Fixing Dog Spots On Grass
Anyone with a pet dog knows that all the love and attention they provide comes at cost dog spots on the lawn. They are most apparent after the snow melts each spring but they continue to turn up all summer long. Dog spots are round patches usually 4 to 8 inches in diameter but can appear larger when several spots join together. The center of the spot is yellow dead grass surrounded by a ring of dark green grass.
Why Does Dog Urine Kill Grass
Most people assume that urine kills grass because of its low pH level, but thats actually not the case. The truth is a little more complicated, and you have to examine the chemical makeup of dog urine to get the full story.
Looking at the main components of dog urine, youll find urea basically an ammonia-rich byproduct created when your dog metabolizes proteins.
Because dogs are carnivorous, their urea is full of nitrogen.
While nitrogen is important for a plants growth, too much nitrogen will harm the plant and eventually kill it. This causes the patches of brown you may notice on your lawn.
If you examine a brown patch, you may notice a bright green halo where the perimeter seems healthier than the rest of the lawn. This is because the grass absorbed some of the beneficial nitrogen but not enough to cause plant death.
Another common misconception is that only female dog pee kills grass, which also isnt true. This concept is due to the fact that females squat to do their business, causing a more concentrated deposit of urine in one area, therefore upping the risk of grass damage.
In other words, its the way your doggo unleashes a tinkle torrent that harms the grass it has nothing to do with the urine coming from a male or female dog. Plus, many males squat to relieve themselves too!
Certain types of grass are particularly sensitive to the components of dog urine.
Check out our article about the Five Best Grasses for Dogs to learn more!
Change Your Dogs Diet
The nitrogen levels in your dogs urine might be influenced by their nutrition. Some suggestions for modifying your dogs food in order to prevent urine burn are as follows:
- Encouraging your dog to drink more water is important. Not only will drinking more water decrease the nitrogen load in his urine, but it will also make him happier and healthier in the process. Transform your dogs diet from processed proteins to fresh proteins, which will allow the body to excrete less waste materials, such as nitrogen, in the urine. However, you should use caution when providing your dog nutritional supplements that are meant to minimize urine burn. These supplements can occasionally result in health concerns in dogs, particularly in those who have a history of liver or renal disorders, kidney or bladder stones, or crystals in the urine
WARNING: Always contact your veterinarian before making any modifications to your dogs food, especially if youre thinking about adding nutritional supplements to his regimen. Every dog is unique, and what works for one dog may be damaging to another, making it impossible to generalize. Dont put your pets health at danger just to keep your yard looking good.
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Why Dog Pee Kills Your Grass
Your hard work has paid off, and you cant wait to get out of your shoes and walk on that beautiful, green lawn. But strange brown spots have popped up, ringed by tufts of strikingly green grass. What youre seeing may be damage from dog urine. In this article, well discuss why dog pee kills your grass and how to fix your lawn.
In this article, well cover:
How To Prevent Dog Urine Burns
As they say, prevention is better than cure, and it is always a good idea to follow this adage. Fortunately, there are several ways you can prevent urine damage. You can carry out the following steps to prevent the dog urine burns, have a look:
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Do Dogs Not Like To Pee In The Same Spot
Spend Time in Unused Rooms In the book, he explains that dogs prefer to be clean and do not like to poop and pee in the places where they spend their time. That’s one reason why, when my dogs happen to get loose in the front yard, they run right over to my neighbor’s yard and leave them a big present.
How Do I Fix Brown Spots In My Lawn
Damage can be repaired at any time, though fall is best. To repair existing brown spots, rake the affected area to remove the dead grass, then applying Scotts® EZ Seed® Patch & Repair for small areas or Scotts® Turf Builder® Grass Seed for larger areas. With all of these products, be sure to follow label directions.
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Keep Your Dog Hydrated
Encourage hydration with all your dogs to essentially dilute their urine, thereby, providing your lawn with lower nitrogen levels at a time.
Here are a few ways to help your canine companion drink more water:
- Provide plenty of water bowls, indoors and out, including any rooms where your dog usually goes. Make sure to wash the bowls daily. Get a bigger bowl if needed to ensure they always have a full bowl instead of constantly having to refill it. Copper dog bowls reduce bacteria and require less maintenance.
