Quick Links: Table of Contents
- How Much Water Should a Maltese drink?
- How to Calculate How Much Water Your Maltese Needs
- Maltese Water Calculator
- How Much Water Should a 3-Pound Maltese Drink?
- How Much Water Should a 45-week-Old Maltese Drink?
- How Much Water Should a 7-month-Old Maltese Drink?
- How Much Water Should a 42-week-Old Maltese Drink?
- How Much Water Should a 8-month-Old Maltese Drink?
- Other Factors that Affects How Much Water Your Maltese Needs
- Maltese Not Drinking Enough Water
- Maltese Drinking Too Much Water
- Do Malteses Drink a Lot of Water?
- How to Tell if Your Maltese is Drinking Too Much, Too Little, or Enough Water
- How To Tell If Your Maltese is Dehydrated
- Conclusion
How Much Water Should a Maltese drink?
Hydrating your hound is very important since water makes up approximately 56 percent of an adult Maltese`s body weight (73 percent of lean body mass). Water is an essential nutrient for your Maltese`s existence.
Your Maltese needs to drink the right amount of water that suits its age, weight, and activity level.
Drinking too much water is not good for your Maltese, and neither is drinking too little water.
According to the recommendations by the vets at PetMD, a dog should drink, in milliliters, 50 times its weight in kilograms. That is, a 10 kg dog needs 500 milliliters of water (2.1 cups).
An adult Maltese weighs 2.7 Kg (6.0 pounds), and therefore requires 136.4 milliliters (4.6 ounces or 0.6 cups) of water every day, given that your dog is not a very active dog.
Essentially, the amount of water your Maltese needs a day depends very much on how much your Maltese weighs.
Also, the amount of water your Maltese drinks depends on your Maltese activity level. Very active dogs need more water than inactive dogs.
Use our Maltese water calculator to estimate how much water your Maltese should drink every day based on its weight and activity level.
The Maltese is typically a medium-activity level dog breed. So, your Maltese will drink an average amount of water compared to other dog breeds of similar weight.
To find out how much food you need to be feeding your Maltese, check out our Maltese feeding guide and food calculator.
How to Calculate How Much Water Your Maltese Needs
Enter the weight and activity level of your Maltese in the Maltese water calculator below to estimate how much water your Maltese needs.
Maltese Water Calculator
*1 cup = 8 fluid ounces = 236.588 milliliters
Our Maltese water calculator above is based on the dog water drinking recommendation provided by the vets at PedMD.com.
However, PetMD`s recommendation applies only to dogs with low activity levels.
However, our calculator goes further to provide recommendations on how much water Malteses of different activity levels (low, medium, and high) need.
In our calculator, a medium-activity level Maltese needs one and a half as much water as a low-activity level Maltese each day. Similarly, a high-activity level Maltese needs twice as much water as a low-activity level Maltese needs.
Check out our dog water calculator for all dog breeds here.
One way to improve your Maltese`s water drinking experience is to buy your dog a water fountain.
A water fountain will also encourage your Maltese to drink enough water.
This is because the continuously flowing stream of water with a fresh taste from a water fountain will entice your Maltese to drink enough water.
Furthermore, pet water fountains continuously filter the water that it delivers to your dog. A water fountain ensures that your Maltese has access to clean fresh filtered water all the time.
Giving your Maltese water from a fountain is more hygienic than giving your Maltese water from a water bowl.This is because water in the water bowl usually lays around all day, getting polluted as it lays around.
Here are the best water fountains that we recommend for your Malteses. These water fountains are durable, made with food-grade materials, and operate very quietly with little noise:
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The PetSafe Drinkwell Platinum Water Fountain. Click here to check price on Amazon.
Dog Water Fountain -
The Veken Automatic Water Fountain Dog Water Dispenser with Smart Pump. Click here to check price on Amazon.
Dog Water Fountain
How Much Water Should a 3-Pound Maltese Drink?
A 3-pound Maltese should drink 3.5 ounces (0.4 cups) of water every day.
Malteses are generally high-activity dogs, and about 3.5 ounces is the amount of water a Medium Activity Level 3-pound Maltese needs every day.
However, if your 3-pound Maltese is a high-activity dog, then it will need about 4.6 ounces of water (0.6 cups) every day.
Similarly, if your 3-pound Maltese is of low activity, then it will need about 2.3 ounces of water (0.3 cups) every day.
Use our Maltese dog water calculator to find out how much water Maltese should drink at different weights.
| Low Activity | Medium Activity | High Activity |
|---|---|---|
| 2.3 ounces (0.3 cups) | 3.5 ounces (0.4 cups) | 4.6 ounces (0.6 cups) |
How Much Water Should a 45-week-Old Maltese Drink?
The average weight of 45-week-Old Maltese is 6 pounds (2.7 kg).
