The Maltese dog breed is loved for its gorgeous white coats. But in order to maintain these coats, it is important to have a shampoo that is effective enough to remove any dirt and debris without harming the dog’s skin in the process. Unfortunately, it can be challenging to find a shampoo that meets both of these requirements.

We have put together some of the top reviews of the best shampoos for Maltese. These reviews can help you find the best shampoo for your Maltese based on your budget and specific needs from the shampoo. Scroll down for more.

 

A Glance at Our Favorites of 2024

The 11 Best Shampoos for Maltese

1. Hepper Colloidal Oatmeal Pet Shampoo – Best Overall

Maltese dogs are well-known for their gorgeous, long, silky white coats of hair. The fact that they have hair rather than fur also makes them stand out from other breeds. They need plenty of brushing to avoid mats and tangles, and brushing should always occur before a bath.

Unfortunately, Maltese are prone to dry skin because they have a single coat of silky hair, which doesn’t offer their skin as much protection as that of double-coated breeds. This is why a moisturizing shampoo can come in handy.

The best overall dog shampoo for Maltese dogs is Hepper’s Colloidal Oatmeal Pet Shampoo. The primary ingredient is colloidal oatmeal, which is known to heal and soothe your dog’s dry and irritated skin.

It only contains natural ingredients and is pH balanced, so it’s gentle and safe to use on your Maltese. It does not contain any sulfates, soaps, phthalates, glutens, DEA, or dyes, and it contains a subtle fragrance of cucumber and aloe (which also does a wonderful job on dry skin).

At Dogster, we’ve admired Hepper for many years and decided to take a controlling ownership interest so that we could benefit from the outstanding designs of this cool pet company!

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2. Burt’s Bees Oatmeal Shampoo for Dogs – Budget Buy

The best shampoo for Maltese for the money comes from Burt’s Bees Oatmeal Shampoo with Colloidal Oat Flour & Honey for Dogs. Out of all these shampoos on our list, this one is the most affordable. You can purchase it online or at nearly any store that sells animal products near you.

On top of being affordable, this shampoo is excellent for sensitive skin. It uses colloidal oatmeal and honey to soothe dry skin. It also is suitable for dogs that have eczema and other skin irritations. Furthermore, the pH-balanced formula helps your Maltese have soft and luscious skin.

The only downside of this shampoo is that it is not designed specifically for Maltese. Instead, it is designed for dogs in general. So, the shampoo is not bad for your Maltese, but it isn’t specifically formulated with it in mind.

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3. Vetoquinol Sebozole Shampoo for Dogs

If your Maltese has any type of infection, the Vetoquinol Sebozole Shampoo for Dogs is the right pick for them. It includes miconazole nitrate and chloroxylenol, which are designed to provide antibacterial, antifungal, and antiseborrheic properties.

Though strong enough to fight infections, this shampoo is gentle enough for regular use. This is a good shampoo to have on hand if you know that your dog struggles with these sorts of issues and needs an appropriate shampoo. This product is even safe to use on other dogs and even cats.

Of course, this shampoo might not be necessary for dogs who do not have infection problems. Plus, it is expensive. It’s best to only purchase this shampoo if you need something to help fight infections on your dog’s skin as a result.

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4. Warren London Tearless Foaming Dog Facial

Treat your Maltese like the royalty they are with this Warren London Tearless Foaming Dog Facial. This facial wash is specifically designed to help clean stains from your Maltese’s beautiful face. As its name suggests, this product is specifically designed for gently cleaning the face of your Maltese, not its entire body.

Users report that this product is fantastic for whitening and cleaning up the area around your dog’s face. It effectively removes tear stains, which are a recurring problem for many Maltese and Maltese owners.

That being said, this product isn’t perfect if you want a standard shampoo. This product is specifically designed for gentle facial cleaning. If you want to give your dog a full-body wash, opt for one of our other suggestions.

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5. 4Legger USDA Certified Organic Dog Shampoo

If you are specifically looking for an organic shampoo that will not irritate your dog’s skin, try out the 4Legger USDA Certified Organic Dog Shampoo. This shampoo is hypoallergenic and uses natural ingredients to eliminate odor and gently clean your dog’s fur.

This product specifically uses coconut oil, aloe vera, and lemongrass to make your dog beautiful and clean once again. It even offers itch relief and allows your dog to smell nice, even when your dog is still wet. In other words, no more wet dog smell!

Because this product is hypoallergenic and organic, it is a bit more expensive than some of the other products. However, it isn’t outrageously priced for what it offers.

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6. Healthy Breeds Maltese Bright Whitening Dog Shampoo

Another great shampoo for Maltese is the Healthy Breeds Maltese Bright Whitening Dog Shampoo. This is a good pick because it is specifically designed for your Maltese’s white fur. All the while, it effectively cleans and moisturizes the coat.

This shampoo is specifically designed to help enhance the white coat of your Maltese. However, it also works on light coat colors. It will add luster to just about any coat color. It is safe for sensitive skin and uses natural colloidal oatmeal and vitamins to effectively remove tangles and hydrate the skin.

