Natural Dog Dental Products and Dental Sprays
Bark5TM Dental Spray Review
Disclaimer: This is a sponsored review and also has affiliate links. However, I will always try to offer my readers great product selections. Your trust is very appreciated, and never taken for granted. ~Tonya, Dexter and Nutter
Dog dental care and cleaning is so important for the overall health of our dogs. It’s not just a matter of stinky dog breath—it’s a matter of good health care. According to The American Veterinary Dental College, periodontal disease is the most common clinical condition occurring in adult dogs by three years of age.
Periodontal disease in dogs is a pretty serious business. Some symptoms include bad dog breath, bleeding or inflamed gums, missing teeth, not eating, and sensitivity around the mouth, which can lead to behavior problems. If left untreated, periodontal disease can cause heart disease, kidney disease, and liver disease, and a dog’s jaw can even fracture. As you can see, good dog dental hygiene is much more than preventing bad dog breath.
The good news is that dog dental disease is usually preventable with a good dental program in place. Most veterinarians recommend cleaning your dog’s teeth at least once a day, twice being ideal. The goal is to remove the bad bacteria that cause tartar build-up, which leads to periodontal disease. Providing your dog with healthy chews such as raw meaty bones is another way to help remove daily plaque, but this should be in addition to using a natural dog dental product, not instead of.
A dog may also have regular dental services under general anesthesia from his veterinarian. Dexter had a dental about two years ago. I try really hard to clean Dexter‘s teeth every day, but admittedly, I’m not perfect.
As you may already know, I’m a huge fan of rotating amazing products with my pets, which includes their dental care regimen. Today I wanted to talk about one of Dexter’s natural dog dental sprays, Bark5TM
Bark5TM is a natural, alcohol-free dog dental spray. The company takes our dogs’ health to heart by ensuring the ingredients used in their pet dental spray are registered though the Low Risk Veterinary Health Products Notification Number in Canada! That’s pretty impressive. But, as with everything I use with Dexter, the first thing I do is check the entire ingredient panel to ensure each ingredient is safe, especially with dental products. Dog dental products are notorious for including very unsavory ingredients.
Bark5TM Ingredients: Distilled water, grapefruit seed extract (citrus paradisi, seed, pulp), grape seed extract (vitis vinifera, seed, Propolis (vegetarian Propolis Erba Vita Soluble Propolis) containing propolfenol) Note: all ingredients are human grade and water-soluble. The product is actually blended when ordered to make sure it’s fresh. How cool is that? Not for use in animals on anticoagulants or for use in combination with antibiotics.
I will be the first one to admit I am not a chemist, and I had to research some of the ingredients above to see what they were. And that’s okay—it’s part of my job as a Dog Mom. I thought it was fun to learn about some of the ingredients used and why they are so helpful in a dog’s dental product.
Bee propolis has healing agents to help fight inflamed gums and loose teeth! Grape seed extract is anti-allergen, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimutagenic. It is highly effective for canine dental care and gingivitis. Distilled water is used in Bark5TM dental spray for dogs because it has no chemicals or heavy metals in it. Everything else also checked out safe and has dental benefits, so Dexter was ready to go with his review of Bark5.
Since Dexter is starting to get some tartar build-up, I decided to use the extra-strength dental spray daily, and twice a day when I remembered. Bark5TM is the first dog dental spray I’ve used straight into Dexter’s mouth, so I introduced it slowly. It’s important to make sure not to scare your dog or get the spray in your dog’s face. If your dog is uncertain, spray your palm and allow your dog to lick it off. You can also spray an empty dog food bowl. Dexter seems to enjoy the taste, so it shouldn’t be a problem.
After Dexter’s 3rd application, we found our groove. About an hour after breakfast and just before bed, I put on Dexter’s dog snood, lifted his lips and sprayed the back side of his molars and the front of his incisors. It’s pretty simple and quick.
After ten days, I have noticed a lightening of Dexter’s plaque. The company states that it may take up to seven weeks to get very bad plaque off. So I’m delighted to be seeing results this soon. For the purpose of this review, I have not done any other dental care for Dexter, but the company does say brushing or scraping is a fine addition and can help remove plaque quicker, so I will add that to Dexter’s dental care.
I am very happy with the results so far with Bark5TM alcohol-free dental spray! I will continue to use this natural dog dental product in Dexter’s daily dental care regimen. I love finding dog brands that have such a strong focus on the health and safety of our pets.
Don’t let dental disease happen to your dog—visit Bark5TM today and use promo code: TW20 for 20% off your first order!
Do you clean your dog’s teeth daily? Tell me in the comments.
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This is a great product! We usually just buy our dog those toothbrush/chewables but they don’t always work. I think a spray would work so well.
Thanks, Joline. I would really take a peek at the ingredient panel of the chewables. To date, I have not seen one with healthy ingredients, not to mention they add calories.
just remember to see if any medications your dog is on! Several cyclosporins and azathiroprine warnings state do not use grapefruit seed extract with medications. always ask your vet if your pet is on medications!
Absolutely. Anytime a pet is on medications, a vet call is in order prior to supplements or such. Good reminder.
I have three dogs and one has bad breath. I totally need to find some of this for him
The link at the end of the article goes right to their store and there is a discount code. 🙂
I do not clean my dog’s teeth daily. I generally give him some special chews and they have always seemed to manage things pretty well according to the vet. I hadn’t heard of a spray before.
Glad his teeth are nice. I would recommend checking your chew ingredients and where the item was sourced from. You wouldn’t want to cause a different issue such as choking.
I will ask my vet if I can use this on my dog. My fur baby does not like things out of the ordinary and this spray might freak him out, although I love the fact that it will help reduce tartar build up.
It’s always a good idea to go slow when introducing your dog to something. If he gets stressed easily, I would suggest putting it on a bowl to lick or your fingers.
