Dog Health Supply Reviews

TruDog Dental Care: Solutions for the Tough to Brush Pup!

Written by Kevin Sando

Did you know that February is Dog Dental Health Month?

Dental health is an extremely important, but often overlooked, component of proper pet care. Periodontal disease is a growing risk to our pets and an estimated 80% of dogs show signs of it by the age of 3! This disease can also lead to higher risks of heart, lung and kidney disease!

What Can You Do to take Care of Your Dog’s Dental Health?

  • Routine examinations at your local vet You want to make sure that your vet is taking a look at your dog’s mouth and teeth at each visit to stay ahead of any developing issues. Veterinarians also offer thorough teeth cleanings but require that the animal be put under anesthesia beforehand. As you can imagine this is expensive, and always comes with a bit of a risk, so many dog parents choose to avoid whenever possible.
  • Dog Safe Chew Toys – Both nylon bones and rubbery style toys can work to clean teeth and gums as your dog gently mouths the surface. Make sure to do some research on safety however, and only allow supervised chewing!
  • Dog Dental Bones – If your dog is not a big chewer, these hard, pressed dog treats are another great option. As they break apart the dense pieces can work to remove built on plaque and tartar.
  • Regular Brushing! – The ideal solution – the only problem…it is often easier said than done!

We have two issues when it comes to dental health in our home.

First off, water intake. Charlie does not like to drink a lot of water – and you may be surprised at how much water dogs need! This puts him at a greater risk for tooth decay and leaves his breath with that “dehydrated” smell. Otherwise known as halitosis!

Second, resistance to brushing. Charlie is easy going about getting his teeth brushed. We got him as a 6 month old puppy and started early. Harley, on the other hand has never enjoyed getting his teeth brushed. While chewing bones can go a long way to keeping his teeth free of tartar, as he gets older, teeth care has become more of a problem. We want to keep his teeth healthy, while avoiding more invasive strategies like professional cleaning which requires that he be put under.

TruDog's dog dental health products line

What Else is Out There? TruDog’s Dental Health Solutions!

We were very excited to recently learn of TruDog and their unique line of dental care products for dogs. These items include several solutions for those “tough to brush” pups! TruDog was kind enough to send us a sampling of their products to test out and share with our readers!

TruDog Logo

About TruDog

TruDog is a family owned pet company started just a few years ago. Inspired by the health struggles of their late Great Dane Truman, they dove into research on pet health and nutrition. After learning more about dogs ancestral diets, they began preparing raw meals for their dogs and saw immediate health benefits. Shortly thereafter they decided that they needed to find a way to make this type of nutrition accessible to more pet parents. TruDog was born as a pet food company and has since expanded into other areas of animal care like grooming, accessories and even apparel! All of their products are 100% made in America!

MyDogLikes reviews the Orapup tongue brush and Lickies enzyme solution

OraPup Tongue Brushing System

Does your dog have bad breath? The culprit is likely bacteria residing on your dog’s tongue. OraPup is a unique tongue brush for dogs that, along with the tasty Lickies solutions, acts more like a treat than a grooming tool!

Applying some Lickies solution to the Orapup tongue brush

How Does it Work?

One side of the Orapup brush is covered with hundreds of small silicone “fingers” protruding from the surface. Simply squeeze a bit of Lickies enzyme solution onto the brush and allow your dog to lick the surface for roughly one minute. The “brushing” action of the small finger’s works to remove the bad breath causing bacteria on the surface of your dog’s tongue.

Giving Charlie a chance to sniff the Orapup brush to get used to it

Using the Orapup Tongue Brush

We found that the Orapup system was very easy to use. Charlie was immediately attracted to the taste and smell of the Lickies and got right down to business licking the brush. The beef scent was enticing to him but still left his mouth smelling clean and refreshed (not meaty smelling). We moved/rotated the stick around any time that he started trying to bite it and steal it for chewing, and he quickly got the idea.

Using the Orapup dog tongue brush When the time was up, we washed/rinsed the brush under warm water to remove any bacteria. Then we stored it in our dish rack to dry between uses. TruDog recommends replacing your brush every 90 days or so, similar to how you would treat a toothbrush.

Cleaning our Orapup brush between uses

Other Thoughts

The “fingers” on the Orapup are stiff enough to remove plaque and bacteria but still flexible and gentle on your dog’s tongue.

Charlie licking the Orapup tongue brush

We liked using it with Charlie because as mentioned before, we don’t think that he drinks enough water. While we do many things to help encourage him (adding water to his homemade diet, adding chicken stock to water) we notice that he sometimes has that dehydrated smell on his tongue. Not only did Orapup “get him lickin” to freshen his breath, but he then went and drank water afterward!