Learn how much 45-week-Old Maltese should weigh here.
A 6-pound Maltese should drink 6.9 ounces (0.9 cups) of water every day.
Malteses are generally high-activity dogs, and about 6.9 ounces is the amount of water a Medium Activity Level 6-pound Maltese needs every day.
However, if your 6-pound Maltese is a high-activity dog, then it will need about 9.2 ounces of water (1.2 cups) every day.
Similarly, if your 6-pound Maltese is of low activity, then it will need about 4.6 ounces of water (0.6 cups) every day.
Use our Maltese dog water calculator to find out how much water Maltese should drink at different weights.
| Low Activity | Medium Activity | High Activity |
|---|---|---|
| 4.6 ounces (0.6 cups) | 6.9 ounces (0.9 cups) | 9.2 ounces (1.2 cups) |
How Much Water Should a 7-month-Old Maltese Drink?
The average weight of 7-month-Old Maltese is 5 pounds (2.3 kg).
Learn how much 7-month-Old Maltese should weigh here.
A 5-pound Maltese should drink 5.8 ounces (0.7 cups) of water every day.
Malteses are generally high-activity dogs, and about 5.8 ounces is the amount of water a Medium Activity Level 5-pound Maltese needs every day.
However, if your 5-pound Maltese is a high-activity dog, then it will need about 7.7 ounces of water (1.0 cups) every day.
Similarly, if your 5-pound Maltese is of low activity, then it will need about 3.8 ounces of water (0.5 cups) every day.
Use our Maltese dog water calculator to find out how much water Maltese should drink at different weights.
| Low Activity | Medium Activity | High Activity |
|---|---|---|
| 3.8 ounces (0.5 cups) | 5.8 ounces (0.7 cups) | 7.7 ounces (1.0 cups) |
How Much Water Should a 42-week-Old Maltese Drink?
The average weight of 42-week-Old Maltese is 6 pounds (2.7 kg).
Learn how much 42-week-Old Maltese should weigh here.
A 6-pound Maltese should drink 6.9 ounces (0.9 cups) of water every day.
Malteses are generally high-activity dogs, and about 6.9 ounces is the amount of water a Medium Activity Level 6-pound Maltese needs every day.
However, if your 6-pound Maltese is a high-activity dog, then it will need about 9.2 ounces of water (1.2 cups) every day.
Similarly, if your 6-pound Maltese is of low activity, then it will need about 4.6 ounces of water (0.6 cups) every day.
Use our Maltese dog water calculator to find out how much water Maltese should drink at different weights.
| Low Activity | Medium Activity | High Activity |
|---|---|---|
| 4.6 ounces (0.6 cups) | 6.9 ounces (0.9 cups) | 9.2 ounces (1.2 cups) |
How Much Water Should a 8-month-Old Maltese Drink?
The average weight of 8-month-Old Maltese is 5 pounds (2.5 kg).
Learn how much 8-month-Old Maltese should weigh here.
A 5-pound Maltese should drink 5.8 ounces (0.7 cups) of water every day.
Malteses are generally high-activity dogs, and about 5.8 ounces is the amount of water a Medium Activity Level 5-pound Maltese needs every day.
However, if your 5-pound Maltese is a high-activity dog, then it will need about 7.7 ounces of water (1.0 cups) every day.
Similarly, if your 5-pound Maltese is of low activity, then it will need about 3.8 ounces of water (0.5 cups) every day.
Use our Maltese dog water calculator to find out how much water Maltese should drink at different weights.
| Low Activity | Medium Activity | High Activity |
|---|---|---|
| 3.8 ounces (0.5 cups) | 5.8 ounces (0.7 cups) | 7.7 ounces (1.0 cups) |
Other Factors that Affects How Much Water Your Maltese Needs
In addition to its weight and activity level, your Maltese may need more or less water depending on other factors in your Maltese`s life such as:
- The weather: Malteses need more water during the hot summer than in the cold winter.
- Your Maltese`s Diet: Malteses that eat moist/wet food will require less water than Malteses that eat dry food (kibble). Wet dog food contains 65-80% water, while dry dog food contains 10-12% water.
- Your Maltese`s age: Senior Malteses are generally more laid back than younger Malteses, therefore senior Malteses need less water.
- Pregnant Malteses and lactating Malteses: These need more water than normal.
- Malteses on Medication: Certain medications may make your Maltese drink more water.
Maltese Not Drinking Enough Water
If your Maltese is not drinking enough water, then your Maltese is at risk of dehydration, and the problems that come with dehydration.
Problems that come with your Maltese not drinking enough water include urinary tract issues like kidney stones and organ failure.
Your Maltese may be drinking less water than usual because of the following reasons:
- Your Maltese has limited access to fresh clean water.
