# IM NEW! AND NEW TO MALTESE GROOMING HELP PLEASE!



## lilc5 (Dec 6, 2009)

Hi Everyone!
My name is Carolina. I am new to the forum. I have been reading a lot up on this site and there is so much great information. You are all just wonderful. This is my second dog, new breed for us, her name is Gabby. I got her from what I thought was a reputable breeder...long story she arrived very sick and with congenital issues but we are past all that and love her all the same if not more because she is special. Our first dog is 4 years old now and is a Shih Tzu, her name is Cookie. We keep her coat short and it is easy to manage. Nothing to difficult nor time consuming which is what we like. We both have allergies so when looking for a second dog we were either looking for another Shih Tzu or something smaller which is why we changed to a Maltese. Gabby is a Tea- Cup and will be 4 lbs as an adult. Since she doesnt have all her shots yet we have not taken her to the groomer. I have been using Cookies grooming scissor to give her a puppy cut around her legs until she learns to get potty training down packed. However, I noticed that the rest of her gets matted very easily. Also I have cut her face very short and she gets little maps on that as well and it gets really hard. Even though this is a hypoallergenic dog the coat all together seems a lot more difficult to maintain than a Shih Tzu. Can you all recommend what kind of grooming supplies I need? On her belly she gets matted very easily and I noticed her skin there is a bit dry. I am in NY so I dont know if it has something to do with the winter. For Cookie my Shih Tzu I use a shampoo and conditioner that I get from PetEdge from their brand top performance that is called fresh pet. The scent of clean stays on my pup for a good 3 weeks and her coat looks awesome. ive used it for 4 years now and can only rave about it on what it does on Cookies coat after having searched high and low when she was a pup for something that suited her. I have used it on Gabby but from the matting, dry belly skin, and posts on here I dont think that is what I should be using on this dog. I saw a lot of you use Dove and at first I thought it was a dog product only to realize its human shampoo which is the one I use myself on my hair and love BTW! But I am a little scared to use that. Please help.


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## Tina (Aug 6, 2006)

You've gone from taking care of a very hardy coat with the Shih Tzu to the fragile more difficult to take care of coat of the Maltese. We do use people shampoo for Maltese coats. It sounds like Gabby has nutritional problems and that has contributed to the coat being even more difficult to take care of. 

Every Maltese has a different coat and different coat care. Hang in there it will get better as she gets healthier. 

Not much help.

Tina


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## lilc5 (Dec 6, 2009)

Thank you for your reply. I find that the matts are only on her belly. The rest of her coat is really fluffy. But I do need to brush it a lot more than my Shih Tzu. 
Here is our holiday card from my two fur kids. All the help I can get is appreciated. She is due for more puppy shots on Monday so I will ask my Vet but he did not mention any nutrional problems after her gave her the initial dog tests. Fecal and blood work. I feed her Merrick Puppy plate and during training she gets wellness small bite treats. My Shih Tzu gets derm caps vitamins recommended by my vet but the puppy is too young for that I think.


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## Snowbody (Jan 3, 2009)

:Welcome 1: I read that you wrote she'll be getting her puppy shots on Monday. Most of us on the site would strongly suggest to you that she only get one shot at a time. She's really tiny from the pix and it's really a better idea to give our little guys and girls only one shot at a time in case there's any reaction and not to overwhelm their systems. My vet doesn't charge me for the come back visits for the shots; she just charges for the shots. 
I've used Pantene Smooth Shampoo and Conditioner on Tylers hair and it looks and smells great. We're also in NY and the dry cold hasn't had any effect on his skin. He rarely if ever scratches himself. I bathe him once a week. But talk to the vet about the dry skin issue and see if she/he has any recommendations. You might want to try changing one thing at a time to see which causes it. Tyler was on Merrick and wellness treats and they both seemed healthy for him. We changed to Wellness Puppy since he really like that more. 
Good luck.


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## LJSquishy (Feb 27, 2008)

Congrats on your new Maltese! What kind of congenital problems does she have? Gabby has beautiful eyes. 

