Maltese dogs are affectionate, curious, and fearful companions. As one of the oldest dog breeds in the world, this toy breed is relatively easy to care for. They’re people-pleasers at heart but are spunky little dogs that aren’t afraid of a challenge.

Finding the right dog food for small and toy breeds can be difficult. While you want to find nutritious, high-quality dog food, you must also find a food that your Maltese finds palatable. It needs to be easily digested and flavorful. Since these dogs have a few health problems they are prone to developing, it’s also important to find a dog food that works for your dog, not against them.

To help you do this, we developed reviews on the best dog foods for Maltese. Read on to find delicious, nutritious, and budget-friendly foods for your tiny companion.

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The 8 Best Dog Foods for Maltese

1. Ollie Fresh Chicken Dog Food Subscription — Best Overall

Ollie is a fantastic option for your Maltese dog as they provide a personalized meal plan to meet your dog’s nutritional needs. Before signing up for this subscription-only service, the Ollie website will prompt you to fill out a short questionnaire about your dog’s size, age, and activity level to better provide you with the right nutrition plan for your pup’s needs. The customizable nature of their meal plans is why we believe Ollie provides the best dog food for Maltese dogs overall.

Ollie has three main meal types: fresh, baked, and mixed. The mixed plan will allow you to combine both fresh and baked recipes.

Ollie’s fresh plan features a soft and palatable texture in pre-portioned packs to ensure you’re feeding your Maltese just enough and not too much. Their fresh meals include beef, chicken, lamb, and turkey recipes, including fruits, vegetables, and grains. Each recipe features high-quality protein as the first ingredient to ensure your small breed dog gets the right protein amount needed to thrive. We especially like the chicken recipe for Maltese dogs.

Their baked plan is easy to store and less expensive than an all-fresh diet. Their baked food recipes are available in beef or chicken flavors and feature healthy ingredients such as oats, sweet potatoes, and chickpeas.

Ollie’s fresh food packs can be stored in the freezer to preserve their longevity. They will last up to six months unopened in the freezer and need 24 hours to thaw before serving.

2. Blue Buffalo Wilderness Small Breed Dog Food — Budget Buy

Blue Buffalo Wilderness is a great choice for Maltese dogs with allergies or food sensitivities. It’s also the best dog food for Maltese for the money. It’s made with chicken, peas, sweet potatoes, blueberries, cranberries, and carrots mixed to create the perfect protein, fat, and carbohydrate ratio. It is rich in antioxidants to support immune function and protein to support muscle mass.

While this food is designed for dogs with sensitive stomachs, it doesn’t work for all dogs. Some dogs still have difficulty digesting the food; in this case, you may need food with more limited ingredients.

3. ORIJEN Senior Grain-Free Dry Dog Food

ORIJEN offers one of the best senior foods for small breeds like the Maltese. This variety is our premium choice, as it’s almost double the price of most other dog foods. It is high-quality, high-protein food, however. If you’re looking for a grain-free food to support your Maltese’s health, joint, and immune function, and keep them active into their golden years, look no further.

This food contains no fillers or artificial ingredients. The first five ingredients are all proteins, while the rest contains whole fruits and vegetables. It is dry food but freeze-dried raw food, so all the nutrition of whole ingredients is preserved.

The primary protein in ORIJEN senior food is chicken. Unfortunately, this food doesn’t come in any non-poultry varieties. If your dog has sensitivities to chicken or turkey, this food won’t work for you. It also gives off a fairly strong fish smell, so it is best kept in a sealed, air-proof container once the bag is opened.

4. Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Small Breed Adult Dog Food

Maltese dogs require a balanced ratio of macronutrients, fat, carbohydrates, and protein to stay healthy. Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Small Breed is formulated specifically for small breed dogs, including Maltese, making it a good option for Maltese dogs.

The small, easy-to-chew kibble is protein-rich and enhanced with vitamins, minerals, and a blend of antioxidants to support your dog’s immune system while promoting muscle development. You won’t find any by-products or fillers in this food, only whole ingredients. Since it is wheat, corn, and soy-free, it is a great choice for dogs with sensitive digestive systems.

5. Wellness CORE Grain-Free Small Breed Dog Food

If your Maltese has a sensitive stomach or food allergies, check out this grain-free food from Wellness CORE. It has a complete nutritional profile, contains high-quality ingredients, and has no grains of any kind. The high protein levels provide dense energy for your small dog, and it tastes good!

