Why is dog urine killing grass in my yard?
I'm sure you've seen them, those dead patches of straw colored grass ruining the perfect harmony of you or your neighbors' emerald green lawn – that's dog urine killing grass.But why?
This is a question that is brought up time and time again, especially by those who own dogs and invest a lot of time into making their lawn as beautiful as they can. It is expensive and aesthetically unappealing to maintain a lawn that is constantly being scalded by dog urine. Below we'll look at some key causes of this phenomenon.
Not Actually Dog Urine Killing Your Grass
Before you take steps to ensure that you resolve a problem it is always good to first make sure that the problem that requires solving actually exists. Though dry, dead patches of grass can almost always point to urine scalding there are rare cases of other variables at play. For examples, there could be insects working underneath the soil damaging the roots of the grass or preventing them from acquiring nutrients.In order to check whether or not your dog responsible for the damage there is a very easy test. Your dog's urine will kill grass but it will not ruin the integrity of the roots stuck in the ground. Other potential culprits however, will likely weaken the soil or attack the grass from below. Pull on the grass that you think might be scalded, if it tears off cleanly with roots intact then it is probably not dog urine killing your grass.
Fact!
Watch out for insects and grub! Your dog's urine might not be what's really killing your grass.
Nitrogen In Dog Urine
One of the byproducts of breaking down different proteins is nitrogen. A high volume of highly concentrated nitrogen will cause burns on the frail grass tissue because it will cause the soil around the grass to be overloaded with nitrogen that is then absorbed by the roots when it rains. However, there are steps that one can take to prevent this from ruining your grass.Solutions to Nitrogen
The existence of nitrogen is not solely responsible for damaging your grass. Your dogs urine kills grass only after it passes a certain nitrogen threshold or concentration. This means that if you can lower or dilute the concentration then there will not be enough nitrogen per centiliter of urine to hurt your grass. There are multiple ways this can be done.Better diet
For starters you can modify your dog's diet. Nitrogen is produced when protein is digested so lowering the amount of protein your dog ingests will cause nitrogen levels to decrease. This means checking the label on your dog's food for high levels of protein and changing the brand for one that is more balanced. Food that is of better quality will also be used more efficiently and result in less nitrogen so if you can afford, your grass will thank you.Diluting Your Way To Healthier Grass
Lower concentration can also be achieved simply by diluting the urine. It is possible to dilute your dog's urine after they have recently urinated by dousing the spot with water. This will spread out the concentration over a larger area and save your grass. You can also simply persuade your dog to drink more water which will let your dogs organism take care of the diluting on your behalf. If your dog refuses to drink more water, there are easy strategies on the web to take care of that – from more exercise to using salt or other thirst-inducing food to your advantage.
Doggy Supplements
Because this is a fairly common problem among dog owners, science has come to the rescue by coming up with an easy to consume supplement that will counteract any nitrogen that your dog produces in their urine. As with most supplements, however, it is important that you read the warnings and the side-effects so you don't end up hurting your dog.Teach Your Dog New Tricks
The most obvious way to protect your lawn is to simply not have any dogs urinate on it. That will save you the trouble of changing your dog's diet, having to dilute their urine, or feeding them supplements. However, this rests on your ability to teach your dog not to pee on your lawn which can take days or weeks depending on how obedient your dog is.The pH problem
Your dog's urine is killing your grass because it may be way too alkaline. Urine that is alkaline will decimate grass and could be potentially dangerous to your dogs. As carnivores, dogs' urine should have a lower value on the pH scale and therefore be more acidic.You do not want your dog's urine to get to 7 and ideally you want it to hover at around 6.5. Higher than that can cause dangerous struvite crystals and lower can lead to stones or cystitis. You can check how dangerous the pH levels of your dog's urine are by purchasing some pH strips and seeing what they show when subjected to your dog's urine.
Beware!
The reason your dog's urine is killing your grass may also lead to serious health issues for your dog. Find out what you can do here.
Solution For Balancing Your Dog's Urine pH
Carnivore’s urine is typically acidic because meat tends to be acidic and it is supposed to compose the majority of a carnivore's diet. This slightly acidic urine is actually very good for plants and grass so once you balance out your dog's diet then you will be able to see the results.If your dog is consuming too many grains or carbs which comprise a vegetarian animal's diet then this can seriously impact the pH value of their urine and make it extremely alkaline.
A More Carnivorous Diet
This is a common problem because it is easy to forget that our needs are fundamentally different than our dogs. Just because we are omnivores that can be fine with a highly regulated vegan diet does not mean that your dog can adapt as easily!By switching out some of the grains or vegetarian-friendly foods you are currently feeding your dog for a variety of meats or higher protein dog food then you can begin balancing out your dog's diet. It will not happen overnight but if you test
A Fresher Diet
Don't forget that the quality of your dogs food can also affect their pH levels. Foods that lack moisture are going to dramatically increase the levels of ammonia in your dog's urine which will kill your lawn. Ammonia is very basic and will throw off the pH balance of your dog's urine by a wide margin.Diets that eschew unnatural dryness and emphasize moist, fresh ingredients will contribute to a much more balanced pH and will lower the concentration of your dogs pee. So if you want dog urine to not kill your grass, treat your dog better and invest in some foods that will be kinder on their bodies and show mercy to your grass.
If all else fails then you can also opt for some amino acid supplements that acidify your dog's stomach and bladder which will also take care of the problem.
| Possible cause | Solution |
|---|---|
| Too much nitrogen in urine | Better diet with less protein, supplements, dilute urine with water |
| Urine too alkaline | Balanced meat-based diet, amino acid supplement, moist food |
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