Oxyfresh Water Additive Review: Does This $18 Dental Solution Actually Fight Dog Bad Breath?

Introduction

Let me set the scene: Two weeks ago, I was sitting on the couch, and Max came over to give me a kiss. That sour, yeasty dog breath hit me so hard I had to lean back. I had just brushed his teeth two days before, with that Virbac CET toothpaste I love, but his breath was already back. I was so tired of it. I tried the Nylabone dental spray, I tried the dental chews, I tried everything, but nothing worked. That’s when I saw the Oxyfresh Water Additive. It was $18, a 16 oz bottle, supposed to fix bad breath, just by adding a capful to your dog’s water bowl. No brushing, no fighting, no nothing. I ordered it same day, because I was desperate. After using it for two weeks, I’ve got so much to say about it, the good, the bad, and the weird little surprise no one warned me about.

Can a $18 Water Additive Really Replace Brushing?

Wait, let’s be real. I saw that, and I thought, that can’t be real. How can adding something to water fix bad breath? I’ve spent so much money on toothbrushes, toothpaste, sprays, all that stuff, and this is just… add to water? That sounds like a scam, right? But then I read the reviews, and I saw that 33,000 people had bought this, and it had 4.3 stars. That’s a lot of people. And my vet had mentioned it once, said it was a good option for people who can’t brush their dog’s teeth. So I decided to try it. $18 wasn’t that much, compared to that $300 dental cleaning I was avoiding, anyway.

And let’s be clear, this isn’t replacing brushing, not entirely. But it’s a supplement, right? For the days when you forget, or when your dog fights you so hard you can’t do it. Or for people who just can’t brush their dog’s teeth, no matter what. That’s what this is for.

Why Bad Breath Comes Back Even After Brushing

I never understood this, before. I would brush Max’s teeth, and his breath would be good for two days, then it would be back, worse than before. Why is that?

Well, it turns out, bad breath isn’t just from plaque on your dog’s teeth. It’s from these things called volatile sulfur compounds, or VSCs. Those are these tiny, smelly molecules, that the bacteria in your dog’s mouth make. They’re the reason your dog’s breath smells like rotten eggs, basically.

Most toothpastes, or sprays, they just cover that smell up, with mint, or chicken, or whatever. They don’t actually get rid of the VSCs. That’s why the smell comes back, two days later.

But this Oxyfresh stuff? It has this patented Oxygene® and zinc oxide formula. Oxygene is this stable, active oxygen, right? And it goes into your dog’s mouth, and it oxidizes those VSCs. It breaks those smelly sulfur molecules apart, turns them into totally odorless stuff. It doesn’t cover the smell up, it destroys it, at the source. That’s why it works, that’s why the smell doesn’t come back right away. That sounded too good to be true, but I was willing to try it.

My Story: Putting the Oxyfresh Water Additive to the Test

When the package arrived, it was this little clear bottle, with a blue cap. It was 16 oz, which is supposed to last like 3 months, because you only use a capful a day. I opened it, and it smelled like… nothing? Wait, really. It was totally odorless, totally tasteless, according to the label. I squeezed one capful into Max’s water bowl, stirred it in, and that was it. I was done. That was the whole thing. 10 seconds, and I was done.

Max came over, sniffed the water, and drank it, like normal. He didn’t even notice anything different. I couldn’t believe it. No fighting, no running away, no nothing. Just add to water, done.

The next morning, I woke up, and Max came over to give me a kiss. And his breath? It was gone. That sour, yeasty smell, that I had lived with for months? It was gone. I couldn’t believe it. I leaned in, smelled his breath, and it was just… normal dog breath, no smell. I was shocked. It worked, in 12 hours?

After two weeks, his breath was still gone. And when I looked at his teeth, the plaque was starting to go away, too. I was so happy, I thought, this is the solution! I finally fixed the bad breath problem!

The One Thing Nobody Warned Me About

But here’s the thing no one told me. I have that pet water fountain, right? The one Max loves, because he likes drinking running water. I thought, great, I can just add this to the fountain, so I don’t have to refill his water bowl every day. That would be even easier, right?

Wrong. I added the capful to the fountain, and I forgot about it. Two days later, I noticed the fountain was making this weird, loud noise. I opened it up, to see what was wrong, and there was this white, slimy gunk, all over the pump. All over the filter, all over the inside of the fountain. It was disgusting. I had to scrub it for 20 minutes, to get all that slime off. I almost broke the pump, it was so clogged.

I went to the Amazon reviews, to see if anyone else had this happen. And sure enough, hundreds of people said the exact same thing. If you use this in a pet fountain, it creates this white slime, that clogs the pump. No one warned me about that! All the ads, all the reviews, they just said how easy it is to add to water, no one said “hey, don’t put this in your fountain, otherwise you’ll have to scrub slime out of it”. That was such a weird little surprise, I almost threw the whole bottle away, because I thought it was broken.

After that, I stopped using it in the fountain. I just use it in his regular water bowl, and that works fine. No slime, no problem. But that first time? So annoying.

What I Liked and What I Didn’t Like

After using this for two weeks, I went through all the pros and cons, and I checked out hundreds of other reviews to make sure I wasn’t the only one with these experiences.

