# Picky Maltese



## Kumo&Bonsai (Apr 23, 2021)

Hey!
So, my question for anyone who has this “issue” , does anyone here have a Maltese that is extremely picky with their food and treats? Our 3 year old Maltese, Kumo, is a little spoiled princess when it comes to food or treats, even when he likes something, if he gets it for 2 days straight, on the 3 day he’ll sniff it, but won’t touch it, he looks at me with that “you want me to eat this 3 days in a row, peasant?” smug. I have even tried cooking home made dog food for this little ungrateful A-hole, using different proteins such as chicken, low fat Turkey, low fat beef and the last straw was when I cooked him Filet Mignon, and he looked at me like I gave him rat poison. So I was like, listen here you little 4 pound devil spawn, this cut of steak cost $80 at a restaurant, what is your problem!?. Anyway, I stopped cooking for him, since it was ridiculously time consuming and he simply wouldn’t eat what I prepared from a doggy cook book for Maltese that I have. So luckily we found a very good family owned pet store, however after a while it’s the same thing. I want this guy to be excited about his food, not to starve him to the point where he has to eat whatever. But yeah, if anyone has any input on this, it is greatly appreciated 😊


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## wkomorow (Aug 26, 2011)

Has he been to the vet? Some dogs are picky, but food avoidance can be a sign of liver issues, digestive issues, even cancer.

I am not sure whether you are being humorous with how you refer to him or there is genuine anger with him. But being angry about the situation will not help him.


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## Bentley's Dad (Apr 24, 2021)

My Bentley, 2 1/2 year old male, does the EXACT same thing! I too have no solutions for this behavior. I am going to watch this forum for any potential resolutions. Thank you for the post!


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## maggieh (Dec 16, 2007)

Walter is absolutely correct in his advice. Food aversion is often a symptom of an underlying medical problem that needs to be addressed. Blood work including thyroid, urinalysis, and a thorough examination is a great place to start. Meal time should be a positive experience for our pups and when it's not, either there's a medical reason or we're the source of the problem. Good luck!


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## vicki stokes (Apr 1, 2021)

Kumo&Bonsai said:


> Hey!
> So, my question for anyone who has this “issue” , does anyone here have a Maltese that is extremely picky with their food and treats? Our 3 year old Maltese, Kumo, is a little spoiled princess when it comes to food or treats, even when he likes something, if he gets it for 2 days straight, on the 3 day he’ll sniff it, but won’t touch it, he looks at me with that “you want me to eat this 3 days in a row, peasant?” smug. I have even tried cooking home made dog food for this little ungrateful A-hole, using different proteins such as chicken, low fat Turkey, low fat beef and the last straw was when I cooked him Filet Mignon, and he looked at me like I gave him rat poison. So I was like, listen here you little 4 pound devil spawn, this cut of steak cost $80 at a restaurant, what is your problem!?. Anyway, I stopped cooking for him, since it was ridiculously time consuming and he simply wouldn’t eat what I prepared from a doggy cook book for Maltese that I have. So luckily we found a very good family owned pet store, however after a while it’s the same thing. I want this guy to be excited about his food, not to starve him to the point where he has to eat whatever. But yeah, if anyone has any input on this, it is greatly appreciated 😊


i have had six maltese devil princesses ! all their eating habits have been so very different, the latest pair who are sisters are also completely different to each other, one likes her food spread all over the floor or hand fed ! she loves treats over food anytime ! I am being much stricter this time round though and enforcing the vet approved dry food, which she will eventually eat, she is happy enough and now a pretty health 14 month old. Not much advise really - just try to be a little firmer- I know it hurts ! Actually, they really don't eat much so if you can even a little food into her it really is enough.


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## titafoch (Nov 28, 2020)

Kumo&Bonsai said:


> Hey!
> So, my question for anyone who has this “issue” , does anyone here have a Maltese that is extremely picky with their food and treats? Our 3 year old Maltese, Kumo, is a little spoiled princess when it comes to food or treats, even when he likes something, if he gets it for 2 days straight, on the 3 day he’ll sniff it, but won’t touch it, he looks at me with that “you want me to eat this 3 days in a row, peasant?” smug. I have even tried cooking home made dog food for this little ungrateful A-hole, using different proteins such as chicken, low fat Turkey, low fat beef and the last straw was when I cooked him Filet Mignon, and he looked at me like I gave him rat poison. So I was like, listen here you little 4 pound devil spawn, this cut of steak cost $80 at a restaurant, what is your problem!?. Anyway, I stopped cooking for him, since it was ridiculously time consuming and he simply wouldn’t eat what I prepared from a doggy cook book for Maltese that I have. So luckily we found a very good family owned pet store, however after a while it’s the same thing. I want this guy to be excited about his food, not to starve him to the point where he has to eat whatever. But yeah, if anyone has any input on this, it is greatly appreciated 😊


My Mischa just terned a year old and I have been through with her exactly the same with the addition that every time she went to the bathroom she always had very loose stool, my Vet put her with meds for a long time to stop that until we went to an specialist and all she did is change her diet to a gastrointestinal diet.....I don't know if this help you but hills science changed her life.


