Best slicker brush for Maltese mats

Your vet flagging mats close to the skin in your Maltese's armpits is a real red flag — that's one of the first places fine single-coat hair like theirs locks up tight, and the wrong brush will either skip over the problem or, worse, snap the hair and irritate the skin underneath. The right grooming tools depend entirely on coat type: a slicker brush that works brilliantly on a Spaniel is useless for a Husky, and a heavy deshedder can genuinely damage a Maltese's delicate coat. Can you tell me a bit more — how long is your Maltese's coat right now, and is your vet concerned this is an ongoing issue or a one-off? Also, are you brushing at home regularly at the moment, or is this fairly new territory?

That makes complete sense — a cheap flat slicker brush will glide over the top of a Maltese coat and barely touch what's happening underneath. The pins are usually too short and too close together to penetrate 4 inches of fine hair and reach the skin layer where the mats actually start. Before I give you a specific recommendation, one quick question: when you do brush her, does she tolerate it reasonably well, or does she pull away and find it uncomfortable? That'll help me steer you to the right pin flex level.

Perfect — that tells me everything I need. She's not brush-shy, she's just reacting to the discomfort of tight mats being pulled, which means she'll be absolutely fine once you're using a brush that can actually work through the coat gently without dragging. Here's my clear recommendation: the Chris Christensen Big G Slicker Brush — specifically the oval version with the soft flex cushion. It's what professional Maltese groomers actually use. The pins are long enough to reach through a 4-inch coat to the skin, but the cushioned pad absorbs pressure so you're not yanking at the mat from above. The slightly curved face is designed for working into awkward areas like armpits and behind the ears — exactly where your vet flagged the problem. Work in sections using a line-brushing technique: part the hair horizontally, brush from the skin outward, move up an inch, repeat. That way you're never dragging a whole mat at once. For the existing tight mats, work a tiny amount of detangling spray in first and use your fingers to loosen the outer edges before the brush touches them. The Chris Christensen is on the pricier side — around £35–£45 on Amazon UK — but for a Maltese with recurring mat issues, it's genuinely the last slicker brush you'll buy.

For a Maltese with active matting, I'd pair it with The Coat Handler Leave-In Detangler — it's water-based, doesn't leave a heavy residue on fine white coats, and makes the brush glide without breaking the hair shaft. A light mist on each section before you brush through is all you need. On frequency: for a 4-inch Maltese coat with a history of mats, you really need to be brushing every other day minimum, with particular attention to the armpits, groin, behind the ears, and collar area — those friction zones are where mats always start. Once a week simply isn't enough to stay ahead of it with this coat type. If the existing armpit mats are too tight to brush out without causing her pain, take her to a groomer first to have those safely removed, then start your regular routine from a clean slate. Trying to force a slicker brush through a solid mat close to the skin risks both hurting her and tearing the coat.

That's exactly the right call — get the existing mats professionally removed first, then you're starting on the front foot with the right tools and a clear routine. Your vet flagging it early is a good thing; left much longer those armpit mats can get tight enough to restrict movement and cause skin sores. With the Chris Christensen and a proper every-other-day line-brushing habit, you'll almost certainly not be back in this situation. Good luck with her.