# Are teacup Maltese unhealthy?



## PolarIce

Now I have had this question for some time now and have never been able to get a good answer. I hope no one gets offended by this thread, because it's not meant to be in any way. I know absolutely nothing about them and wanted to try to get some answers from you guys, because you're all far more knowledgeable about the breed than I am.

My question is about tea cup Maltese. I have always had this perhaps misconception that you would have to have a lot of inbreeding or breeding of unusually small, perhaps unhealthy dogs to be able to have puppies that petite size? how do breeders manage to breed Maltese that small?

I'm sure there might be a lot of opinions or views, but really want to understand and perhaps correct what I have heard and read online. 

Thanks for all the information


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## bellaratamaltese

I personally think that 'breeders' who deliberately breed for smaller than standard maltese do run the risk of increased health issues. Teacup maltese is a term used by such breeders for marketing purposes so if you run across a 'teacup maltese' breeder, you can pretty much be sure they are not breeding to the maltese standard and are trying to make a profit on their puppies, not breeding to better the breed.

Just to warn you, the term 'teacup' is one that makes most of us on this forum grit our teeth!! 

I know there are very healthy smaller puppies (can't use the term tcup, LOL) but I personally would not be willing to take the risk.

ETA - here is a great online article http://www.foxstonemaltese.com/teacupmaltese.htm


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## aprilb

The Maltese standard is from 4-7 pounds. Reputable exhibitor breeders do not breed "teacups".


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## uniquelovdolce

their really is no such thing as a teacup maltese. a maltese is a toy dog and the breed standard is from 4-7 lbs , the maltese is a toy dog as it is . now there are many breeders that will breed two smaller dogs to get a really tiny dog cause alot of ppl want a little tiny dog . what most people dont get is that there is a much higher health risk and more complications with a smaller dog . again not all dogs are the same my dolce is 3.9 lbs and so far knock on wood has been healthy. 

So whenever u see a "breeder" promoting or advertising a teacup maltese you can basically know that she is trying to "sell" only as opposed to being genuinely interested in bettering the breed and showing..


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## Snowbody

Teacup is a marketing term, usually used by pet shops (who get their pups from puppy mills and back yard breeders) to attract people. No reputable (ethical) breeder uses that term. Standard is 4-7 lbs but there are Malts who are bigger and smaller. All I care about is healthy.


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## princessre

Bijou is 3.5 pounds and (knock on wood) healthy as a horse. Never one remotely off day. Never even one bad poo. 

On the other hand, I unfortunately know plenty of 6 pound + Malts with huge health problems. 

So I don't think it's quite as black and white as tiny dogs are unhealthy.


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## Furbaby's Mommie

Sometimes a puppy is smaller than normal *because* there is something wrong, like a liver shunt. That is something that is usually fatal or very hard to treat with a complicated surgery that can be very risky (and expensive). Also a tiny dog is harder to take care of simply because it's size means it can be injured so easily. If you want a dog that is abnormally small you must to able to care for it and afford the extra care. If you simply want a Maltese on the small side of 'standard', great, just don't go to a breeder that calls their small dogs "Teacup". Teacups are dishes, not dogs.


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## Cosy

Breeding for tinies is asking for trouble. Once in awhile a line does throw smaller ones (not all) and they can be healthy (or not). I would never suggest going to a breeder other than a reputable conscientious exhibitor breeder.


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## Katkoota

You got some great input here  

all i can add is that a maltese is a small breed of dog no matter what. 
AKC maltese breed standard calls for 4 lb - 7 lb
FCI maltese breed standard call for 6.6 lb - 8.8 lb

Now my two malts are 9 lb , 8" in height, but gee, still are small. So, i still do have to be careful with them. They are tiny among the other breeds. 

Yes, the term tcup is used for marketing. And when people do that, be careful before u decide to buy from them as i am sure that the one who bred, isnt focused in improving the breed and i dont think in improving the health of the pup if thats the term that they use. 

There are a list of ethical breeders here. Take a look around in the forum to find some  if you have questions , do ask. I am glad that u are asking questions. This is our way to learn.

All the best!

Kat


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## michellerobison

Tea cup is more of a marketing term. Tiny ones can be delicate for sure. 3 of mine are in the 6-9 pound range, Rylee is 4.5 and very delicate, he can't do up steps and has a hard time going down them. I have to pick him up to put him in the car. The others are pretty hardy where Rylee's joints will pop.

I love how portable Rylee is ,being small and I think he's so cute being tiny. I'm not sure if I'd go for a tiny (he was an adoptee) on my next one. I look for the healthy aspect and small is nice but I'd like them a little bigger ,like 6 pounds,not quite as delicate and helpless.
But if anothe rtiny came up for adoption,I'd take him or her,they're a little more work and you have to be a bit more careful.
Rylee is about as healthy as my other girls,except for luxing patella.

I think purposely breeding for tiny could cause mor ehealth issues over a tiny being born to standard size 4-7 pound parents.


