Having allergies around dogs is very common these days. Some dog breeds are considered to be hypoallergenic and would be a great addition to your home. I will give you all the details about Maltipoos as hypoallergenic dogs.
Are Maltipoo hypoallergenic? Maltipoos are considered to be hypoallergenic dogs. With pet dander, saliva, and urine being the three common allergies with dogs and Maltipoos give the least issues. Their fur is a single coat with low dander. Maltipoos fur also is very low shedding which helps with allergies.
If you are still worried about being allergic to Maltipoos before taking them home, don’t be. I will now explain some great ways to make your home even more allergy-friendly, and after reading this post, you will be equipped to defend your home against dog allergies.
What Does Hypoallergenic Mean?
According to the Oxford Dictionary, hypoallergenic means that a given material is “unlikely to cause” allergies. Note that it doesn’t promise that you won’t experience any allergy symptoms, but the odds are in your favor.
Are Maltipoo Hypoallergenic?
Are Maltipoos Considered Hypoallergenic Dogs?
There are no truly hypoallergenic dogs other than hairless breeds, as all dogs with coats shed somewhat. However, Poodle mixes like the Maltipoo shed such little hair that they are classed as hypoallergenic breeds – meaning that they are very unlikely to cause a reaction in people with pet allergies. If you want to minimize your Maltipoo’s shedding and alleviate your symptoms as much as possible, keep reading.
Are Maltipoos Really Hypoallergenic?
Tips For Reducing Allergy Symptoms When Exposed to a Dog
Are Maltipoos Hypoallergenic?
If you want to try and reduce your symptoms, you should start by keeping your home clean. Vacuuming and laundering soft furnishings regularly and using impermeable covers on your furniture can significantly reduce the allergens in your home.
You could also invest in a high-efficiency HEPA air cleaner that sucks up dander and dust before it covers your home. Medical treatments for pet allergies include immunotherapy shots, steroid and antihistamine nose sprays, and antihistamine pills. There are also things you can do to reduce your Maltipoo’s shedding.
How to Minimize Fur Shedding in Maltipoos
You can’t stop your dog from shedding, as it is a normal part of the seasonal growth cycle. However, if you want to ensure that they shed as little as possible, whether you have allergies or want to keep your home tidier, follow these tips.
Grooming Your Maltipoo Properly
As you might expect, these fluffy puppies need a lot of grooming. Their thick, long waves are prone to tangling and trapping dirt, leading to poor hygiene, poor coat health, excessive shedding, painful mats, and even infection without regular grooming. So, budding owners of Maltipoo dogs should know they will be very busy.
Their coats must be brushed every 2-3 days and bathed once a month to keep them in good condition and have their hair cut every 6-8 weeks. It’s also important to get the right brush for your Maltipoo and not over-bathe your dog, as this can dry out their skin and coat and make it brittle, leading to more breakage, increased shedding, and skin irritation.
Watch Your Maltipoo’s Diet
A healthy diet is the first line of defense against heavy shedding. If your dog’s body is sufficiently nourished from the inside out, it will strengthen its hair follicles and reduce breakage and shedding. Eating a poor-quality diet can cause poor overall health, including the health of your dog’s coat, making shedding worse.
Every dog should eat nutritious and balanced foods containing vitamins and minerals. Dogs need healthy fats like Omega fatty acids from oily fish to nourish their coats and nutrients tailored to their size, breed, or age group. It’s always important to find the right dog food for your Maltipoo.
Foods derived from natural ingredients are always best; many pet foods contain what is known as filler ingredients like wheat and artificial additives because they’re cheaper to manufacture. Foods like this lessen your dog’s overall health, including the quality of their coat. So, it’s best to stick to foods with natural, recognizable ingredients.
Eating the right amount is also important. The average adult Maltipoo should eat between ½ – 1 cup of food per day, split into two meals. Young puppies should eat 20 kg per 1 kg of their weight split into 3-4 meals, and senior dogs should eat fewer calories as they age and slow down.
Using the Right Deshedding Products For Your Maltipoo
Try a de-shedding product if you feed your Maltipoo a great diet and groom them properly, and they still shed a little too much for you to handle. These are also great for health conditions that cause excessive shedding in dogs. There are many great deshedding products for dogs, from supplements to shampoos.
Deshedding supplements nourish your dog’s skin and coat from the inside out with essential nutrients like Omega 3 and 6 to improve its overall condition and reduce shedding. They come in the form of tasty chews that can be given as treats, as well as powders, tablets, and liquids that can be mixed into daily meals for convenience.
Deshedding shampoos work by exfoliating and cleansing the skin to remove loose fur, encouraging new growth, and strengthening the hair follicles to lessen future hair breakage with powerful ingredients like biotin, vitamin E, and zinc.