A good quality brush is a neccessity, and most of us use Madan pin brushes. They are different than ordinary pin brushes in that they do not have the little balls on the ends of the pins. Using the wrong type of brush can split, pull, & damage their fragile coats. Are you brushing Gabby daily? The best way that I have found to keep matting under control is to first brush the coat thoroughly with the Madan pin brush, and then go through the coat again with a metal greyhound comb (mine has wide teeth on one end and narrow teeth on the other). The greyhound comb can also be used around her face to keep tangles from forming.

You said your Shih-Tzu smells like the shampoo for 3 weeks...you will most likely need to bathe your Maltese once per week. Since her belly seems dry, it would probably be a good idea to use a nice moisturizing shampoo & conditioner. My favorites are Nature's Specialties Plum Silky shampoo & Nature's Specialties Re-Moisturizer w/ Aloe conditioner. Of course, I have had a pretty good experience with Pet Head products (purchased at Petco, and some Petsmarts also now carry the line). Make sure you do not use a whitening shampoo as they are very harsh and will dry her skin & coat out even more. I have also heard good things about John Paul Pet products which can be purchased at Petco. I am getting ready to try out the Dove Go Fresh (yellow bottle) products just as a comparison to Nature's Specialties but I'm not going to expect anything huge! lol


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## lilc5 (Dec 6, 2009)

I am sorry if I was not clear but yes she only gets one puppy shot per visit. I have been using the same vet for 4 years now (with older dog) and trust him with my life. He mentioned the same thing that they should only get one shot per visit. Sorry if I was not clear. When I got her she arrived very sick with a bad kennel cough and ear mites. She was sick for 3 1/2 weeks an additional $500 in medical expenses to wean her back to health. It was really tough because she hardly slept at night because of how sick she was. The breeder was very unsympathetic and thought I switched the dogs on him despite I provided medical bills and a letter from my Vet which he called himself and threatened. In addition the Vet found her to have a hernia and MPL of her back leg. To date I dont even have the registration papers for the dog. Such a frustrating experience.


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## puppy lover (Dec 25, 2007)

QUOTE (Snowbody @ Jan 15 2010, 10:44 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=873976


> :Welcome 1: I read that you wrote she'll be getting her puppy shots on Monday. Most of us on the site would strongly suggest to you that she only get one shot at a time. She's really tiny from the pix and it's really a better idea to give our little guys and girls only one shot at a time in case there's any reaction and not to overwhelm their systems. My vet doesn't charge me for the come back visits for the shots; she just charges for the shots.
> I've used Pantene Smooth Shampoo and Conditioner on Tylers hair and it looks and smells great. We're also in NY and the dry cold hasn't had any effect on his skin. He rarely if ever scratches himself. I bathe him once a week. But talk to the vet about the dry skin issue and see if she/he has any recommendations. You might want to try changing one thing at a time to see which causes it. Tyler was on Merrick and wellness treats and they both seemed healthy for him. We changed to Wellness Puppy since he really like that more.
> Good luck.[/B]


For your sweet Tyler: Here is the thread when Vivi was poisoned by Pantene in case you missed it. I remember this so well because I couldn't sleep thinking about Vivi all night. 
http://spoiledmaltese.com/forum/index.php?...l=vivi&st=0


Carolina, Gabby is precious :wub: 
The only people shampoos I've read that are safe for animals are the natural ones from the health food stores. The only pet grooming products (that I'm aware of anyway) that are non toxic are Nature's Specialties and Earthbath (I've seen Earthbath in Petco). If you want to do more research just google 'dangerous toxins in shampoos'.


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## pinkpixie1588 (Oct 12, 2009)

Has anyone tried all-natural shampoos not specifically designed for dogs? I noticed the Nature's Specialties site doesn't list the ingredients for each shampoo, but I found this other site which claims to have chemical-free, all natural shampoos (and other products). 

One example is here: http://www.audreysallnaturalshoppe.com/sto...ult.asp?One=243

INGREDIENTS: Purified Water, Palm Kernel Oil, Extracts Of Chamomile, Nettles, Sage, Kusambi, Lavender, Aloe, Rosemary, Wild Cherry Bark, Citric Acid and Vitamin A, C and E.

