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As your Partner in Pet Health, the team at Hillside Animal Hospital would like to provide you with as much information as possible regarding your role in keeping your dog happy and healthy. With this in mind, we have developed new Breed-Specific Wellness Programs. These programs are intended to increase your awareness on health conditions that have been found to be commonly associated with your dog's breed. While many dogs live a long, healthy life without facing major health issues, we feel that educating pet owners about possible health conditions is the best way to be proactive in detecting health issues before they become a problem. You'll find important recommendations for scheduling physical exams and diagnostic tests which we encourage you to discuss with the doctor throughout your pet's care. Please contact us at 480-391-7297 if you would like further information or to schedule an appointment.
Maltese - Specific Wellness Program
Cardiovascular Conditions
 Endocardiosis (chronic valvular disease)
About the condition:
- This condition is the most common cause of heart disease in a dog. The heart valves become deformed leading to abnormal heart function and heart failure.
How to detect this condition:
- Annual exam - your doctor will provide a thorough physical examination and can listen for any heart murmur, which may indicate this condition.
- If a heart murmur is detected an ultrasound, a type of non-invasive imaging, is recommended.
- An ECG may also be recommended.
Eye Conditions
Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA)
About the condition:
- This disease causes an abnormal accumulation of pigment within the retina resulting in progressive retinal degeneration and visual deficiencies.
How to detect this condition:
- Checking the eyes regularly in conjunction with annual wellness exams can help detect this condition.
Gastrointestinal Conditions
Congenital Portosystemic Shunt
About the condition:
- A serious abnormality of the blood vessels around the liver (portal system) that causes some or all of the blood from the intestines to bypass the liver and go directly into the bloodstream. This increases the level of ammonia in the blood after eating, which can impair brain function, leading to seizure or even death.
- It is more commonly seen in males.
How to detect this condition:
- If chronic weight loss, vomiting, or anorexia are noticed, bloodwork and an ultrasound may be recommended.
Pyloric Stenosis
About the condition:
- A disorder in which the opening from the stomach to the intestine is thickened causing obstruction.
- Signs are usually seen before age 1.
How to detect this condition:
- Chronic vomiting is one of the signs of pyloric stenosis.
- If this occurs, x-rays and/or an endoscopy may be recommended.
Neurological Conditions
Hypoglycemia
About the condition:
- Hypoglycemia is low blood sugar and is almost always caused by an endocrine problem. It is usually seen in dogs less than 1 year of age.
How to detect this condition:
- Weakness and seizures are one of the first indicators of hypoglycemia. If your pet has a seizure, they should be seen as soon as possible to determine the cause of the seizure.
- Bloodwork (including a blood glucose test) are used to diagnose this condition.
This list is not intended to cover all possible diseases and/or conditions found in Malteses, but instead lists those that we have found to be most common at Hillside Animal Hospital. Please let your doctor know if you have further questions regarding these or any other conditions.
Wellness Recommendations
An annual physical exam is recommended for the life of your pet so that any problems can be detected. In addition, we recommend the following diagnostic evaluations in order to provide more thorough veterinary prevention and care:
| Annually |
Eye exam |
| Age 6 |
40 |
Full blood profile and urinalysis, ECG |
| Age 8 |
48 |
Full blood profile and urinalysis |
| Age 10 |
56 |
Full blood profile and urinalysis, x-rays of chest, abdomen and hips if needed |
| Age 12 |
64 |
Full blood profile and urinalysis, x-rays |
| Age 14 |
72 |
Full blood profile and urinalysis, x-rays |
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