- Invest in a drinking fountain to improve the taste and odor of the water, which could be turning dogs off from drinking it.
- Add water to your dogs food. Keep in mind, while this can increase water consumption, it could cause them to drink less water, so you have to check if the spot problem persists.
How To Neutralize Dog Urine On Grass
The most effective solution is to simply spray the affected area with copious amounts of water as soon as possible, to neutralise the urine. You could also try adding horticultural lime or powdered gypsum to the water, as this will neutralise the acid, their high alkalinity restoring the pH level.
Contents
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Now Go Fix Those Dog Spots
While it can be time-consuming and a bit of a hassle to treat the dog urine burns in your lawn, there are a number of different methods you can try to alleviate the problem. Ultimately, all dog owners struggle with this problem in their backyard and everyone may use a different approach.
With the tips weve outlined in this article, dog spots in your lawn dont have to be a problem anymore.
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How To Tell If Your Dog Is Killing Your Grass
Before you take any measures to curb your dogs grass-killing behavior, you should confirm that he is, in fact, the guilty party.
To determine if your dogs pee is killing the greenery or if your lawn is just diseased, yank at the discolored grass. If the root structure stays intact and gives you some resistance, then your dog is likely to blame. If, however, the grass comes up easily, your lawn could be diseased.
Another clue is the color of the grass surrounding the burned patch. If the outer edges of the burned grass are bright green, then its probably the result of your dogs urine.
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Options To Repair Urine Burn Patches On Grass
Ive read a few different ways to repair patches of urine burn other than tearing up the grass and laying new sod which Im not going to do because our sod isnt even a month old yet.
Scotts EZ Seed Dog Spot Repair Sun and Shade
This is a combination mulch, seed, and soil amendment specially designed to repair pet damage and grow grass anywhere, guaranteed.
It has a special salt neutralizer that helps repair areas in your lawn burned by dog urine and it includes a tackifier that helps keep seed from washing away.
It says that it can repair up to 100 urine spots on your lawn and it has a lot of good reviews on Amazon.
Grass seed + Water + Toilet Paper
This is the option Im experimenting with right now.
You simply fill a bucket or container with a little bit of water, toilet paper and grass.
You want the consistency to be almost like a paste.
Before you play it down on the burn patches you want to make sure to rake the dead grass out then you spread it on the burn patches.
Make sure to water at least twice a day.
The toilet paper is supposed to help keep the seed from washing away and deter the birds from picking it up.
Mine is holding steady and the dogs have not bothered it at all.
Just Seed
You can take your chances by just removing the dead grass on the urine patches and throw some seed down and hope for the best.
Why Does Dog Urine Burn The Grass
Your dogs urine burns the grass because it contains a high amount of nitrogen.
Nitrogen is the waste in urine and its the result of protein breaking down through your dogs normal body processes.
One myth is that people that have female dogs have more urine spots because they squat whereas male dogs lift their legs and pee on something.
Ive never had a female dog but have at least 20 urine burns on my grass right now.
Its called some male dogs squat and some short dogs lift their leg on anything.
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Petigreen Dog Urine Damage Prevention
This easy-to-apply grass-supporting solution helps repair damaged spots and stop new ones from forming.
- Bottle attaches to the end of your hose for easy application
- Every 16-ounce bottle covers up to 4500 square feet
- Creates a healthier, greener lawn over time
- Pee mark prevention seen after 4 to 6 months of use per the manufacturer
PROS
Ease of application wins a tail wag of approval since you can hook the bottle onto your hose to treat a large area quickly. It helps your grass grow stronger, too, which can help with other wear and tear effects of doggo life, like damage caused by daily squirrel chasing.
CONS
This can be pricey if you have a large area to treat. It also takes time to work, which isnt the best solution if you need a quick fix for an upcoming event.
How To Prevent Brown Dog Urine Spots From Ruining Your Lawn
Hes at it again. The dog is urinating in the exact same spotthe perpetual dog urine spots that stay brown year-round thanks to its status as a doggy potty.
Stubborn brown spots in your grass are a common problem for dog owners.