MyDogLikes reviews "Gel Me" Doggy Dental Gel from TruDog

TruDog “Gel Me” Doggy Dental Gel

We spoke a bit before about the dangers of poor dog dental health and other issues that often arise. Gel Me is TruDog’s innovative solution for optimum health of the teeth, mouth and gums. This all-natural gel helps to freshen breath as well as control plaque, tartar and bacteria.

How Does it Work?

Gel Me is an all-natural, holistic formulation with ingredients like:

  • Grape Seed Extract
  • Grapefruit Seed Extract
  • Peppermint Oil
  • Rosemary Oil
  • Neem Oil
  • Thyme Oil

These ingredients have natural antiseptic, antimicrobial and antibacterial properties. Using your finger or a gauze pad, rub the gel along your dog’s gum line once or twice daily. The gel will mix with your dog’s saliva and fully coat the mouth giving them a unique layer of protection.

"Gel Dog" gel before applying to Harley's teeth and gums

Using “Gel Me”

While the gel is supposed to used with gauze. We wanted Harley to get used to the idea of us touching his teeth without any weird textures. We took small incremental steps toward using the gauze pads, getting him comfortable with our fingers to begin.

Getting Harley used to touching his mouth, teeth and gums

He was surprisingly relaxed with the whole ordeal and got used to the situation right away. The gel has a pleasant smell and the taste did not bother him in any way. TruDog says that an improvement in health can be seen in 3-8 weeks of daily use. We have only been using it for about a week now but can definitely vouch for an improvement in breath!

MyDogLikes reviews "Spray Me" Dental Spray from TruDog

TruDog “Spray Me” Dental Spray

Similarly to “Gel Me,” this product is also designed for complete mouth health. The ingredients are the same, but instead of a gel form, it is a liquid. To use, simply spray into your dog’s mouth once or twice daily. The solution will naturally work into your dog’s saliva and coat the mouth to help with plaque, tartar and bad breath issues!

Using “Spray Me” Dental Spray

We first sprayed it (not on him) so that Harley was familiar with the sound of the bottle and misting action. Spray Me has a fresh scent reminiscent of Listerine – but not so harsh to cause stinging. Harley’s gums were even a little roughed up from chewing a bone too aggressively and he did not seem to mind. As with the Gel, we have been using it for about a week and can see a definite improvement in breath. We are excited for our next vet visit after more time has passed to see if there are any other signs of improvement!

Our Golden Retriever Charlie using his Orapup tongue brush

Why MyDogLikes TruDog’s Dental Health Products

Each and every one of our dog’s is unique in their personality and tolerance to different situations. Whether or not you have difficulty brushing your dog’s teeth, TruDog has come up with some really innovative solutions to make dog dental care easier. With only a few minutes a day, you can drastically improve the dental health of your dog!

About the author

Kevin Sando

Kevin is a mechanical engineer with a degree from the Rochester Institute of Technology. He has move than a decade experience in new product design, prototyping and early stage manufacturing. Pairing this background with his love of dogs, gives him a unique perspective to evaluate the design and execution of new and interesting pet products.

61 Comments

  • my 2 younger dogs are fine with getting their teeth brushed everyday, the oldest gal hates to have her teeth brushed, she bites down on the toothbrush. i think my girls would love the gel in beef and the brush. they would lick the brush with the flavored gels on it.

    • Charlie often tries to bite down on the toothbrush as well. That is what we love so much about the Orapup – the flavored gel just entices them to lick away!

  • LOL! We were thinking it was a toothbrush at first and wondered how in the world that would work! Love the idea of a tongue brush we could like. We are happy with our toothbrush that we use now, though but the tongue brush is interesting.

    • That would be quite a substantial toothbrush wouldn’t it!
      We usually try to brush the boys tongues when we are brushing already but this makes it so much easier – they do all the work! Plus they really manage to clean the whole surface of their tongue in big licks!

  • These products sound really interesting! We brush our dogs’ teeth everyday but I still detect a scent on their breath. I would be interested to see if these products make a difference!

  • This would make it much easier to get Beauregard used to the brushing.Looks like a great tool.

  • My two dogs do not like their teeth brushed.The thing I would
    find most useful would be the spray for first time and then
    go easy to get use to the next.

  • My 2 dogs love having their teeth brushed. I think the tongue brush would be a great addition to our dog care.

  • My dog will simply not allow me to get in their and brush his teeth! I think the tongue brush would be SO helpful!

  • i think the spray will help apollo the most! he hates when i try to brush his teeth, trying these would be very helpful

  • I love the sound of all of these products, but I think I would like to try the gel out the most! My dog is pretty good about getting his teeth brushed, but I’m not as good about doing it. :S

  • I think my girl would benefit from the OraPup kit – she needs a dental, but this would be something I’d like to start with her also…..

