Puppy First, Health First
MetLife pet insurance1 month included with every puppy†
Real people, daily9AM–11PM EST(888) 729-8812
The big picture
Maltipoos typically live 10–15 years.
Like any cross, a Maltipoo can inherit health problems from either side of its family, the Maltese or the Toy or Miniature Poodle. This page explains the conditions its parent breeds are known to be prone to, and what you can do about each one.
A few everyday habits help prevent many common problems.
Keep your dog lean, brush its teeth every day, walk it on a harness and book a checkup every year.
Worth knowing
Knee, windpipe, eye, liver, heart and gum problems are conditions its parent breeds are known to be prone to.
This list is not exhaustive or official. Keep asking your veterinarian as your puppy grows.
A slipping kneecap (patellar luxation) runs on the Maltese, Toy Poodle and Miniature Poodle sides. The kneecap slides out of its groove in the knee.
You might see a skip or a hop in your dog's step.
Your vet feels the knees at checkups, so mention any skipping or limping.
Tracheal collapse is a weakening of the windpipe, and it runs on the Maltese and Toy Poodle sides. It usually shows up in middle age or later.
Listen for a honking cough, a bit like a goose.
Walk your dog on a harness, not a collar, keep it lean, and keep it out of hot, humid weather and smoke.
All three parent breeds can pass on cataracts, a clouding of the lens. The Poodle side can also pass on progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), a slow loss of sight.
Watch for cloudy eyes or trouble seeing at night.
Have any eye change checked, and ask your vet about yearly eye exams.
A liver shunt (portosystemic shunt) is an inherited liver problem present from birth, and it runs on the Maltese side. Signs usually show while a dog is young.
A puppy that grows poorly or acts oddly after meals needs a vet check.
Ask your vet about a bile acid blood test, which checks liver health.
A heart defect present from birth (patent ductus arteriosus) runs on the Maltese side. A heart valve disease of older dogs (myxomatous mitral valve disease) runs on the Miniature Poodle side.
Both are often found first as a murmur your vet hears.
Your vet listens to the heart at every checkup, and a murmur may lead to more heart tests.
Gum disease (periodontal disease) runs on the Toy Poodle side. Dental care often becomes a bigger job by middle age.
Bad breath can be an early sign of bacteria building up.
Brush the teeth every day from puppyhood, and book cleanings when your vet advises.
Less common
Brain inflammation, called necrotizing meningoencephalitis (Maltese side): a seizure always needs a prompt vet visit.
A hip problem of young toy dogs, called Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease (Toy Poodle side): limping in a young dog calls for hip X-rays.
Diabetes (Toy and Miniature Poodle sides): yearly exams and weight control are the everyday checks.
A poorly formed blood supply inside the liver, called portal vein hypoplasia (Toy Poodle side).
An unstable joint at the top of the neck, called atlantoaxial instability (Toy Poodle side): it is present from birth.
An optic nerve that did not fully form, called optic nerve hypoplasia (Miniature Poodle side): the affected eye cannot see.
A form of dwarfism, called osteochondrodysplasia (Miniature Poodle side): a DNA test can find it.
A hip joint that forms poorly, called hip dysplasia (Miniature Poodle side): keep your dog lean as it finishes growing.
DNA tests
A cheek-swab DNA test can check a dog for several uncommon inherited diseases from both parent breeds. Each result comes back as clear, carrier or at risk. A clear dog did not show the gene change the test looks for. A carrier has one copy of the gene change and is healthy. An at-risk result means a higher chance of the disease, not a diagnosis. With some of these diseases, such as a bleeding disorder called von Willebrand disease, an at-risk dog may never show signs or may show them only later.
Tests from the Poodle side look for one form of PRA and for von Willebrand disease. Others look for a nerve disease called gangliosidosis, a form of dwarfism and a seizure disease of newborn puppies. From the Maltese side, a test looks for a liver condition called glycogen storage disease. Another test, from either side, looks for a gene change that raises the risk of back disc disease. A test being available does not mean the condition is common in Maltipoos.