This is super helpful for dog owners iM sure.We dont currently have one but ill pass it along
Thanks for sharing with your doggie friends.
Oral and dental hygiene is as important to humans as it is to dogs too. I am glad that this Bark5 is alcohol free. I will get some and try using it on my fur baby. It is better to keep his teeth and mouth healthy to prevent other complications later.
Yes, oral care is essential for a healthy body. I hope your dog enjoys his pearly whites.
Just like people, having dental problems in dogs can lead to such uncomfort and so many other issues. This sounds like a great addition to a regular routine.
Thanks, Heather. Yes, we all need good dental care.
Okay, I’m a bad dog-parent. I have never given a thought to my dog’s teeth. She probably would benefit from this spray. Thanks for making me aware.
😉 Now you know and can take care of those teeth. 🙂
Great tip on taking care of dogs’ health, I have no pets but I do know that all living things need to be happy and healthy and that comes to dental care too.
Thanks Joan for reading and commenting. 🙂
I’ve never heard of this before. It’s a pain trying to brush our dogs teeth, I’ll have to look into getting this.
Bark5 makes dental care really easy!
My previous dog had terrible teeth when we got her and we tried different ways of cleaning. In the end she had to get them all removed, poor girl. She is still living though and is a tough little gal at age 14! We’ll incorporate a more rigorous dental hygiene regime with our next dog, including sprays!
Thanks, for adopting Lisa! Yes, sometimes our rescues come in with some bad teeth that need to be removed. They feel so much better afterward and good dental and gum care can happen after the dental has healed. 🙂
Aww such a cute pooch! I personally do not have a fur baby, but this post has been so informative. I feel preapered for when I do
Thanks, Anosa. 🙂
Its strange because we don’t think about dogs dental hygiene all too often but with things like Periodontal disease you definitely need to have a good dental system in place. The dental spray sounds ideal for dogs!
Thanks, Ana. Agree. Dental disease is serious and so preventable in most cases. 🙂
This is great! We have a 6 month old Whoodle and it is hard to distinguish truly natural products and which ones really work.
Fantastic! Yes, click above to Bark5 and don’t forget the 20% off discount code. 🙂
This is good to keep in mind. I only have cats, so I’ll have to see if the dental spray works on them. I know they need help with their teeth too.
Hi, Amber. At this time Bark5 says cats, but they do offer other cat products, so maybe in the future. In the meantime, I have some dental advice for kitties here–> https://raisingyourpetsnaturally.com/cat-teeth-cleaning
I don’t have a dog but my friends do.. so I would love to share this post with them as well as my readers would love to know about this product ☺️??
Thanks, Kitty for sharing Bark5’s natural dog dental spray! I love getting the word about great brands and natural products.
Oh this sounds awesome! My dog has really smelly breath and makes it impossible for me to brush his teeth so I need to try this.
Yes, please give Bark5 a try and don’t forget about the discount code below. Double check those teeth to make sure there isn’t disease the vet needs to address first.
My puppy would really like this product! I wish we have this in the Philippines.
Sorry, Emmanuel. Maybe you have a natural pet store that carries a similar product.
Sounds like a good way to get those choppers cleaned up. Seems to be a common problem with dogs (because so many of them have ‘dog breath.’ I bet the plaque elimination helps a lot!
Thanks, Rosey. Yes, doggie breath usually means something is going on with those choppers. 🙂
I am going to try this product! I have a 12 year old long haired dachshund with terrible breath, that began about 3 years ago. He’s always been the center of attention, but now my family and friends dont like to play with him as much due to his breath. We take him for a vet dental cleaning every 6 months, but it only takes care of the problem temporarily. Blood work has not revealed a cause, but we suspect it comes from him “cheeking” his food as opposed to swallowing it. I try to brush his teeth, but he doesnt like it. I think this product might be more helpful. Thanks!!!
Thanks, Amber. Oh, no. I’m sure he doesn’t like not being the center of attention. Poor guy. Good for you for taking the steps necessary to get him to the vet. I would suggest Bark5 (introduce slowly). Then, I would say start to teach him to tolerate brushing so that you can do both in the future since he seems to be prone to dental issues. Place a little coconut oil on your finger and allow him to lick. Gradually build until you are able to slip the finger with coconut oil in his mouth, work towards massage. 🙂
Dental hygiene is just as important for animals as people. this seems like the perfect product for our furry little members of the family.
Thanks, Lavanda. Bark5 really is an amazing product and so easy to use.
Sometimes it’s tough to get your pup to sit still during a brushing — I can’t imagine what pet groomers do to successfully clean pups. Their dental health is essential for them.
It can be for some dogs, one of the reasons I try to promote early and frequent positive handling. A lot of times dogs at a groomer have a leash attached to a table arm to help them stay in position.
I will pass this along to my fellow dog owners! Ours, unfortunately, died and we haven’t gotten a new one yet. But, I know lots of dog owners who would love to hear about this. Thanks for sharing!
Brianne, I am so sorry for your loss. Losing a pet can be so hard. <3 Thank you for sharing.
Wow! You can see the difference! I don’t have a dog, so I never think of all the things you need to do with them.
Thanks, Cathleen~! We are very happy to be seeing a difference so soon, and they are still getting brighter each day.
The way we live affects our pets too I suppose. Some decades ago no one would have thought of doing such a detailed cleaning on a dog right?
Yes. Glad we are becoming more knowledgeable about our pet’s care.
This is a lot of new and interesting information.
Awesome!
I am a cat person, however my parents own four dogs! I bet they would love to learn more about this!
Kitties here too. 🙂 Thanks for sharing with your parents. 🙂
This dog dental spray sounds great! Will have to try it for my boy.
Wonderful!