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Maltese · Pet Cost Timeline

What a Maltese costs, and exactly when.

Below is a sample timeline for a one-year-old Maltese. Enter your own pet’s birth month to get dated costs, a monthly savings target and an account-free tracker saved in your browser.

Pet insurance
Set aside each month
$21/ month

Next 12 months of expected spikes ($78) plus a $173/yr share of the emergency reserve, spread over 12 months.

12-month expected spikes
$78

1 scheduled item ($78), plus 1 possible breed condition that could add up to $3,090 in full cost if they occur.

Emergency reserve
$2,070

Cash to hold for an unplanned emergency. Basis: MetLife True Cost of Pet Emergencies 2025.

Actual vs plan
$0 logged$1,622 12-mo plan
Nothing logged yet

Life-stage cost curve

Scheduled care for your Maltese, stage by stage. Routine food and premiums are extra and sit in your baseline.

Month 12 of ~180
Stage 1 Done
Puppyhood
0 – 12 months

Puppy Vaccine Series & First Exams, Spay/Neuter

~$695 scheduled in this stage
Stage 2 · Now
Young Adult
1 – 3 years

Core Vaccine Booster, Professional Dental Cleaning, Annual Blood Chemistry Panel

~$318 / yr scheduled, on average
Stage 3From 2028
Mature Adult
3 – 9.4 years

Core Vaccine Booster, Professional Dental Cleaning, Annual Blood Chemistry Panel

~$441 / yr scheduled, on average
Stage 4From 2035
Senior Years
9.4+ years

Core Vaccine Booster, Professional Dental Cleaning, Senior Blood Chemistry Panel

~$811 / yr scheduled, on average
Chronological forecastUpdated for your pet

Life-stage milestone ledger

Possible · Age 12 monthsSeptember 2026Breed Condition

Patellar Luxation

The kneecap slips out of its groove, causing intermittent hopping or skipping; repeated or severe cases need corrective surgery.

Self-pay: you would pay the full amount. Insurance would cut this to about $534.
No incidence figure yet · covered by your emergency reserve, not the monthly target
Typical for dogs, not breed-specific
Source & method
Cost:
MetLife Pet Insurance, Luxating Patella Surgery Costs (metlifepetinsurance.com/blog/pet-health/luxating-patella-in-dogs)
As of:
2025-09, inflated to the event date
Confidence:
medium
Method:
Surgery cost per leg as stated on the page, driven by dog size, severity, arthritis and location. Typical is the midpoint of the range. Not Maltese-specific; excludes the second knee if both are affected and post-surgery rehab.
Onset age:
American Kennel Club, Luxating Patella in Dogs: Signs, Symptoms, Treatments (akc.org/expert-advice/health/luxating-patella-dog); Merck Veterinary Manual, Patellar Luxation in Dogs and Cats (merckvetmanual.com) (as of 2026-04)
$1,030 – $5,150Full cost · typical $3,090
Insurance playbook
Scheduled · In 3 monthsDecember 2026Vaccination

Core Vaccine Booster

The one-year-plus booster of core vaccines, then on a multi-year cycle. The exam itself is part of your routine vet baseline.

Repeats every 3 years through age 13.3.

National average · not adjusted for size or metro
Source & method
Cost:
CareCredit, Veterinary Exam and Procedure Costs (carecredit.com/vetmed/costs)
As of:
2026-09, inflated to the event date
Confidence:
medium
Method:
Page states "DHPP $42" and "Rabies (one year) $35". Value is their sum. The page shows no publication date; the retrieval month is used as the as-of date.
$78Expected per visit
Scheduled · In 12 monthsSeptember 2027Clinical Screening

Annual Blood Chemistry Panel

A blood chemistry panel to establish a baseline and catch liver, kidney or metabolic changes early.

Repeats yearly through age 9.

National average · not adjusted for size or metro
Source & method
Cost:
CareCredit, Veterinary Exam and Procedure Costs (carecredit.com/vetmed/costs)
As of:
2026-09, inflated to the event date
Confidence:
medium
Method:
Page states "Blood test (chemistry panel) $164". The page shows no publication date; the retrieval month is used as the as-of date.
$169Expected per visit
Scheduled · In 12 monthsSeptember 2027Dental Health

Professional Dental Cleaning

Scaling and polishing under anesthesia with a pre-anesthetic check, before tartar progresses to disease that costs far more to treat.

Repeats every 2 years through age 14.