Seems fairly innocuous to me...but I know sometimes dogs can be allergic to certain plants. Maybe some of these included? Nonetheless I'd imagine this is better than a commercial/drugstore shampoo filled with all types of alcohols and other chemicals. Thoughts? Trying to decide what I might use once I get a little fluff of my own..hoping I can find something we could BOTH use


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## pinkpixie1588 (Oct 12, 2009)

Also, as a native Vermonter, I feel compelled to share this organic, all-natural shampoo from Vermont made just for pets I stumbled upon. I'll definitely be trying this..  

http://www.vermontsoap.com/petwash.shtml


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## puppy lover (Dec 25, 2007)

QUOTE (pinkpixie1588 @ Jan 17 2010, 10:50 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=874622


> Has anyone tried all-natural shampoos not specifically designed for dogs? I noticed the Nature's Specialties site doesn't list the ingredients for each shampoo, but I found this other site which claims to have chemical-free, all natural shampoos (and other products).
> 
> One example is here: http://www.audreysallnaturalshoppe.com/sto...ult.asp?One=243
> 
> ...


Yes, much better than drugstore shampoos!  
But the rosemary can cause seizures, not likely but a possibility. Chamomile may cause/aggravate allergies in dogs allergic to ragweed. Most likely there's too little in there to cause those reactions.
I've been using 'Desert Essence Organics' shampoo and conditioner on both myself and puppy and it's the only shampoo that's been really great for my dry hair and puppy's too. The natural grooming place near me uses Aubrey (people shampoo) but I haven't tried it yet. They specialize in small dogs, mostly maltese and shitzu and get great results.


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## drclee (Jul 16, 2008)

OMG your malt is so cute!!! I keep my malts' coats short as well, due the matting. Jack and Jill are from the same litter, yet Jack has beautiful silky hair while Jill's is cottony and easily matted. It takes daily grooming and upkeep to maintain their coats. I use the Pet Head shampoo and conditioner.
Sorry to hear about her health problems. I hope she continues to get better and stay healthy and happy!


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## The A Team (Dec 1, 2005)

I have three malts and one yorkie. I've found that the yorkie can be shampooed with anything and he looks good.
Archie uses medicated shampoo and conditioner from our vet because of allergies, Abbey gets bathed in anything...same as the yorkie. 

Ava gets bathed in Pure Paws or Tripiclean shampoo, the conditioner varies. It takes time, but eventually you'll find the right products.....if you don't go broke first!!! :blink: 

Oh, Ava is the only one in full coat. The others are much easier to groom.

Good luck. I suggest you have your pup's hair cut down into a puppy cut.....MUCH EASIER! :thumbsup:


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## CeeCee's Mom (Sep 14, 2006)

Another little petite one.........She is so cute!!! It is hard to keep a malt's coat tangle free, just keep brushing everyday!! You will find out what works best for your baby!!


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## lilc5 (Dec 6, 2009)

Thank you all for the great advice. So I went and bought Dove the yellow bottle since they didnt have the orange one in stock. I used my regular dog shampoo I mentioned before from Petedge that I use on my Shih Tzu. With the combination of the Dove conditioner I found it made her hair more silky and it feels super soft. I also trimmed her down to a puppy cut. I admire most of you who keep long coats but I just dont have the time to upkeep such a demanding coat. I used a really good pair of scissors I use on my Shih Tzu to give her a quick face/body trim in between groomer visits. I read many people recommending Andis cutter so I think I will go that route for a speedy cut. I feel a little scared about taking her to the groomer since she is so tiny. My Shih Tzu is 16 pounds vs Gabbys 2.8 so far and 4lb at adult so I am frightened to let her go to a groomer. Maybe with time this will change. But because she is smaller grooming with the new puppycut has been manageable. Below are some new shots. I gave her a little quick trim in areas that have grown since I cut her down to a puppy cut so she is freshly bathed.


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## lilc5 (Dec 6, 2009)

Here is a shot of her body.


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## EmmasMommy (Jun 2, 2008)

Oh my goodness what a heartbreaker! She is a little doll ! She is a cute T pie! Welcome to SM.


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## nostresstoday (Nov 10, 2009)

Sorry I don't have any words of advice I just wanted to tell you that your baby has such pretty eyes. :heart: 

Darlene and Miley


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