If you are looking for a whitening shampoo that is effective and gentle, this is the product for you. It isn’t too expensive either.

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7. Earthbath Oatmeal & Aloe Dog & Cat Shampoo

The Earthbath Oatmeal & Aloe Dog & Cat Shampoo is a good product if your dog has sensitive and dry skin. It is completely soap-free and specifically cleanses your dog’s skin using oatmeal and aloe vera. The product is biodegradable, paraben-free, and phosphate-free.

Because of the care that goes into selecting the ingredients, this is perfect for moisturizing, healing, and soothing dry skin. At the same time, it neutralizes odor and keeps your pet smelling fresh with the vanilla and almond scent.

Regarding the price, this product is a bit expensive and can be difficult to find at stores. At least it is worth the price due to its great ingredients and wonderful smell.

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8. BioGroom Super White Coat Brightener Shampoo

The BioGroom Super White Coat Brightener Shampoo is specifically designed to whiten fur without bleaching it. Because it does not contain any bleach, it is safe for all dogs with sensitive skin. Still, it keeps your Maltese beautiful and lustrous.

The product is designed to also leave your Maltese smooth and manageable. It is pH-balanced so as not to irritate any part of your Maltese either.

Overall, there’s nothing particularly bad to say about this product. Some reviewers found the bottle arrived damaged so it may not be as strong as others. This product is on the expensive side, but the bottle comes with a large quantity to make up for the price.

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9. Petpost Whitening Dog Shampoo

The Petpost Whitening Dog Shampoo helps to lighten your pet’s fur. It has one of the strongest whitening formulas, making it a great pick if you specifically need to lighten the coat. It uses coconut oil and aloe to also soothe the dog skin. Users report that this product truly is effective at lightening the dog’s hair.

Although great for whitening purposes, this product isn’t as good at detangling and conditioning the fur. You will likely have to use a conditioner to remove all mats and keep your Maltese soft and fluffy after using this shampoo.

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10. Healthy Breeds Maltese Chamomile Soothing Dog Shampoo

This shampoo is very similar to our top pick, but it is designed for dogs with sensitive skin. Hence, the Healthy Breeds Maltese Chamomile Soothing Dog Shampoo helps to keep your Maltese white and clean. It uses aloe vera, chamomile, coconut oil, and a number of other botanical extracts to help soothe irritated skin.

This product is decent at whitening, but it isn’t quite as good as some of the other products on our list. Because it’s specifically designed with sensitive skin in mind, it isn’t as good at whitening your dog’s coat. Still, it’s a good shampoo if you want something slightly whitening but gentle.

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11. Veterinary Formula Clinical Care Dog Shampoo

If you liked our premium pick but dislike the price, we recommend trying the Veterinary Formula Clinical Care Antiseptic & Antifungal Shampoo instead. This product helps to fight bacterial and fungal infections, as well as dermatitis and pyoderma. All the while, it is a lot more affordable than our premium pick.

It can treat practically any skin condition your Maltese may have, ranging from skin sensitivities due to allergens to ringworm. It even works on cats.

Unlike our premium pick, this product is specifically designed for treating flare-ups. So, it should not be used as a regular shampoo. Instead, use the shampoo until the condition goes away and then whenever needed. Because this product is not an everyday shampoo, we have listed it at the bottom of our roundup.

Buyer’s Guide: How to Pick the Best Shampoo for Your Maltese

Picking out the right shampoo for your Maltese can be hard. Even if you know which products work, it can be tough to make the final decision. Instead of picking one of our recommendations at random, use these three factors to determine which Maltese shampoo is best for your dog.

Intention

The first thing you need to think about before purchasing a dog shampoo is the purpose or intention of the shampoo. Although all shampoos are designed to wash your dog, you might want special features. For example, do you want a basic, everyday shampoo, or are you looking for a whitening shampoo? Understanding the intention of the shampoo can help you narrow down your choices.

Ingredients

Never fail to look at the ingredients in the shampoo bottle. Just like us, dogs have allergies and skin sensitivities. Always select a shampoo that you know will not irritate your dog’s skin. Products with as many natural and botanical ingredients are best.

Price

The last thing to think about is price. Because you will have to purchase this shampoo more than once, always go with the shampoo that is within your budget. The good news is that there are tons of great Maltese shampoos that are affordable and able to fit any price point.

 

Conclusion

After considering all these reviews, our favorite shampoo for Maltese is the Hepper Colloidal Oatmeal Pet Shampoo. It will freshen your dog’s fur, hydrate it is skin and is gentle enough to use regularly. If you want something more affordable, we recommend the Burt’s Bees Oatmeal Shampoo with Colloidal Oat Flour & Honey for Dogs instead.

Regardless of our top recommendations, purchase a Maltese shampoo once you have considered your desired intention, ingredients, and price so that it’s right for you and your dog.

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Featured Image Credit: Monika Wisniewska, Shutterstock