National average · not adjusted for size or metro
Source & method
Cost:
CareCredit, Veterinary Exam and Procedure Costs (carecredit.com/vetmed/costs)
As of:
2026-09, inflated to the event date
Confidence:
medium
Method:
Page states "Dental disease/periodontitis (routine dental cleaning) $379". The page shows no publication date; the retrieval month is used as the as-of date.
$390Expected per visit
Possible · Age 3September 2028Breed Condition

Periodontal Disease

Crowded small-breed teeth trap plaque, leading to gum infection and tooth loss that call for repeat anesthetic dental cleanings and extractions.

Repeats yearly through age 15.

Self-pay: you would pay the full amount. Insurance would cut this to about $326.
No incidence figure yet · covered by your emergency reserve, not the monthly target
Typical for dogs, not breed-specific
Source & method
Cost:
PetMD, How Much Does Dog Teeth Cleaning Cost? (petmd.com/dog/care/how-much-does-dog-teeth-cleaning-cost)
As of:
2025-10, inflated to the event date
Confidence:
medium
Method:
Professional cleaning under anesthesia, from routine (low end) to advanced care (page says 1,500 or more, so high is the stated floor of that open-ended figure). Typical is the midpoint. Excludes per-tooth extractions, blood work and medications, which the page prices separately. Treated as annual because cleanings recur; not Maltese-specific.
Onset age:
Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, Periodontal Disease (vet.cornell.edu, Riney Canine Health Center) (as of 2026-09)
$382 – $1,635 / yrFull cost · typical $1,008
Insurance playbook
Possible · Age 6.5Approx. March 2032Breed Condition

Collapsing Trachea

The windpipe rings weaken and flatten, causing a honking cough that is managed with medication and, in severe cases, a stent or ring surgery.

Self-pay: you would pay the full amount. Insurance would cut this to about $819.
No incidence figure yet · covered by your emergency reserve, not the monthly target
Typical for dogs, not breed-specific
Source & method
Cost:
Embrace Pet Insurance, Collapsed Trachea in Dogs: Symptoms, Stages, Treatment & Costs (embracepetinsurance.com/waterbowl/article/repairing-a-tracheal-collapse-in-dogs)
As of:
2026-05, inflated to the event date
Confidence:
medium
Method:
Tracheal stenting or surgical ring placement, cost varies with the number of stents. Typical is the midpoint. Excludes the diagnostic workup, lifelong monthly medication and emergency care, which the page lists separately. Not Maltese-specific.
Onset age:
Embrace Pet Insurance, Collapsed Trachea in Dogs: Symptoms, Stages, Treatment & Costs (embracepetinsurance.com/waterbowl/article/repairing-a-tracheal-collapse-in-dogs) (as of 2026-05)
$4,159 – $7,723Full cost · typical $5,941
Insurance playbook
Future milestone · Age 9.4Approx. February 2035Geriatric Care

Senior Blood Chemistry Panel

Twice-yearly chemistry panel for older pets, aimed at finding age-related organ and metabolic changes sooner. Fuller senior panels that add thyroid or urine tests cost more and are not priced here.

Repeats every 6 months through age 14.9.

National average · not adjusted for size or metro
Source & method
Cost:
CareCredit, Veterinary Exam and Procedure Costs (carecredit.com/vetmed/costs)
As of:
2026-09, inflated to the event date
Confidence:
medium
Method:
Page states "Blood test (chemistry panel) $164". The page shows no publication date; the retrieval month is used as the as-of date.
$210Expected per visit
How the target is calculated

The monthly figure funds the expected spikes of the next 12 months plus an annual share of your emergency reserve:

monthlyTarget = ⌈ ( Σ spikes × probability + emergencyReserve ÷ 12 ) ÷ 12 ⌉
  • Every amount is compounded from its source date to the event date at 3% a year for this breed.
  • Breed conditions appear at full cost but count toward the target only when a published incidence figure exists. Without one they are covered by the emergency reserve.
  • With insurance, condition and emergency costs are reduced by a 90% reimbursement after a $250 deductible, the same plan as step 5 of the calculator. Routine care is not reimbursed.
  • Scheduled care uses published national averages where we have them (dental cleaning, spay/neuter, vaccine boosters and blood chemistry, from CareCredit’s vet cost table); the puppy or kitten vaccine series is a share of the breed’s own cost line and is labeled a general estimate. Ages and repeat intervals are our schedule, not a published guideline. This is a budgeting estimate, not veterinary advice.
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