It’s safe to say – brown spots on your grass caused by a dog going to the toilet are an eyesore. By understanding what chemicals in your dog’s urine damage grass, plus using the right lawn products, you can protect your lawn. Dogster has your dog’s weed killer solution.
Why does the dog pee killing the grass?
Dog urine can kill or discolor grass due to chemical compounds found in dog urine. Any nutrients your dog ingests in foods and supplements that are not absorbed in their blood will be filtered out through the kidneys and eventually in their urine.
So when your dog pees in the grass, and the water is evaporated by the sun, high nitrogen levels are left behind. Although nitrogen is commonly used in lawn fertilizers, too much nitrogen can harm your lawn.
How can you tell if the dog peeing is killing your grass or is it some other reason?
If your dog’s pee is killing your grass, you’ll see some greenish brown spots around the edges. Moles can also leave dead patches of grass in your yard from tunneling. But if you have a problem with moles, you will also notice a bumpy surface from their tunnel.
What are the top treatments for grass pee spots?
There are three things you can do to get rid of your dog’s pee spots.
- Use a grass-saving product to get your grass green again. Here are some examples:
- Have a lawn care professional perform an aeration treatment to stimulate root growth. An example of a dog-friendly lawn care company is American natural lawn.
- Cut the damaged sections into squares and replace them with new pieces of hay and grass seeds.
What can you do to protect your lawn from dog pee?
If you don’t want to wait to fix the problem, there are a few things you can do to get rid of brown spots before they happen:
- Keep your dog well-hydrated – the more hydrated a dog is, the less urine they will produce. Make sure she has several bowls of fresh water, including an outside bowl that is changed regularly. Feed your dog nutritious, dog-safe fruits (e.g. blueberries, watermelon, apples, cantaloupe)
- Spray on grassy areas immediately after your dog urinates.
- Create a designated peeing area for your dog (be it grass, mulch, or gravel).
- Spread your lawn with more urine resistant grasses like fescues and perennial rye grass
Your lawn will be green again before you know it!
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