  • I’ve gotten out of the habit of brushing our dogs’ teeth. I used to do it every day, but I haven’t at all lately. They were pretty cool with me using a finger toothbrush and some chicken flavored dog toothpaste so I’m not sure why I stopped. I think the tongue brush would be the most beneficial for them.

  • My dogs don’t like to have anything done to their teeth, I think the spray would work best for them

  • I really do like the idea of all these things!! I have never been able to do a tryout on any of the products, so I don’t know which one that I like better! Right now, my dogs don’t like getting their teeth brushed at all, though!

  • I have miniature dachshunds and have had for many, many years. I honestly didn’t really know/understand how important brushing their teeth could be. The vet tells me that dachshunds tend to have bad teeth. I think these products would be a great thing to try.

  • Our dogs are not fond of having their teeth brushed, but we’re trying to be diligent. I think Beef & Bacon Lickies would help most.

  • My older dog lets us brush her teeth, but my younger dog will only let us brush them for about 3 seconds. I think the orapup brush and lickies would help.

  • My hazel does well with having her teeth brushed. She is really good about sitting there. This would make her breath smell better though. Which she needs all the help she can get with bad breath. Nothing else has worked.

  • Our dog dislikes having her teeth brushed! We tried some dental foam, but it didn’t really work. Orapup sounds perfect and I think their Beef & Bacon Lickies sounds like she’d like the taste too!
    I would choose the pink toothbrush with the kit too 😉

  • We recently got a rescue Chihuahua. She is bigger than most chis but ugh…she has the worst breath! We try to brush with our fingers but she hates it, she sees the tube and goes hiding. Dental chews (enven the “mint” ones don’t seem to help either. We do look at her teeth, and things seem OK to us (hate to put her under for a cleaning) Will have to try this sytem with her. Cheaper and safer than a trip to the vet.

  • My dog does not like have his teeth brushed but I think he would be fine using the Orapup Tongue Brush.

  • I have four rescued Treeing Walker Coonhounds, none of who like having their teeth brushed. I think they’d really like the Chicken flavored Lickies.

  • Tucker only has 4 teeth left (poor care before they came to us) so he takes it pretty well. Abby on the other hand is never overly thrilled with her beauty sessions and getting ready to be a “supermodel”. lol I’d love to try the Dental Gel with her.

  • My aussie is not really keen on having his teeth brushed so I try to find other easier ways to keep his mouth in good shape. I think the spray and gel would help him not mind so much.

  • My dog does not like having his teeth brushed, I would like to try the orapup system – it looks like it might work for him.

  • Our dog will not let us brush his teeth but he would definitely lick this brush! Thanks for the chance!

  • The Beaglebratz would choose the Orapup Tongue Brush – so would I. Shiloh had a dental cleaning at the vet right before Christmas of 2015 in which he lost 10 teeth. Then just last week Shasta, my other Beagle, had her dental cleaning at the vet – she lost 6 teeth. It is clear I need to do more – I was brushing their teeth but due to my own health issues I switched to dental chews. I think the Orapup Tongue Brush would work the best for all of us and really help with their breath too!

  • My dogs are good about having their teeth brushed. At 6 years old, Shiloh still has wonderful teeth with almost no plaque. He tolerates having his teeth brushed, though he doesn’t love it. Wager on the other hand, *loves* it. I can even use it as a training reward! Yet, his teeth aren’t as good as Shiloh’s (still good compared to most dogs, but at 2 years old, he has more plaque than Shiloh!). Unfortunately, this week we have to go in for a second dental in less than two months due to broken teeth =( So I’m going to have to be really good about teeth care during his lifetime.

  • My Shepherd is surprisingly more cooperative compared to my Lab with brushing and putting teeth gel on. Cutting both their nails is a whole another story though!

  • My poor little fur baby is in desperate need of high quality teeth cleaning products such as this! He is a long haired Chihuahua and it’s been difficult finding something small enough to use in his mouth without making him agitated! I never knew this existed, and it would make me feel so much better as a pet owner knowing I can help keep his teeth clean and not have to pry his mouth wide open just to clean his teeth every time!

  • Mike doesn’t tolerate having his teeth brushed at all. he has to be knocked out at the vet! The licking paddle thing looks like something he might go for though.

  • My dog makes it impossible because she just wants to play with it & chew it up. She is so stubborn & I have to take her to the vet to get it done. This might actually help though, I’m loving this!

  • I think the tongue brush would be good for 1 yr old Atticus but the gel or maybe spray would be best for my 13 yr old. Thank you for the review and giveaway.

  • My dog doesn’t like getting her teeth brushed. I think she would like the beef and bacon lickies.

  • My dog hates having her teeth brushed. I think the tongue brush would make everything so much easier.

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