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## Luckymommy (Apr 18, 2021)

vicki stokes said:


> i have had six maltese devil princesses ! all their eating habits have been so very different, the latest pair who are sisters are also completely different to each other, one likes her food spread all over the floor or hand fed ! she loves treats over food anytime ! I am being much stricter this time round though and enforcing the vet approved dry food, which she will eventually eat, she is happy enough and now a pretty health 14 month old. Not much advise really - just try to be a little firmer- I know it hurts ! Actually, they really don't eat much so if you can even a little food into her it really is enough.


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## Luckymommy (Apr 18, 2021)

Lucky had 1 year check up. Vet said they are known for picky. He is 11.9 lb maltese/bichone mix and very active. This morning He ate cut up chicken breast and purina pro that I borrowed. All I can say is buy from where you can return if they dont eat it


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## Coster (Oct 26, 2015)

Ok.... many maltese dogs are very very picky. First of all don’t give your dog filet moin it’s very greasy and if he ate that he would definitely get stomach pains for sure. My Cody is picky and he has liver disease and when he refuses to eat dog food I boil him a egg and give him the egg whites not the yellow. Yellow has too much cholesterol. Also lots of dogs love plain oatmeal. Not instant that has sugar I mean baby food plain oatmeal .you always want their tummy full. It can get frustrating to you however they can’t talk and they Depend on us 100% to take care and nurture them back to health with Love and patience. Just image if your real sick and you can’t communicate. Sad. It seems you are trying your best my advice is contact your vet and set up a appointment make sure your pup isn’t feeling nauseous .Walters advice is so Right!


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## SouthernBelles (Feb 16, 2017)

First of all Maltese pups are angels & gifts to us lucky ones. They are very sensitive , sweet, beautiful and require a lot of care and attention.
A nutritious diet is best . The freeze dried food by vital essentials or open farms would be tasty for your sweetie . Raw goat’s milk as an appetizer is a nice compliment to their meals . Great simple ingredients .


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## maddysmom (Mar 8, 2012)

wkomorow said:


> Has he been to the vet? Some dogs are picky, but food avoidance can be a sign of liver issues, digestive issues, even cancer.
> 
> I am not sure whether you are being humorous with how you refer to him or there is genuine anger with him. But being angry about the situation will not help him.





maggieh said:


> Walter is absolutely correct in his advice. Food aversion is often a symptom of an underlying medical problem that needs to be addressed. Blood work including thyroid, urinalysis, and a thorough examination is a great place to start. Meal time should be a positive experience for our pups and when it's not, either there's a medical reason or we're the source of the problem. Good luck!


I absolutely agree with Walter and Maggie. A dog who isn’t excited about food, especially when your waving steak in their face should have a full work up by your vet. I certainly wouldn’t be changing up his food too much. There is a reason he doesn’t want to eat. I would be curious as to what dog food you were feeding and if you were giving fatty treats. If fat too high, for all you know he could have pancreatitis where they wax and wane. Some days they eat, some days they don’t and it can go on for years before the dog shows how sick they really are. 
Until you figure out why he is so picky and won’t eat some days, I would be very careful feeding anything high fat. The fat you see on the can or bag is NOT the actual fat content. It needs to be calculated on a DMB in order to determine the actual fat content.


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## Luckymommy (Apr 18, 2021)

Luckymommy said:


> Lucky had 1 year check up. Vet said they are known for picky. He is 11.9 lb maltese/bichone mix and very active. This morning He ate cut up chicken breast and purina pro that I borrowed. All I can say is buy from where you can return if they dont eat it


I always have chicken breast cut up and put it on a separate plate. I also use only Wellness Core bowl busters, tenders, which can be used as a meal or topper


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## maddysmom (Mar 8, 2012)

Luckymommy said:


> Lucky had 1 year check up. Vet said they are known for picky. He is 11.9 lb maltese/bichone mix and very active. This morning He ate cut up chicken breast and purina pro that I borrowed. All I can say is buy from where you can return if they dont eat it


I wouldn’t weigh too heavily on what the vets say. Unless that vet specializes in toy breeds, they know very little about the maltese breed. Maltese are very good eaters when healthy and fed food they like. A dog who eats one day and not the next, or puts their nose up to home cooked food is not the norm, imo.


