The short answer
Dental disease is the Maltese's biggest health issue, so brush its teeth and budget for professional cleans. Luxating patella and tracheal collapse are common, which is why you keep the dog lean and always walk it in a harness. The breed has a higher risk of liver shunt, and older dogs can develop heart disease. In Melbourne, a single coat means a Maltese feels the cold, so plan for a winter coat, and keep it inside on heatwave days. This is general information, not veterinary advice; for your own dog, talk to your vet.
A note on this guide: this is general educational information for prospective and current Maltese owners, not veterinary advice. Every dog is an individual. For diagnosis, treatment or advice about your own dog, consult a registered veterinarian. Sources include the Australian Veterinary Association and the RSPCA Knowledgebase.
Dental disease: the number-one issue
If you remember one thing about Maltese health, make it the teeth. A tiny mouth crowds the teeth together, plaque builds up fast, and over a long life dental disease causes pain, tooth loss and infection that can spread beyond the mouth.
It is largely preventable. Brush your dog's teeth regularly with a dog toothpaste, use vet-recommended dental products, and book a professional clean under anaesthetic when your vet advises. This matters even more for a rescue senior, who may arrive with years of build-up. Ask the rescue what its vet saw in the mouth, book your own vet visit in the first week, and expect a dental clean to be one of your earlier costs.
Knees and the windpipe
Luxating patella. A slipping kneecap is common in toy breeds. You might see the dog skip for a step or two on a back leg, then carry on normally. Mild cases are usually managed with weight control and monitoring; severe ones can need surgery. Keeping your Maltese lean is the single most useful thing you can do, and stopping it from leaping off high furniture helps too.
Tracheal collapse and the harness rule. The windpipe in small breeds can weaken, and a collar pressing on the neck makes it worse. Walk a Maltese in a well-fitted harness so lead pressure sits across the chest. A goose-honk cough, especially with excitement or pulling, is a reason to see your vet.
Liver shunts
The Maltese has a higher-than-average risk of portosystemic liver shunt, an abnormal blood vessel that lets blood bypass the liver. Signs usually show up in young dogs: slow growth, dullness or confusion after eating, or vague illness that keeps coming back.
A vet diagnoses it with blood tests and imaging, and depending on the type it is managed with a special diet and medication or corrected with surgery. If you adopt a young Maltese, ask whether the rescue's vet noticed anything, and see your own vet promptly if these signs appear. It is one more reason to insure while the dog is young and healthy.
Tear staining, eyes and heart
Tear staining. The reddish-brown marks below the eyes come from tears and moisture, and they show up clearly on a white face. Usually it is cosmetic and managed by keeping the area clean and dry. Heavy or sudden staining, or an eye that looks red or sore, can point to a blocked tear duct, an eye problem or a bad tooth, so get it checked. The Maltese grooming guide covers the daily face routine.
Heart. Mitral valve disease is common in older small breeds, including the Maltese. Your vet listening to the heart at each check-up is how it gets caught early. Many dogs live comfortably for years with a managed heart condition, and treatment should always be guided by your vet.
Browse adoptable Maltese in Melbourne
Rescue Maltese arrive desexed and vet-checked, and the rescue can tell you what its vet found in the mouth, knees and heart. Check the live listings and set an alert.
See Available Maltese →Cold, heat, parasites and emergency vets in Melbourne
Melbourne is harder on a Maltese in winter than Sydney or Brisbane is. The breed has a single coat with no undercoat, and a short pet clip leaves even less cover, so a cold morning or a wet, windy walk can leave one shivering. Seniors and very small dogs feel it most. A fitted coat for cold or wet walks, a warm bed away from draughts, and a proper towel-dry after rain all help. Drying matters for the skin as well: a coat left damp mats and can become irritated underneath.
Summer brings the opposite risk on heatwave days above 40 degrees. Walk only early or late, test the pavement with the back of your hand, keep water out, and keep the dog inside through the afternoon. Never leave it in a parked car. Heavy panting, drooling or wobbliness on a hot day is an emergency.
Paralysis ticks are a low risk in metropolitan Melbourne. Ask your vet about tick prevention before trips to the NSW coast or East Gippsland, and check the coat by hand when you get home. Fleas and worms are year-round, and heartworm is spread by mosquitoes in Victoria, so ask your vet which prevention suits your dog.