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## Maltbabe

*Ditto*



Snowbody said:


> Teacup is a marketing term, usually used by pet shops (who get their pups from puppy mills and back yard breeders) to attract people. No reputable (ethical) breeder uses that term. Standard is 4-7 lbs but there are Malts who are bigger and smaller. All I care about is healthy.


someone asked me about the teacup today. I explained, hope they listened. my Cappi is 4.9 and Max his brother born on the same day is 8.5 and they are both very healthy. I just think that my Maxi is too relaxed for his own good :smilie_tischkante:


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## edelweiss

. . . 
My question is about tea cup Maltese. I have always had this perhaps misconception that you would have to have a lot of inbreeding or breeding of unusually small, perhaps unhealthy dogs to be able to have puppies that petite size? how do breeders manage to breed Maltese that small?

I'm sure there might be a lot of opinions or views, but really want to understand and perhaps correct what I have heard and read online. 

Thanks for all the information [/QUOTE]

In answer to the question you submitted---"yes" there is inbreeding and breed selection to minimize the size of dogs---if that is what one is striving for, and it can, and often (but not always) does, result in health sacrifice. 
Those who breed with the intention of market profit produce what the market demands in order to increase financial gain. This is usually without concern for standards set by regulating organizations which would benefit the dog (or even, perhaps the buyer). 
That is NOT to say that all small dogs are unhealthy & all larger dogs of the same breed are healthy.


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## tracy6413

If your Maltese is under the standard weight, you have to take extra care to keep it safe and healthy. When you first bring home a "teacup" Maltese puppy, check for signs that it is undernourished. These may include shallow breathing and general weakness. In addition, the eyes may lack typical Maltese brightness and produce a watery discharge. If you notice any of these signs, consult a veterinarian immediately so that you can avoid the damage malnourishment may cause.


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## kodie

I didnt see this thread sooner or i would have responded sooner...

My little boy, Kodie, is the result of a greedy breeder looking for only tiny off spring. I know this for a fact cause they told me! Kodie's mother weighed 3lbs and the father was 2lbs. They were brother and sister (i spent money to get kodie's family tree from akc many years later because i wanted answers as to why my little boy was so different than healthier puppies.). There were 3 puppies in the litter... 1 died at birth (the smallest puppy).. the next biggest was a female pup and died at 6 months of age she never reached 1lb... kodie was the biggest pup (he is 3lbs today and sometimes 2.8lbs! i have a hard time keeping weight on him) and is still with us at 8yrs old... he has a lot of genetic issues because of the way he was bred... MVD, a chiari-like malformation at the base of his skull, his jaw and the rest of his body is not sturdy or formed as soundly as my little girl, kelsie. When he was a puppy he had a slower growth rate than a normal puppy... so i did not neuter him until over 1yr of age. This may or may not be a genetic issue.. but kodie has a baby tooth that keeps his jaw together... it has not decayed yet (thanx god) even though he is already 8yrs old. If we have to remove this tooth i will have to get his jaw cemented together! Kodie has some bones that stick out in places that are weird... like in his rib cage... but that is how he was built... i am very thankful that kodie is doing as well as he is because the little girl in his litter was mentally ill. Kodie is pretty on the ball! BUT.. as he gets older he becomes alittle bit more crazy... aniexty... acting weird... he now has these weird spells when he cant walk and his whole body tenses up.. could be a seziure but docs dont know.. could be related to his malformation and the CSF flood in his brain.. docs think hes in neurologic pain so hes in meds for that.. he could have pain down his spine. I am always fearful that one day i could wake up and kodie will get worse... and maybe not be able to walk one day... (we had that already happen a few times and ended up in the ER!) 

Anyway.. my point is... when a person comes up to me and says are they teacup maltese... i want to scream cause that mind set... wanting small tiny dogs... people just dont realize that you could be asking for alot of trouble. Sure kodie is just adorable... but look how many things are wrong with him.. and hes lucky.. there are so much more sicker dogs out there.. i want people to think alittle different when they see a maltese... instead of is that a teacup... how about... is that a maltese? and just ask or a healthy puppy. 

Also on a side note... kelsie was from a show breeder and she is 3lbs (tiny built frame but sturdy!) She was from a litter of 3 pups... the other 2 were female and bigger than her... they went on to become show dogs. I think this is a good example of how you sometimes get a smaller sized maltese in a litter without breeding for a tiny size (as someone mentioned before...). Kelsie is very healthy... you can see physically the difference between both of my babies... its obvious to see... and they are both around 3lb... goes to show you how a dog is bred makes a difference..


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## almitra

I was gonna add to this thread, but I can easily see they've got it all covered for you, OP. By the way, welcome to SM!


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## Sylie

One more thing. Often times the people who are marketing teacups deliberately underfeed the mother and then the puppies. They also often induce early labor to get smaller pre-mature pups. One more nasty things these scoundrels do is sell a puppy claiming that it is older than it is, tricking the buyer into thinking they are getting a smaller dog. Bad, bad, bad. (Okay, that as three things.)


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## bellaratamaltese

This is actually an older thread - one of our friendly neighborhood spammers decided to jump in and bounced it back to the top. 

Thank you so much though for sharing your story about Kodie! OMG! I had no idea he was a result of a sibling breeding. I can see an 'oops' happening but this sounds like it was a calculated breeding. is this lady still breeding?


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## bellasmummy

I theres nothing i can add to this really as everyone has given such good advice and info alreadt, but as said there is no such thing as a tea cup maltese and my advice would always be if you see someone/a breeder selling their ''tea cup'' maltese run a mile! These breeder are 99% of the time only in it for the money and are often breeding them as small as they can without any thought to the poor malts health just to be able to play more on the ''tiny cute'' factor for sales


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