If you can afford it, replace your natural grass with one that is better equipped to handle dog urine.

It might seem as though female dogs are the bigger culprit behind grass burns. However, this apparent sex difference has more to do with the way dogs pee rather than the chemicals in their urine. If your dog uses the same area every day for pee breaks, you may begin to notice an odor. Unfortunately, solving the patchy lawn issue by creating a designated bathroom area may actually increase the odor because of the higher traffic. We've also seen some people recommending Apple Cider Vinegar to help with the nitrogen imbalance in their urine.Fresh, raw diets, for example, tend to produce less waste, due to increased digestibility. This means fewer and less severe lawn staining. On top of the maintenance and repair aspect, a big part of the battle is prevention, made possible when you train your dog. There are a number of factors that contribute to how much nitrogen your pet produces and how their habits can affect the health of your grass. So let's get creative! Try out these strategies today and watch as your pup happily quenches their thirst while enjoying a vibrant and green outdoor space. Natural Solutions for Preventing Dog Urine Damage on Grass

When dogs urinate on the grass, their urine contains various components that can negatively impact their health. One of the main culprits is nitrogen. While nitrogen is an essential nutrient for plants, excessive amounts can have detrimental effects. Dog urine typically has high levels of nitrogen due to its protein-rich diet. Discussion on how nitrogen in urine affects plants Once you’ve helped your lawn on its way to recovery, or if you’re dealing with only some early or mild signs of urine spotting and grass damage, there are four suggestions to follow that can help you keep your lush green pride and joy healthy. Urinary Acidifiers Make sure you follow all of the instructions on your home solutions to a T, as with proper lawn care, depending on your method of choice! Keep in mind that new turf/sod is more susceptible to the effects of nitrogen so you may need to deter your pet from using those freshly sodded areas until they are well established.

Use a Dedicated Area to Urinate

Centipede grass (Eremochloa ophiuroides) – this grass does need more acidic soil as well as lots of water. It does great in hot weather, however, and is very tolerant to dog urine and damage. You can also manufacture a dedicated location and train your pup to use it with a potty training aid spray. Depending on your dog’s size, an area about 2-3x his length and width could suffice. This could be a sectioned off area of crushed stone or gravel, to help with appropriate drainage. But since many dogs prefer grass to eliminate on, you can also look into artificial turf. There are several companies that make artificial turfgrass with pets in mind. As long as adequate drainage is allowed for, this method is very eco friendly. It’s Time to Think Spring!

Most people see a noticeable difference in the occurrence of new spots within 3-5 weeks. Consistent use will soon produce a normal, healthy lawn. Freshwater should always be available to your pets, but additional moisture can be added through diet. Feeding fresh meats, raw bones, and fresh produce can increase their moisture and keep them hydrated. Note Two methods you can employ include an actual lawn treatment and physically replanting affected areas of grass. When choosing a lawn treatment, make sure it’s a more natural organic product that uses enzymes to neutralize the damaging salts left behind by urine, and indicates it has been tested as being safe for dogs. While combining different supplements may seem like a good idea, it is essential to consult with a veterinarian before doing so. They can assess your dog's specific needs and guide you toward the most appropriate course of action. Besides using supplements, what other measures can I take to protect my lawn?Provide more water. It’s important anyway to always provide your dog with clean, fresh water and the better hydrated they are, the more watered down their pee will be naturally! You could also try adding water to their food, or feeding them a canned food that will dilute their pee further (though this may result in them needing to pee a lot more!) Understanding the varying levels of susceptibility among different grass types can help pet owners choose the best options for their lawns. Promoting Hydration: Encouraging Your Dog to Drink More Water Size and breed : Larger dogs tend to produce more urine volume, potentially causing more severe damage. These units constantly filter and circulate the water, enticing dogs to drink more. Use Urine-Resistant Grass

A particular dog’s urine can also be in different places on the acid/base scale. Neutral or mildly acidic urine is actually healthier, as it discourages bacterial growth in urine and can prevent the formation of certain kinds of bladder stones. Typically diets high in meat protein will help contribute to a lower pH. Dog urine often falls around 7-7.5 on most urine samples I evaluate in practice. Mulched areas : Create mulched sections in your yard where dogs can urinate. The mulch will absorb the urine and prevent it from directly affecting the grass.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nitrogen is a large component of ammonia, urea, and uric acid, which are all excreted in urine. Ammonia is essentially what smells and makes your eyes water if you come across urine that’s been sitting for awhile, like an accident in the home you didn’t know about and find a week later, or a litter box that was neglected for a couple days. High concentrations of nitrogen can be threatening to your yard, causing the dreaded yellow spots that you see from dog urine killing grass. Keep your grass longer: Adjusting the setting on your lawn mower to keep your grass a little taller can help, too. When the grass is longer, the effects of the higher nitrogen levels from urine will be less, and cause less severe stress and damage to the grass. If you're not going to replace all the grass (I don't blame you, that can get expensive), then you may want to consider replacing an appropriate-sized patch of grass instead. Nitrogen products are the result of protein break-down from both animal and plant-based proteins. Plants like grass actually require certain levels of nitrogen to thrive, but there’s a narrow window for this. In higher amounts, nitrogenous waste products can be toxic and damaging to living substances. Even in a diet low in meat protein (with a resultant more alkaline urine pH), nitrogenous waste can still be found with higher levels of plant-based protein, like soy. Thus, all dogs are going to have these waste products in their urine, just like we humans do, but the levels can be variable. Time to Concentrate--On Concentration