For after-hours emergencies, Melbourne has several 24/7 hospitals, including the Animal Emergency Centre in Mount Waverley and the Animal Referral Hospital at Essendon Fields, and Lort Smith in North Melbourne. Save the number of the one nearest you before you need it.
The vet budget, and why a rescue Maltese is a good start
The recurring costs are grooming, dental care and routine vet visits, with the knee, liver and heart risks adding possible expense over a long life. Pet insurance taken out while the dog is young, and keeping up routine and dental care so problems are caught early, are the two best financial decisions you can make.
A rescue Maltese starts you ahead. It arrives desexed, vaccinated, microchipped and vet-checked, and the rescue can tell you what that check found. Ask specifically about the teeth, any coughing, the knees and the heart. Then book your own baseline vet visit, switch to a harness, and set up parasite prevention. Our Maltese adoption guide covers the full first-year cost.
Frequently Asked Questions
What health problems are Maltese prone to?
The usual toy-breed set. Dental disease is the most common, because a tiny mouth crowds the teeth. Maltese are also prone to luxating patella (a slipping kneecap), tracheal collapse, and mitral valve heart disease as they age. The breed has an above-average risk of portosystemic liver shunt, and tear staining on the white face is common and usually cosmetic. None of this is a reason not to adopt one. It is a reason to keep up dental care, walk the dog on a harness, keep it lean, and insure it early.
Why is dental care so important for a Maltese?
Because dental disease is the breed's biggest health problem and it builds slowly over a long life. Crowded teeth trap plaque, and untreated disease causes pain, tooth loss and infection that can affect the rest of the body. It is largely preventable with regular tooth brushing, vet-recommended dental products, and a professional clean under anaesthetic when your vet advises. Senior rescue Maltese often arrive needing dental work, so ask the rescue what its vet found and budget for a clean early.
What is a liver shunt in a Maltese?
A portosystemic shunt is an abnormal blood vessel that lets blood bypass the liver, so toxins are not filtered properly. Maltese are one of the breeds with a higher risk. Signs usually appear in young dogs and can include poor growth, dullness or confusion after meals, and vague recurring illness. A vet diagnoses it with blood tests and imaging, and depending on the type it is managed with diet and medication or corrected with surgery. If you adopt a young Maltese and notice these signs, see your vet promptly.
Should a Maltese wear a harness or a collar?
A harness, every time. Toy breeds like the Maltese can develop tracheal collapse, a weakening of the windpipe, and a collar pressing on a small neck can make it worse. A well-fitted harness spreads lead pressure across the chest instead. A honking cough, especially when the dog is excited or pulling, is a reason to see your vet. It is a cheap habit that protects the airway for life.
Do Maltese get cold in Melbourne winters?
Yes. A Maltese has a single coat with no insulating undercoat, and many pet Maltese are kept in a short clip, so a cold Melbourne morning or a wet, windy walk can chill one quickly. Seniors and very small dogs feel it most. A fitted coat for cold or wet walks, a warm bed away from draughts and a thorough towel-dry after rain keep the dog comfortable. A coat left damp also mats and can irritate the skin underneath.
Do I need tick prevention for a Maltese in Melbourne?
Paralysis ticks are a low risk in metropolitan Melbourne, unlike the NSW and Queensland coast. The risk comes with travel, so ask your vet about tick prevention before taking your dog to the NSW coast or East Gippsland, and check the coat by hand when you get home. Fleas and intestinal worms are year-round concerns, and heartworm is spread by mosquitoes in Victoria, so ask your vet which prevention suits your dog.
How long do Maltese live, and what keeps them healthy?
Maltese commonly live 12 to 15 years, sometimes longer. The habits that matter most are simple: keep up dental care, keep the dog lean to protect its knees and heart, use a harness, keep the coat clean and free of mats, and see the vet for regular checks so a heart murmur or dental problem is found early. A senior rescue Maltese still has good years ahead with that care.
Keep reading
Adoptable Maltese in Melbourne
Live listings of Maltese and Maltese crosses across Victorian rescues.
Maltese Adoption in Melbourne
Where to adopt, what it costs, and why so many rescue Maltese are seniors.
Maltese Grooming & Coat Care
Brushing, matting, the short clip, tear stains and the coat through a Melbourne winter.
Dog Desexing Costs in Melbourne
What desexing costs, and why a rescue dog already has it done.