Digestive enzymes for older Maltese dogs

Poor nutrient absorption in an older Maltese is something vets are picking up more often — as small breeds age, their pancreatic enzyme output can decline, meaning food passes through without being properly broken down or absorbed. Your vet's instinct to recommend digestive enzyme support is a good one. Before I point you toward something specific: is your Maltese showing any visible symptoms alongside the absorption issue — things like loose stools, weight loss despite eating well, or a dull coat? And is he or she still on their regular food, or has the vet suggested a dietary change at the same time?

That picture makes complete sense — gradual weight loss with a normal appetite and dull coat is a classic presentation of poor nutrient absorption rather than a food quality problem. Biscuit is eating the right things, her gut just isn't extracting enough from them. Enzyme supplementation directly addresses that. What I'd recommend for her is Protexin Pro-Kolin Enterogenic — it's a combined digestive enzyme and probiotic powder formulated specifically for dogs, and it's one of the few products with a clinical background rather than just marketing claims. The enzyme blend helps break down proteins, fats, and carbohydrates more completely before absorption, and the probiotic component supports the gut lining itself. For an 11-year-old Maltese, the powder format is also practical — you just sprinkle it over her kibble once daily. It's widely used by vets in the UK and easy to find on Amazon.

Realistically, give it four to six weeks before drawing conclusions. Coat condition is often the first visible change — owners notice more shine and less brittleness within three to four weeks. Weight stabilisation takes a bit longer because Biscuit needs to rebuild some of what she's lost, not just stop losing. Stool consistency can improve faster, sometimes within the first two weeks, which is a useful early signal that the enzymes are doing something. I'd keep a simple weekly note of her weight if you have kitchen scales — small dogs can show meaningful change in grams that you wouldn't feel just by picking them up.

Definitely tell the vet — it closes the loop on their recommendation and means they can factor it in at Biscuit's follow-up. Given that she had blood work done, there's a reasonable chance the vet will want to recheck her nutrient levels in a couple of months anyway, and knowing exactly when you started the supplement makes that comparison meaningful. It also means if she's not responding as expected, the vet can consider whether something else is contributing — EPI (exocrine pancreatic insufficiency) is worth ruling out formally in a dog with this presentation, and enzyme supplementation is part of managing that too.