Urine Spots on Your Lawn Getting You Down?

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It is springtime, the time of year when we begin spring cleaning and we get back outside to our lawns, gardens, and flowers.  Many people want a pristine yard, but their dog’s urine kills the grass.

Supplements abound and homeopathic advice that claims to change the PH of your dog’s urine and therefore keep the urine from burning your yard, however there are imperative things for you to know before you give your dog these supplements or any other suggested remedy.

• Never change your dog’s diet or add a supplement without speaking to your veterinarian
• Changing the PH of your dog’s urine by using over the counter pills, baking soda, salt, or tomato juice may cause bladder stones and bladder stones are not only very painful, they require expensive, surgical removal
• Salt can cause permanent kidney damage
• Nitrogen in your dog’s urine is what burns the lawn NOT the PH of the urine
• It is the concentration of your dog’s urine that causes the lawn to burn
• Do NOT treat your dog, treat your lawn!

Myths Debunked!

Both male and female dog urine can burn grass.  The reason that people think females are more frequent culprits is because they often empty their bladders in one spot, while most male dogs urine mark several places around the yard.  Male dogs that squat and release their bladders in one place also often burn the lawn.

Dr. A.W. Allard, a Colorado veterinarian, examined variations in dog urine and the effects on grass. His results support the fact that volume of urine (nitrogen content) and urine concentration had the worst affect on the lawn. The pH of the urine did not have any variable effect nor did common additives designed to alter the urine pH.

He also found that diluting the urine with water could help negate the effects even up to 8 hours after the initial urination.

Avoid Problems

• To help your burned lawn re-grow, fence it off and reseed if needed
• Lawn care companies can spray your grass with chemicals to help make it stronger and neutralize chemicals
• You can spray your lawn with water after your dog urinates to dilute the concentration of nitrogen right afterward, or up to 8 hours after
• You can teach your dog to urinate in a specific area of your yard, perhaps one with gravel
• You can take your dog for a walk, chose an appropriate destination so as not to cause problems with other yards in your neighborhood
• Feeding your dog canned food which has a higher water ratio and soaking your dog’s food in water may also help and will not hurt your dog’s health

It is simple, to keep a well landscaped yard dilute your dog’s urine using water.  You can add water to your dog’s regular meals or feed canned food, and you can also set your timer to water your lawn for short durations daily, or immediately rinse urine after your dog urinates.  Contact your local lawn care business to help strengthen your yard.

Take your dog out for some exercise and give him or her time to eliminate in other appropriate areas. But, do not treat your dog with homeopathic remedies or pills that might change the PH of your dog’s urine, these treatments can be risky to his/her health and can cause permanent damage to the kidneys and bladder.

Always contact your veterinarian before using any supplements or supplementing your dog’s diet in anyway, your vet knows the risks of these changes!  Good luck and happy gardening you can both enjoy your lawn together!

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4 responses to “Urine Spots on Your Lawn Getting You Down?”

1. Sherry Reed writes:
   

   Wow! This was very informative! I had no idea. Thanks for the great tips!

   [Reply]

   @ March 29th, 2010 at 20:09
2. Claire Wilkinson writes:
   

   I do so love your writings, i find them educational fun, and very witty. Thank you so much for your seemingly unending great knowledge about dogs and living happily with them. I will be watching and waiting patiently for your next column!!

   -Claire
   MOTHER OF TWO HAIRY DEVILS!!

   [Reply]

   @ March 29th, 2010 at 21:20
3. VTX writes:
   

   Thanks for the info. This is a problem that drives me crazy. Kind of like the other end, cause it makes the grass greener. So now any ideas on how to train them to mow the lawn for me?

   [Reply]

   @ March 30th, 2010 at 03:38
4. VTX writes:
   

   Thanks for the info. I like the other end results, they make the grass greener. Now how can I train the dogs to work the riding mower?

   [Reply]

   @ March 30th, 2010 at 03:55