- You changed your Maltese`s food (e.g. from dry food to wet food)
- You changed your Maltese`s water source
- The weather is cooler than it used to be
- Your Maltese is less active than it used to be
- Your Maltese is growing old
If none of these applies to your Maltese, then it might be that your Maltese has an underlying health condition and you might want to talk to your vet.
Also, your Maltese may drink less water if it does not have access to clean fresh water always.
Some dogs are picky drinkers, and they won`t drink water that is not fresh or water with dirt and debris in it.
If your Maltese is a picky drinker as such, then you should consider getting your Maltese a water fountain like one of these. A water fountain will entice your Maltese to drink water. With a water fountain, you can be sure that your Maltese will have access to fresh clean water always.
Also, oral infections such as tooth decay, gum decay, and broken tooth are some of the reasons your Maltese might not be drinking enough water.
Check your Maltese`s mouth for any oral infection. When checking your Maltese`s mouth, pay attention to the smell of your Maltese`s breath to make sure that your Maltese does not have bad breath as bad breath could be a sign of oral infection.
Furthermore, if you recently changed your Maltese`s water source, and your Maltese starts drinking less water, then you might want to change back to the old source.
Maltese Drinking Too Much Water
Your Maltese may be drinking too much water simply because you give it unrestricted access to water. Also, your Maltese may be drinking too much because it has a health problem such as diabetes.
If your Maltese is drinking too much water, then your Maltese is at risk of overhydration and the problems that come with overhydration.
Problems that come with water overhydration in dogs include staggering, loss of coordination, vomiting, dilated pupils, over salivation, and stomach bloat.
Excessive and unexplainable thirst in your dog is called polydipsia. Polydipsia makes your dog drink more.
Ordinarily, when your Maltese drinks too much water for just a day or two, there may be nothing to be worried about. However, if this condition persists, you should see a veterinarian.
Also, if your Maltese is drinking too much water, then your Maltese will need to urinate frequently and take unnecessary bathroom breaks. This can be an inconvenience for your if you have to take your Maltese out of the house for its bathroom breaks.
If your Maltese is drinking too much water for no obvious reason, talk to your vet. However, if your Maltese is drinking too much water because it has access to water, then limit your Maltese`s access to water.
Do Malteses Drink a Lot of Water?
The amount of water a Maltese needs is proportional to the Maltese`s body weight and activity level. Older bigger adult Malteses drink a lot of water compared to younger smaller Malteses.
Also, Malteses that are not very active drink a lot less water than very active Malteses. Also, Malteses drink lots of water in the hot summer months than in the cold winter months.
To find how much water your Maltese should be drinking, use our Maltese dog water calculator to estimate your Maltese`s daily water needs.
How to Tell if Your Maltese is Drinking Too Much, Too Little, or Enough Water
A simple way to check if your Maltese is drinking too much, too little or enough water is to first measure a large volume of water (many cups).
Then, at the start of the day, pour this water into your Maltese`s bowl so that your Maltese can drink water without a limit.
Then, in the evening, measure the amount of water left in your Maltese`s water bowl.
Then, subtract the amount of water left in the bowl in the evening from the initial amount of water that you put in the bowl in the morning. This will give you how much water your Maltese has drunk.
Finally, use our Maltese dog water calculator to check to see how the amount of water your dog has drunk compares with how much water your dog should be drinking for its size and its activity level.
This will tell you if your dog is drinking too much, too little, or just enough water.
Then you can switch to giving your Maltese water with a water fountain.
How To Tell If Your Maltese is Dehydrated
If your Maltese is not drinking enough water she may become dehydrated. Dehydration in dogs can have mild to severe consequences. Always be on the watch to prevent the accidental dehydration of your Maltese. Here are ways to know if your dog is dehydrated:
- Check her gums: Press on her gums and release it; if it quickly becomes pink back, she is not dehydrated. If it remains white, she may be dehydrated.
- Loss of skin elasticity: You can check your dog`s hydration level by pinching her skin. If her skin goes flat right away, that is a sign that your dog is properly hydrated. However, if it takes several seconds for your dog`s skin to go flat after a pinch, then that could be a sign that your dog is dehydrated.
- Weakness and low activity: A dehydrated dog will be weaker and less active than usual.
- Dry mouth: If your dog`s mouth is dry or if your dog salivates less, then she may be dehydrated and need water.
- Dry Nose
Conclusion
To keep your Maltese in good health, you need to keep your Maltese hydrated. Therefore, you need to keep an eye on your Maltese`s water intake to make sure your Maltese is getting the right amount of water that it needs.
To encourage your Maltese to drink enough water, make sure that your Maltese has access to clean water all the time.
A good way to ensure your Maltese has clean water available to it is to invest in a good water fountain like one of these.
If you think your Maltese is drinking an unusual amount of water (too much or too little), then do not hesitate to speak with a pet vet.