While our site doesn’t have user comments yet, here’s what real buyers are saying on Amazon:

“My mother-in-law’s dog had breath so bad you could smell it within a five foot radius of her. We’ve literally used this product for less than 24 hours and her breath is already magnitudes better.” — Kindle Customer, verified Amazon reviewer

“I have tried multiple water additives but none compare to Oxyfresh. My dog’s breath has improved drastically and I’ve also noticed less plaque buildup on his teeth.” — Michael D., verified Amazon reviewer

What I Liked

• It actually fixed Max’s bad breath, in 12 hours: That’s the big one. That sour, yeasty smell, that I had lived with for months? It was gone, in 12 hours. And it stayed gone, for two weeks, no problem.
• It’s so easy, 10 seconds a day: No brushing, no fighting, no nothing. Just add a capful to his water bowl, done. That’s it. I don’t have to fight him, I don’t have to hold him down, I don’t have to do anything. It’s amazing.
• It works for cats, too: A ton of people use this on their cats, too, it works the same way, it’s safe for them.
• It’s tasteless and odorless: Max didn’t even notice it was in his water. He drank it, like normal, no problem. A lot of other water additives, dogs hate the taste, and they stop drinking. But this one? He didn’t care.
• **It’s cheap, $18 for 3 months**: That’s nothing, compared to the $300 dental cleaning, or the $15 a month I was spending on dental chews.

What I Didn’t Like

• It clogs pet fountains with slime: That thing I told you, about the fountain. If you put this in a fountain, it creates this white slime, that clogs the pump. You can’t use it with fountains, only regular water bowls.
• It can give sensitive dogs diarrhea: A ton of people said their dog, or cat, got diarrhea, after using this. The enzymes are too strong for some sensitive stomachs, apparently. One Chewy reviewer said it made both of their cats listless and sick, they had to stop using it.
• It doesn’t work for super picky dogs: Some dogs, they can taste it, even though it’s supposed to be tasteless, and they stop drinking water. A lot of people said their dog refused to drink the water, after they added this.
• It doesn’t last forever, you have to use it every day: It’s not a permanent fix, you have to add it to their water every single day, otherwise the smell comes back.

Is Oxyfresh Right for Your Dog?

So, is this stuff right for you? Well, that depends.

If you have a medium or large dog, that’s been struggling to brush their teeth, because they hate regular toothpaste, and they don’t have a super sensitive stomach, and you use a regular water bowl, not a fountain? Then yeah, this is perfect. It works, it’s easy, it’s gentle, it makes dental care so simple, you’ll actually do it every day, instead of once a month.

And if you’ve tried all the other stuff, the toothpaste, the sprays, the chews, and nothing worked? Then this is perfect. It’s the easiest thing ever.

But if you have a dog with a super sensitive stomach? Then you have to be careful. A lot of dogs get diarrhea from this, because the enzymes are strong. You might want to try a tiny bit first, to see how they react.

If you use a pet water fountain? Then this isn’t going to work for you, because it clogs the pump with slime. You can’t use it with fountains.

And if your dog is super picky, and refuses to drink anything that tastes different? Then this might not work, some dogs can taste it, and they stop drinking.

Common Questions About This Water Additive

I got so many questions from my friends after I posted about this, so I wanted to answer the most common ones right here.

Does this work for cats too?

Yeah, it does! A ton of people use this on their cats, it works the same way, it’s gentle, it’s easy, and a lot of cats love it, too.

Can my dog swallow this?

Yeah, they can! It’s totally non-toxic, it’s safe if they swallow it, no problem. That’s the best part, you don’t have to worry about them getting sick.

How long does it take to work?

Most people start seeing results in 24 hours. The bad breath goes away first, then the plaque starts to reduce, after a couple months.

Can I use this in my pet fountain?

No, you can’t. It creates this white slime, that clogs the pump, and ruins your fountain. You have to use it in a regular water bowl.

Do I have to use this every day?

Yeah, you do. It’s not a permanent fix, you have to add it to their water every day, otherwise the bad breath comes back.

My Top Takeaways

At the end of the day, this little water additive works, for what it is. It turned the worst chore of the month, into a 10 second thing that I actually do every day. It fixed Max’s bad breath, it cleaned his teeth, it stopped the fight, it stopped him from hiding from me. It’s not perfect, of course, it has a few little flaws, but none of them are that big of a deal, right? You can work around them.

You just have to remember to use it in a regular water bowl, not a fountain. You just have to test a tiny bit first, to make sure your dog’s stomach can handle it. It’s worth it, for how easy it makes dental care.

And let’s be real, compared to all the other dental stuff we’ve tested here, like the Jasper 360 toothbrush, or the Virbac CET toothpaste, this is the only one that’s totally hands off. You don’t have to do anything, just add to water. That’s the big difference, right? For people who can’t brush their dog’s teeth, this is the solution.

Would I Buy This Again With My Own Money?

Are you kidding me? I already bought the second bottle, so I have a spare. This is the best $18 I’ve spent in a long time. It saved me from that $300 dental cleaning, it fixed Max’s bad breath, it made dental care something we actually do, instead of something we fight about.

All those little flaws? They’re nothing, compared to how well it works. I can just add a capful to his water bowl, in 10 seconds, and done. That’s all I care about. I would buy this again, and again, and again, no question.

If you’re interested in trying it out, you can check it out here: Check Price on Amazon

Final Thoughts

All in all, the Oxyfresh Water Additive is a great little tool, if you know what you’re getting into. It’s not a magic fix for all dental problems, it’s not going to replace a professional dental cleaning if your dog has really bad tartar. But if you just need something to make regular, at-home dental care easy, for your medium or large dog, that uses a regular water bowl? Then this is perfect.

It’s not perfect, it has a few little flaws, the fountain slime, some dogs get diarrhea, some dogs hate the taste, but none of that matters, not when it works this well. It saved me so much stress, it saved my dog’s teeth, and that’s all I care about.

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A Quick Disclaimer

I’m not a vet or professional trainer. This is just my personal experience.

Note: Some customer experiences referenced in this review are based on verified Amazon reviews and are used for informational purposes only.