Checkups your dog will get
Care plan by life stage
Planning for Maltipoo vet costs
These are typical published costs for treating what a Maltipoo vet exam looks at and the conditions its parent breeds are known to be prone to. Each range shows where it comes from and when, and your own vet's estimate will differ.
| Item | Typical cost | Per | Source | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Specialist's first exam (consultation fee only) | $198–$350 | per visit | at US veterinary teaching hospitals (Michigan, Missouri, Tennessee) | 2023–2026 |
| Eye tests before cataract surgery (ERG and eye ultrasound) | $500–$1,300 | per workup | at US veterinary teaching hospitals (Missouri, Tennessee) | 2025–2026 |
| Cataract surgery, one eye | $3,800–$5,500 | per eye | at one US veterinary teaching hospital (Missouri) | 2023–2025 |
| Cataract surgery, both eyes under one anesthetic | $5,600–$6,700 | at one US veterinary teaching hospital (Missouri) | 2025 |
| Item | Typical cost | Per | Source | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Specialist's first exam (consultation fee only) | $198–$350 | per visit | at US veterinary teaching hospitals (Michigan, Missouri, Tennessee) | 2023–2026 |
| Item | Typical cost | Per | Source | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liver shunt workup (before any surgery) | $1,622–$3,937 | per workup | at one US veterinary teaching hospital (Tennessee) | 2026 |
| Liver shunt surgery, shunt outside the liver (workup and surgery) | $5,408–$7,571 | per procedure | at one US veterinary teaching hospital (Tennessee) | 2026 |
| Liver shunt surgery, shunt inside the liver, open surgery (workup and surgery) | $6,685–$9,605 | per procedure | at one US veterinary teaching hospital (Tennessee) | 2026 |
| Liver shunt closure with coils through a vein (workup and procedure) | $10,600–$12,309 | per procedure | at one US veterinary teaching hospital (Tennessee) | 2026 |
| Item | Typical cost | Per | Source | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Collapsing trachea workup (before a stent) | $2,000–$3,500 | per workup | at one US veterinary teaching hospital (Missouri) | 2023 |
| Tracheal stent placement | $3,200–$3,600 | per procedure | at one US veterinary teaching hospital (Missouri) | 2023 |
| Tracheal stent, workup and placement together | $5,900–$6,500 | per procedure | at one US veterinary teaching hospital (Missouri) | 2023 |
| Item | Typical cost | Per | Source | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dental disease care in the first 30 days after diagnosis (80th percentile of insurance claims) | $1,284–$1,420 | per 30 days after diagnosis | US pet insurer claims data (US) | 2024–2025 |
Planning for pet insurance
When you are ready to compare plans, here is one option for Pawrade buyers.
Only with Pawrade, you receive a pet insurance policy with no waiting period included for immediate accident or illness coverage, 1 month, with every puppy.† You activate it by calling MetLife; instructions arrive with your travel details. Continuing MetLife coverage after the first month is strongly recommended.
View the MetLife 30-day offer →†NH, NY, RI, SC and TN residents excluded. Activated by calling MetLife; coverage begins immediately following policy activation. See the offer for full terms.
Whichever plan you look at, read the policy before you buy. Check the waiting periods, how it defines a pre-existing condition, and its deductible, reimbursement percentage and annual limit.
A waiting period is how long after you buy a pet insurance policy before a claim counts.
| Policy | Accidents | Illness | Joints |
|---|---|---|---|
| MetLife policy included with your Pawrade puppy† | None | None | None |
| MetLife, bought directly | None | 14 days | Not listed |
| Industry standard | 0–14 days | 14–30 days | 6–12 months |
| Nationwide | 14 days | 14 days | Not listed |
| Trupanion | 5 days | 30 days | 30 days |
| Embrace | 2 days | 14 days | 6 months |
| Figo | 1 day | 14 days | Not listed |
The breeder's licensed vet checks your puppy before it goes home. The vet follows PetPay's exam standards, and the results go in your puppy's Veterinary Health Report.