What Type of Fur Do Maltipoos Have?
The Maltipoo has a medium-long single coat that is wavy and wiry in texture. Their fur tends to be softer and smoother on their faces, with tufty ears, eyebrows, and snouts, as well as tighter waves on the body.
They don’t have an undercoat, which is why they’re such light shedders, and their fur comes in several colors. The most common colors are white, cream, and apricot, but they can also be black, brown, red, sable, black and white, black and brown, and tri-colored with various beautiful markings.
How Do You Care For a Maltipoo’s Coat?
As mentioned above, the Maltipoo needs regular grooming through brushing, bathing, and haircuts. It would be best if you started grooming your Maltipoo from a young age to get them used to it, and once you get into a routine, stick to it as best you can.
Bathing Your Maltipoo Puppy
When finding a shampoo for your Maltipoo, you should use a shampoo specially made for dogs with natural, gentle ingredients and no harsh chemicals. They tend to be sensitive dogs, so using products with harsh chemicals can damage their coat and skin and increase how much they’re shedding.
To bathe your dog, wet the fur with warm water and lather them thoroughly with your shampoo, right down to the skin. Allow it to sit for a few minutes before you rinse it off, and let them air dry or dry them with a hairdryer.
Using the Right Type of Brush For Your Maltipoo
Slicker brushes are the best for this breed as they can easily untangle knots on longer, curlier fur. Brushing the coats thoroughly from neck to tail in small sections with firm pressure is important.
Always brush in the direction of growth, hold knots as the base to remove them without pulling, and never brush them wet. Use a mat remover for stubborn mats, and remember to clean your dog’s brush after each use.
Giving Your Maltipoo Haircuts
Your Maltipoo’s haircuts can be done at home with the right knowledge and equipment but are best left to the professionals. To clip your Maltipoo’s coat at home, hold the clipper against the fur with firm pressure and cut following the direction of growth using long strokes from the neck down. It’s best to do one side of the body first and then the other to keep it looking symmetrical, but don’t go too fast, or you might create harsh lines in the fur.
If you’re intending on doing all of your dog’s grooming yourself, you should invest in a pair of professional-grade clippers with different blades and attachments for different styles and parts of the coat. If you do the odd touch-up in-between visits to the groomer, a simple pair of electrical motor clippers with guards will get the job done.
This type is also good for keeping shorter coats short, while pivot and rotary motor clippers are better for those who like to keep their dogs’ coats longer. Remember to reward your puppy after grooming them to make it a good experience. If they hate it, look into alternative products, like waterless shampoos and glove brushes, to make them more comfortable.
Why is My Maltipoo Shedding So Much?
More often than not, excessive shedding in Maltipoos is caused by poor diet and grooming, as discussed above, but that isn’t always the case. Let’s take a look at some other causes.
Your Maltipoo is Probably Stress
Stress can also cause a sudden and dramatic increase in your Maltipoo’s shedding. The adrenaline increase we experience during stress can also cause more hair to be released from the hair follicles. Common causes of stress in dogs include major life changes like moving home, chronic boredom, separation anxiety, and fear.
It’s best managed with lots of attention and love and a stable daily routine, while specific stress triggers can be treated with training, and boredom can be treated through lifestyle changes. You can also use anti-anxiety products like supplements and diffusers to help with symptoms.
Your Maltipoo Could Be Having Allergies
Allergies are also a common cause of heavy shedding. Dogs’ most common food allergies include grains, gluten, soy, and certain proteins found in meat, dairy, and eggs. They can cause changes to the skin and coat, including excessive shedding, low energy, and poor digestive health.
If you think your dog could be allergic to something in their diet, you should speak to your vet about doing a food trial to find and eliminate the cause of their symptoms – or switch your dog to hypoallergenic food.
Your Maltipoo is Aging or Could Be Sick
Less common but more serious explanations include hormonal disorders, infections, parasites, immune diseases, and cancer. However, these health conditions have more apparent signs and symptoms, so if you’re worried about your dog’s health, you should make an appointment with your vet as soon as possible for an examination. Dogs also naturally shed more hair as they age as their coat becomes more brittle, but you can use a coat growth or de-shedding product to help.
Final Thoughts
Hypoallergenic dogs are great for people dealing with allergies due to their non-shedding coats. If you suffer from such allergies and want to get a fur baby, the Maltipoo is a great choice, especially if you have a family, as they make wonderful family dogs with mess-free, allergy-free fun. If you’re ready to introduce a Maltipoo puppy into your home, feel free to check out our list of Maltipoo breeders in the United States.