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## maggieh (Dec 16, 2007)

maddysmom said:


> I wouldn’t weigh too heavily on what the vets say. Unless that vet specializes in toy breeds, they know very little about the maltese breed. Maltese are very good eaters when healthy and fed food they like. A dog who eats one day and not the next, or puts their nose up to home cooked food is not the norm, imo.


This is correct. I‘ve had Maltese since 1992 and never had a picky eater unless there was a medical issue. Fortunately I’ve also had vets who recognize that toy breed dogs are very different from larger breeds.


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## Luckymommy (Apr 18, 2021)

.


maddysmom said:


> I wouldn’t weigh too heavily on what the vets say. Unless that vet specializes in toy breeds, they know very little about the maltese breed. Maltese are very good eaters when healthy and fed food they like. A dog who eats one day and not the next, or puts their nose up to home cooked food is not the norm, imo.


Are we talking eating absolutely nothing? That would be an issue. Lucky will eat what he wants and when. I wish he would run to his dish and eat it all. But I know when I look at his dish(today on a plate, but sometimes on the floor) or in a toy, and we walk 2-3 times a day, His poop is as it should be and he doesnt throw up. I will rely on what I see and what the check ups show.


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## maddysmom (Mar 8, 2012)

Luckymommy said:


> .
> Are we talking eating absolutely nothing? That would be an issue. Lucky will eat what he wants and when. I wish he would run to his dish and eat it all. But I know when I look at his dish(today on a plate, but sometimes on the floor) or in a toy, and we walk 2-3 times a day, His poop is as it should be and he doesnt throw up. I will rely on what I see and what the check ups show.


Do as you wish 🤷🏻‍♀️ Im just saying that a maltese who is not eating or is extremely picky and difficult to feed usually has some underlying issue which will eventually come to surface.


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## Luckymommy (Apr 18, 2021)

Kumo&Bonsai said:


> Hey!
> So, my question for anyone who has this “issue” , does anyone here have a Maltese that is extremely picky with their food and treats? Our 3 year old Maltese, Kumo, is a little spoiled princess when it comes to food or treats, even when he likes something, if he gets it for 2 days straight, on the 3 day he’ll sniff it, but won’t touch it, he looks at me with that “you want me to eat this 3 days in a row, peasant?” smug. I have even tried cooking home made dog food for this little ungrateful A-hole, using different proteins such as chicken, low fat Turkey, low fat beef and the last straw was when I cooked him Filet Mignon, and he looked at me like I gave him rat poison. So I was like, listen here you little 4 pound devil spawn, this cut of steak cost $80 at a restaurant, what is your problem!?. Anyway, I stopped cooking for him, since it was ridiculously time consuming and he simply wouldn’t eat what I prepared from a doggy cook book for Maltese that I have. So luckily we found a very good family owned pet store, however after a while it’s the same thing. I want this guy to be excited about his food, not to starve him to the point where he has to eat whatever. But yeah, if anyone has any input on this, it is greatly appreciated 😊


All I can say is that sounds like our house. Lucky wont touch cut up steak, He doesnt like treats and there is no use getting different food cause I end up giving it away. No matter what, though, he will eat mozzar. cheese and ice cream. We have even tried food toys. Dont know, he ate this morning, went to groomer and was wiped out so he has been napping. We went for a walk but he is not eating. He just came out from under the sofa because my husband usually has ice cream at this time. Good luck


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## Luckymommy (Apr 18, 2021)

My vet knows ice cream is only way to get meds in him.I wont traumatize him with shoving down his throat.


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## House Star (9 mo ago)

Kumo&Bonsai said:


> Hey!
> So, my question for anyone who has this “issue” , does anyone here have a Maltese that is extremely picky with their food and treats? Our 3 year old Maltese, Kumo, is a little spoiled princess when it comes to food or treats, even when he likes something, if he gets it for 2 days straight, on the 3 day he’ll sniff it, but won’t touch it, he looks at me with that “you want me to eat this 3 days in a row, peasant?” smug. I have even tried cooking home made dog food for this little ungrateful A-hole, using different proteins such as chicken, low fat Turkey, low fat beef and the last straw was when I cooked him Filet Mignon, and he looked at me like I gave him rat poison. So I was like, listen here you little 4 pound devil spawn, this cut of steak cost $80 at a restaurant, what is your problem!?. Anyway, I stopped cooking for him, since it was ridiculously time consuming and he simply wouldn’t eat what I prepared from a doggy cook book for Maltese that I have. So luckily we found a very good family owned pet store, however after a while it’s the same thing. I want this guy to be excited about his food, not to starve him to the point where he has to eat whatever. But yeah, if anyone has any input on this, it is greatly appreciated 😊


I have just the opposite problem. My Maltese is totally motivated by food. Star would eat anything if I’d let her!


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