Pups instinctually do their business in the same area each time, and the repeated exposure to dog urine kills the grass.
This can be a frustrating issue, but theres no need to choose between a gorgeous lawn and your furry friend.
Dog urine spots are treatable and preventable.
In this article, well dive into exactly why dog urine spots occurand how to fix them once and for all.
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Do Some Dogs Cause More Damage To Lawns Than Others
While pee from all dogs will kill grass, some factors do influence the severity of the problem. Dog spot damage is more prevalent with female dogs due to the fact they squat in a single place, while male dogs generally leave their calling cards in multiple areas around trees and other upright objects, Smith said. The same effect would be true of young dogs of both genders who tend to squat when peeing.
In addition, it is not the size of your dog, but rather how frequently your dog pees in a specific location that determines the damage to your lawn, Henriksen notes.
Faq About Preventing Dog Pee Spots
1. Will grass regrow after being sprayed by a dog? Yes, with a little assistance. You can reseed those dark places and have a beautiful green lawn back in no time, despite the fact that brown grass is considered to be dead. Even if you dont reseed, the healthy grass in the surrounding area will ultimately take over and cover the dead patch. 2. Can baking soda, apple cider vinegar, or tomato juice be used to neutralize dog pee if it has been sprayed on grass? No. Only by watering the area where your dog pees immediately after he does so will you be able to effectively neutralize his urine odor.
Do female dogs have a higher likelihood of causing urine burn than male dogs?
However, it is not about the dogs gender rather, it is about the way the dog pees.
Female dogs are the most likely to squat, however puppies, old dogs, and certain young adult male dogs are also known to squat to relieve themselves when they need to go to the restroom.
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Rinse The Dog Pee From The Grass Immediately
Dilution is the easiest way to prevent urine burns on your grass.
Simply spray the area immediately where your dog peed with a garden hose or rinse with a bucket of water
I do try and do this but with 3 dogs its easy to miss when one of them pees and obviously with the amount of urine burns my grass is displaying, Ive missed a lot.
Is There A Supplement You Can Give To Your Dog
Pet parents often try feeding dogs enzyme supplements that reportedly balance the pH in dog urine, limiting its effect on lawns. But Dr. Virginia Sinnott of Angell Animal Medical Centers Emergency & Critical Care Unit urges pet parents to be cautious if considering these products.
Supplements containing DL Methionine are used to acidify the urine, which may leave your lawn greener, but can be harmful to dogs with pre-existing liver and kidney disease, and are not recommended for dogs who have these issues, she says. This ingredient should be clearly marked on those products, Dr. Sinnott says.
Also, if your dog has ever had a kidney or bladder stone, or is known to have crystals in their urine, you should check with your family vet before using a product to prevent greening.
Dog Rocks offer a natural lawn burn patch preventative. These naturally occurring paramagnetic igneous rocks are dropped in your dogs water bowl to filter impurities such as tin, ammonia and nitrate that can cause brown grass spots.
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Set Up A Designated Potty Spot
Following your dog around with a watering can may become tedious after a while, but heres an alternate method. Instead of allowing your dog to relieve himself anywhere he pleases in the yard, train him to use only a single specified area. It is possible to use a gadget known as aPee Post to direct your dog to her new pee area. A pheromone signal is sent out by the Pee Post to your dog, telling him that he should go to the potty here. If you want to train your dog to pee in the same area every day, make sure to reward him with lots of goodies and praise!
Instead of grass, a rear corner of the yard where brown spots will not be visible or an area covered with mulch or gravel instead of grass can be used as your dogs new pee location.
Here are some options that are risk-free: Cocoa shell, also known as cocoa bean hull, is the most dangerous mulch material to use in your garden.
And we all know that your dog will have a small taste at some time during the day.
How To Repair Your Lawn
If youre wondering how to repair your lawn, we have some excellent tips for you!
We do our best to mitigate the damage, but not all of us were born with a green thumb. We spoke with lawn care expert William Horner of HHS Contracting in Edmonton, to get some advice on how pet owners can care for their lawns. He was able to provide some valuable information about lawn care, and some easy maintenance tips.
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