Feeding by breed and weight / Toy group
How much to feed a Maltese
A neutered adult Maltese at 9 lb needs about 322 kcal a day, which is ¾ cups of a 369 kcal/cup food; at the 7 lb end of the breed's range it is 266 kcal, or ¾ cups. That is the maintenance figure before treats, from the resting energy requirement formula and the Merck Veterinary Manual's factor of 1.6 for a neutered adult.
Maltese feeding table by weight and life stage
Each row is a Maltese at that weight. Columns are the Merck factors: a neutered adult (×1.6), an intact adult (×1.8) and a dog that is inactive or gains weight easily (×1.4). Cups assume 369 kcal per cup, the label figure for Purina Pro Plan Complete Essentials Shredded Blend Chicken & Rice (adult dry); change it to your bag's number on the sizer.
| Weight | RER | Neutered adult | Cups | Intact adult | Cups | Inactive / weight-prone | Cups |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 lb (3.2 kg) | 167 | 266 kcal | ¾ | 300 kcal | ¾ | 233 kcal | ¾ |
| 9 lb (4.1 kg) | 201 | 322 kcal | ¾ | 362 kcal | 1 | 281 kcal | ¾ |
RER = 70 × kg0.75; factors from the Merck Veterinary Manual. Calorie density from the Purina product page (3790 kcal/kg, 369 kcal per 8 oz cup, about 96 g). Checked 2026-10-20.
Why the number is lower than the bag says
Bag feeding guides are written for an active, intact adult and often run above the neutered-maintenance figure; for a 9 lb Maltese the gap between the intact and neutered columns is 40 kcal a day, roughly 0.1 cups. A dog that is already carrying extra weight should start from the inactive column (281 kcal at 9 lb) and be weighed every two weeks. Treats and chews count: a single dental chew can be 70–100 kcal, a sizeable share of a small dog's day.
Formulas get a healthy adult into the right range; body condition keeps it there. Ribs should be easy to feel under a thin layer of fat, and the dog should have a visible waist from above. If that is not the case after four weeks, adjust by about 10% and re-check — and ask your vet before changing a dog with a medical condition, a pregnant or nursing female, or a working dog in season.
Grams and meals
At 9 lb and 322 kcal, ¾ cups is about 72 g a day of a 96 g/cup kibble — a kitchen scale is more repeatable than a scoop. Split into two meals for an adult. Puppies eat more per pound and more often: see the Maltese puppy feeding chart.
How the Maltese compares
Calories per pound fall as dogs get bigger, because RER scales with weight to the 0.75 power rather than linearly. A 9 lb Maltese needs 36 kcal per pound; a 7 lb Yorkshire Terrier needs 266 kcal (38 per lb), a 6.5 lb Poodle (Toy) needs 252 kcal (39 per lb), a 14 lb Havanese needs 448 kcal (32 per lb). The breed ranks 5 of 49 by weight on this site.
Adult weight from Wikipedia breed infobox/body, checked 2026-10-20. Figures are maintenance starting points for a healthy adult; they are not veterinary advice.