Focus
Eyes
Discharge · Vision problems · Eyelash problems · Cherry eye
05
Ears and hearing
Debris or discharge · Ear mites · Signs of infection · Hearing
06
Mouth and bite
Teeth and jaw alignment · Bite (overbite or underbite)
07
Skin and coat
Fleas and ticks · Hair loss · Signs of infection
08 Focus
Kneecaps
Kneecaps that slip, and how much (grade)
09
Hips
Hip pain
10
Hernias
Belly-button (umbilical) hernia · Groin (inguinal) hernia
11
Soft spot on the skull
An open soft spot, and its size
12
Body condition and weight
Body condition score · Weight
13
Reproductive organs
Both testicles in place (males) · Extra skin folds around the vulva (females)
14
History of vomiting or diarrhea
Any history of vomiting or diarrhea (reported, not examined)
15
Stool test for parasites
Fecal flotation test, with any treatment given
16
Past surgery and notes
Any past surgery · The vet's explanation of anything abnormal
The vet shines a small light into each eye to check that it looks clear and healthy.
Eye conditions that run in the parent breeds, such as cataract, mostly show up later, so eye checks carry on with your own vet.
The vet also looks over the eyelids and lashes around each eye.
The vet feels both knees to check that each kneecap stays in its groove.
Both parent breeds are known for slipping kneecaps (patellar luxation), so an early check is a useful start.
The vet shines a small light into each eye to check that it looks clear and healthy.
Eye conditions that run in the parent breeds, such as cataract, mostly show up later, so eye checks carry on with your own vet.
The vet also looks over the eyelids and lashes around each eye.
The vet feels both knees to check that each kneecap stays in its groove.
Both parent breeds are known for slipping kneecaps (patellar luxation), so an early check is a useful start.
Puppies grow and change quickly, and their immune systems are still developing, so no exam can find everything. The Veterinary Health Report is a strong early look at your puppy and a written starting point that your own vet builds on.
Health guarantee
Every Pawrade puppy comes with a health guarantee administered by PetPay, independent of the seller. The terms are on the health guarantee page.
Customers Love Us!
Anika · Dachshund, Mini“At first everything was a little unsettling. With so many companies trying to take advantage of a person, I wasn't sure what to expect. The communication, and the customer support was great. They all put our minds at ease. This little girl is already so loving. I'm in love. Thank you Pawrade.”
Maltipoo Puppies for Sale
Frequently asked questions
A Maltipoo can inherit conditions its parent breeds are known to be prone to, from the Maltese and the Toy or Miniature Poodle. The ones most worth knowing about are slipping kneecaps, a weak windpipe (tracheal collapse), cataracts and other eye problems, a liver shunt, heart problems and gum disease. Less common ones include brain inflammation, diabetes and a hip problem of young toy dogs.
Copy link to this questionA slipping kneecap (patellar luxation) runs on all three parent breeds' sides. It shows as a skip or hop in the step, and your vet can feel the knees at puppy visits.
Copy link to this questionTracheal collapse is a weakening of the windpipe that runs on the Maltese and Toy Poodle sides, and it usually shows as a honking cough in middle age. A harness instead of a collar and a lean weight are the standard advice.
Copy link to this questionCheek-swab DNA tests check for several uncommon inherited diseases from either side of the family, including one form of progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), a bleeding disorder and a liver condition. Each result is clear, carrier or at risk. A carrier has one copy of a gene change and is healthy, and an at-risk result means a higher chance of the disease, not a diagnosis.
Copy link to this questionYour vet can feel the knees and look at the eyes at every puppy visit. Many inherited eye problems appear later, so yearly eye checks carry on into adulthood.
Copy link to this questionMaltipoos typically live 10–15 years. Checkups carry on through the senior years, when exams move to at least twice a year.
Copy link to this questionA Maltipoo is usually considered a senior in roughly the last quarter of its lifespan. From then on, exams at least twice a year, dental care and gentle exercise help keep it comfortable.
Copy link to this questionEveryday habits do most of the work: keep your dog lean, brush its teeth daily, walk it on a harness and book a yearly checkup.
Copy link to this questionVery young Maltipoos can get low blood sugar, so they eat about four small meals a day at first. Meals drop to three and later two as they grow.
Copy link to this questionThey do, because gum disease runs on the Toy Poodle side and dental care often becomes a bigger job by middle age. Brush the teeth every day from puppyhood, and book cleanings when your vet advises.
Copy link to this question
