The Dental Nightmare Nobody Warned Me About
Princess's mouth is a disaster zone. There's no nice way to say it. Her teeth started rotting before she was two.
Teeth Falling Out at Two Years Old
I noticed Princess's breath smelled terrible. Not dog breath terrible. Like something died terrible.
The vet did a dental exam and found abscesses in three teeth. Princess was twenty months old. Her teeth were already falling apart.
That first dental surgery was $1,200. They extracted four teeth and cleaned the rest. The vet said Maltese have notoriously bad teeth because of their small mouths.
Princess came home woozy and drooling, and I cried looking at the stitches where her teeth used to be.
Annual Dental Cleanings Are Mandatory
Now Princess gets her teeth cleaned every single year. The vet said anything less would be asking for infections.
Each cleaning costs about $800 because she needs full anesthesia. She's had teeth pulled during three of her four cleanings.
I've spent almost $4,000 on Princess's teeth in four years. My own dental work has cost maybe $600 in the same time. Something about that feels wrong.
The vet says some Maltese need cleanings every six months. I'm hoping Princess doesn't get to that point.
Daily Brushing Is Non-Negotiable
I brush Princess's teeth every single day. Sometimes twice if she ate something sticky.
She hates it. I have the scratches to prove it. But the vet said daily brushing can slow down how fast her remaining teeth decay.
The special enzymatic toothpaste costs $25 a tube. The tiny toothbrush is another $12. We go through a lot of both.
It's like having a very small, very furry, very angry dental patient living in my house.
Other Things That Go Wrong
Teeth are the big one. But Maltese have other problems too, because apparently tiny dogs come with maximum drama.
The Liver Shunt Scare
Princess was acting weird one day. Disoriented. Walking in circles. I thought maybe she ate something bad.
The vet ran bloodwork and her liver values were insane. They started talking about liver shunts.
Apparently some Maltese are born with blood vessels that bypass their liver. The toxins that should get filtered out just circulate through their body instead.
Princess needed an ultrasound and a bile acid test. $650 for those. Thankfully she doesn't have a shunt, just some liver inflammation that responds to medication.
But the vet warned me to watch for signs because liver problems are common in the breed. More things to worry about.
Knees That Pop Out
Princess does this weird bunny-hop thing sometimes when she runs. Her back legs sort of bounce together.
Luxating patella. Her kneecaps slip out of place. The vet says it's grade 1, which means it's mild and pops back in on its own.
For now we just manage it with joint supplements. But if it gets worse, surgery is $2,500 to $3,000 per leg.
The vet said most small dogs with luxating patella eventually need surgery on at least one leg. Something to look forward to, I guess.
Tear Stains and Eye Problems
Princess has those dark tear stains under her eyes. I thought it was just a grooming thing, but the vet said it can indicate blocked tear ducts or eye irritation.
She's had two eye infections that needed antibiotics. Nothing major, but at $150 per vet visit plus medication, it adds up.
We clean her face twice daily now with special wipes. The staining is better but never fully goes away. Just another Maltese thing.
What Maltese Insurance Actually Needs
After spending a small fortune on Princess's mouth, I finally understand what matters in Maltese insurance.
Dental Coverage Is Everything
If your Maltese insurance doesn't have excellent dental coverage, you're going to have a bad time.
Look for policies that cover cleanings, extractions, and dental surgery. Some policies cap dental at $1,000 per year. That's not enough when one cleaning with extractions can hit $1,400.
Also make sure they don't require a separate dental rider with a long waiting period. Princess needed dental work before some waiting periods would have ended.
Anesthesia Coverage Matters
Maltese are so tiny that anesthesia is risky every time. Princess needs special monitoring during procedures.
Make sure your policy covers the extra anesthesia precautions small dogs need. Pre-anesthetic bloodwork, IV catheter placement, longer recovery monitoring. These things cost extra.
Some policies limit how many times they'll cover anesthesia per year. With annual or twice-annual dental cleanings, that could be a problem.
Liver Condition Coverage
Given how common liver problems are in Maltese, make sure your policy covers hepatic conditions including congenital liver shunts.
Shunt surgery can cost $5,000 to $8,000. Even ongoing medication management for liver issues runs hundreds per year.
Some policies exclude congenital conditions in certain breeds. Double-check this before you sign up.