Hello..trying to learn all I can abt maltise

[nancyjo]

Am new to this forum..was given a baby maltise by a lady who could no longer care for him..his name is Mitch ..he was so small we had to bottle feed ..the mother from what we were told ,killed all her babies except this one ..and he had to be taken from her in order to save him..he is growing well ..and has the cutest personality..I want to learn all I can abt this breed ..we have noticed his eyes water alot and is giving us a concern ..we think he is abt 11 weeks ..we also have a Chihuahuah whom we love very much ..she is our baby ..and so excited abt having little Mitch in our family..am enjoying seeing all the pictures of the maltise ..trying to find info on the best foods to feed them and any health concerns for this breed ..thank you

[maltese manica]

You came to the right spot to learn/laugh/etc etc. Hope to see some pics!!!!

[Zoe's Mom88]

Welcome to SM Nancy. Mitch sounds adorable and we would love to see pics. This is a great place with so much info. Hope you stick around.

[babycake7]

WELCOME! You will find lots of helpful information here as well as friendship and support!

[Yogi's Mom]

Welcome, thats A Heartbreaking story-Breaks My Heart. So Great you took Mitch. Iam New Also-I Have Learned More Than I Ever Could Any where else on this site. The Support Is Awesome!!!!
Cant wait to see Mitch-Love Pictures.
My Yogi Is 10mo old-weighs 6 1/2 pounds. Nickee In Pa*

[Snuggle's Mom]

It sounds as thought little Mitch is just adorable and want to thank you for giving him such a wonderful and loving home. I have never heard of an animal killing all of their young and am wondering why she left him alone. Very sad indeed to read that a Malt would do this to one of their own.

[Fluffdoll]

So glad you took little Mitch with you! Would love to see pictures of him soon!

[CloudClan]

Good luck with Mitch. I have a puppy we have been bottle feeding and it is not uncommon for them to face some extra challenges. I hope your little one thrives.

Originally Posted by Snuggle's Mom

It sounds as thought little Mitch is just adorable and want to thank you for giving him such a wonderful and loving home. I have never heard of an animal killing all of their young and am wondering why she left him alone. Very sad indeed to read that a Malt would do this to one of their own.

I have heard of this happening. Years back on this forum I remember a foster mom caring for a young bitch who had been bred before taken into foster and having something like this happen. It was a mixed breed as I recall.

From what I have read, there are a few reasons that a dam might kill her own puppies. First of all, sometimes there is an accident. For instance, some bitches can be overly obsessive about licking the umbilical area and "go too far" opening up the area and injuring the baby. Sometimes a baby is sick and the mother follows a natural course that takes out the weakest. Or perhaps the mother is sick. If she is suffering from eclampsia / low calcium, she may not be in her "right head." If the mother is in an environment where she does not feel safe or feels food sources are restricted, this could also be a potential reason. Another factor I have heard could be a bitch that was bred too young. Immature dams might not understand fully the responsibilities of motherhood.

[Sylie]

This might sound harsh, but it truly isn't meant to be...first it is Maltese. A capital M for the proper noun...as they are supposedly originated from the island of Malta. Misspelling the word may mess up any search you do. So, now that you are ready to learn all you can about the Maltese breed, research the many sub-forums on this site. A wealth of knowledge will open up to you.

[Furbabies mom]

Welcome to SM. there is a ton of info here to help you with Mitch. We'd love to see pics of him. So glad that you joined.