, especially for puppies, seniors, pregnant females and dogs with health conditions.
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