While this food is formulated for dogs with allergies, it still contains chicken as one of the top ingredients. Since chicken is the most common offending protein for dogs with digestive sensitivities, it won’t work for all dogs.

6. Wellness Small Breed Complete Health Adult Dog Food

If your adult Maltese has a weight problem, this is the food for you. Instead of depriving your little one of less-than-desirable diet food, give them a food specially formulated to help small breed dogs lose weight. This kibble from Wellness offers tasty food that is low in calories but still offers complete nutrition. Added probiotics and fiber help digestion, and no fillers or byproducts exist.

Wellness dry dog food has larger chunks of kibble than you would expect out of a small breed food. In most cases, this just helps your dog chew and eat slower, therefore consuming less at a time. If you have a senior Maltese with dental problems, this food might be too difficult for them to chew.

7. Merrick Lil’ Plates Grain-Free Dry Dog Food

To keep little dogs satisfied, Merrick offers a high-protein, high-fat formula. We’re reviewing the Texas beef and sweet potato recipe here, but Lil’ Plates dry food comes in eight flavors. Merrick is the brand to look for if your Maltese needs a novel protein food due to a sensitivity or digestion issue.

Merrick is a food brand with large kibble that isn’t appropriate for dogs with dental issues; however, it does make the same nutritious recipes in wet food if that is a concern. It is also a more expensive brand of food than many other small-breed choices.

8. Halo Holistic Chicken Small Breed Dry Dog Food

Halo is well-known for having high-quality ingredients in its pet food, and this recipe for small-breed dogs is no exception. It’s made with wholesome, natural ingredients, with small kibble bites filled with dense nutrition. Although not in high quantities, there is grain in this food, and it’s enriched with vitamins and minerals to provide complete nutrition for your Maltese.

However, this food isn’t a good choice for picky eaters, as many dogs don’t seem to like the flavor. It is also a strong-smelling food, so you probably don’t want sitting in the open for too long.

Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose the Best Dog Food for Your Maltese

With so many small-breed dog foods available, finding one that’s reliable for your Maltese can be challenging. Hopefully, this list of reviews has helped you find one that fits your needs, but if you still can’t decide, here is a handy buyer’s guide to addressing common questions and concerns about buying food for Maltese dogs.

What to Look for in Maltese Dog Food

Whole Food Ingredients

Any time you buy dog food, your number-one focus should be on wholesome, high-quality ingredients. This means meat should be the first ingredient, followed by healthy fats and carbohydrates, ideally from whole grains.

If your Maltese doesn’t have digestive issues or food sensitivities, you don’t need to buy grain-free food. Grains aren’t bad for dogs; it’s just that they can irritate some dogs’ digestive systems, much like in people.

If your Maltese has digestive issues, food allergies, or skin issues, it’s usually best to stick to a limited ingredient.

Quality Proteins

Maltese thrive on high-protein diets, but the protein should come from real meat sources, like chicken, turkey, beef, lamb, or fish. It’s okay for dog food to contain meal ingredients, like chicken meal, but you should avoid meat by-products whenever possible.

Healthy Fats

Healthy fats promote your dog’s skin and coat health. While indoor dogs don’t need as much fat as active dogs, any dog should get plenty of exercise. Small dogs, in particular, don’t eat that much food, so they need it to contain as much protein and fat for energy as possible.

Ingredients to Avoid

There are many dog food brands that offer high-quality ingredients and great-tasting food. Unfortunately, there are also many brands that don’t. It’s easy to find a cheap dog food full of fillers, artificial additives, and low-quality ingredients. To avoid buying the wrong one, you need to know what you’re looking for.

Conclusion

Hopefully, you have a good handle on what dog foods are best for your Maltese. To recap, our recommendation as the best overall dog food for Maltese is Ollie. It has a well-balanced nutritional profile, fresh, high-quality ingredients that are easy to digest, and tons of vitamins and minerals to keep your dog healthy. We also recommend Blue Buffalo Wilderness Small Breed Dog Food as the best value for the money. This is a budget-friendly food that doesn’t compromise on quality, nutrition, or flavor and is designed for dogs with sensitive stomachs.

See also:

• 8 Best Dog Food for Schnauzers – Reviews & Top Picks
• 8 Best Dog Foods for Australian Shepherds – Reviews & Top Picks
• 8 Best Dog Foods for American Bullies – Reviews & Top Picks
• 6 Best Dog Foods for Corgis -Reviews & Top Picks

Featured Image Credit: Monika Wisniewska, Shutterstock