Maltese: caring for the white coat and the dental health of a toy breed
The Maltese combines two grooming demands that many future owners underestimate: a long, white, undercoat-free coat that mats within days, and a tiny mouth with crowded teeth. On the second point, the research is clear. A study by Dan O'Neill, Camilla Pegram, Dave Brodbelt and colleagues at the Royal Veterinary College, published in 2021 in the Journal of Small Animal Practice from the records of 22,333 dogs under UK primary veterinary care, found that dogs under 10 kg had more than three times the odds of diagnosed periodontal disease compared with heavier dogs (study on Google Scholar). At 3 to 4 kg, the Maltese sits squarely in that bracket — the Maltese breed profile covers its full profile.
Teeth before shampoo
The review by Ruth Wallis and Alison Holcombe, published in 2020 in the same journal, sums up the scale of the problem: visual checks in the consulting room detect periodontal disease in 9 to 18% of dogs, but full examinations under anaesthesia find it in 44 to 100% of them (study on Google Scholar). In other words: the absence of bad breath proves nothing. Daily brushing with a finger brush and then a soft brush, using a veterinary enzymatic toothpaste — never a human one — remains the only home measure with demonstrated effect. Our equipment benchmarks are in the dog dental care guide.
A coat with no undercoat
The Maltese barely sheds, which appeals — and misleads. Its hair grows continuously and, with no undercoat to hold it apart, knots at the slightest friction: collar, harness, armpits, behind the ears, rear trousers. A metal comb run daily through those five areas, working strand by strand from the tips towards the roots, prevents the tight mat that can only be removed by clipping. Bathe once every three to four weeks with a dog-pH shampoo, followed by thorough drying: a long coat left damp macerates and triggers dermatitis.
Tear stains
The brown streaks under the eyes are so common in Maltese that owners treat them as inevitable. They come from pigments in tears, which stain white hair as soon as it stays damp. Daily cleaning with saline followed by careful drying limits the discolouration. Tearing that suddenly worsens, a red eye or a dog rubbing its face, however, belong to the vet, not to grooming.
Do not forget the heart
Daily Maltese hygiene sits within a wider follow-up: the breed is strongly predisposed to mitral valve disease, whose first signs often go unnoticed. Our article on mitral valve disease in the Maltese covers the monitoring schedule. The rest of the grooming gear is grouped in our dog care and grooming section.
Frequently asked questions
How often should a Maltese be combed?
Daily if the coat is kept long, every other day in a short clip. Below that, knots close faster than you can open them.
Do dental chews replace brushing?
No. They can complement the routine, but none reach the gum line the way a brush does. They also add calories, which matter on a 3 kg dog.
Should I have my Maltese clipped?
That is a practical choice, not a medical one. A short clip greatly reduces grooming time without harming the dog, unlike double-coated breeds.
This guide is part of Planète Pets’s Dogs universe. Our advice is general in nature: for any health concern, your veterinarian remains the only reference.