Maltese itchy ears elimination diet advice

Chronic itchy ears in a Maltese that your vet is already linking to diet — that's a really common presentation, and the good news is an elimination diet often clears it up completely. True food allergies in dogs are actually less common than food intolerances, but either way the fix is the same: strip the diet right back to a single novel or hydrolysed protein your dog has never eaten before, and hold it strictly for 8–12 weeks. To point you to the right food, can you tell me: what is your Maltese currently eating, are the ears just itchy or also smelly or gunky, and has he or she ever had duck, venison, or fish as main ingredients before?

Perfect — that actually makes this straightforward. Chicken is one of the most common dietary triggers in dogs, and if she's been on it her whole life with no break, it's a very plausible culprit. Duck is an excellent novel protein choice here: it's single-source, genuinely uncommon in most dog diets, and there's a really solid grain-free option that works well for elimination trials. What's her weight roughly? Malteses vary more than people expect — anywhere from 3 to 7 kg — and it'll help me give you accurate feeding guidance.

At 4.5 kg she's right in the sweet spot for Maltese. My recommendation is Canagan Grain Free Duck for Small Breeds. It's a high-meat, single novel-protein kibble with duck as the primary and only meat source, no chicken, no common grains, and no hidden protein blends that would compromise the elimination trial. For a 4.5 kg Maltese you'd be feeding around 60–70 g per day, which makes a 2 kg bag last roughly a month — enough to get well into the trial window. The key with this diet is absolute strictness: no treats, chews, or table scraps that contain chicken or any other protein she's previously eaten. Not even a small piece. Even minor cheating resets the clock. Keep a simple diary of ear scratching frequency and gunkiness — it gives you something concrete to show the vet at the next appointment.

Skin and ear symptoms driven by food tend to be slower to resolve than people expect — the immune system takes time to calm down. Most dogs show a noticeable improvement somewhere between week 4 and week 8, but the full 12 weeks is the gold standard before you draw conclusions. If the ears are significantly better at 8 weeks, that's a strong positive signal. If there's zero improvement at 12 weeks on a clean novel protein diet, food is probably not the driver and your vet will want to look at environmental allergies or other causes. Either outcome is genuinely useful information.

Great choice — good luck with it. One last practical tip: transition over 5–7 days mixing it into her current food gradually, even though you're doing an elimination diet. A sudden full switch can cause loose stools in small dogs and you don't want to confuse digestive upset with an allergic reaction. Once she's fully transitioned, that's day one of your 12-week clock. Hope her ears settle down quickly.