Taking your dog on daily walks is an important aspect of pet care, as it allows them a chance to exercise and empty their bladders. Between walks, your pup will urinate in the yard, too. The high nitrogen content in the waste burns grass, leaving bald, circular patches on the turf. The following advice is designed to protect your lawn from animal waste.
Dog Urine Destroying Grass? How to Stop the Problem
Teach Your Dog to Use a Designated Area
Although many dogs might mark the same spot over and over, others will venture to different parts of the yard to urinate. So that the entire lawn isn’t covered in dead patches, train your dog to pee in a designated area. If they don’t already know it, teach your canine a command for using the bathroom. While on a leash, walk them to the designated spot. Use the command, and don’t let them leave until they urinate. Practice this until they instinctively use the area. As bald spots can be eyesores, you can also cover the section with gravel.
Water the Urine Spots
How your dog urinates can factor into the severity of lawn damage. Female dogs often squat, with a urine stream that saturates the area quickly. The high concentration of nitrogen and other nutrients in one place is what causes the scalding effect. To keep the grass from burning, pay attention to where your dog pees and spray water on the areas after. This will dilute the waste and reduce the potency of the damage-causing nutrients.
Modify Your Animal’s Diet
Talk to your pet care provider about the right food for your dog. They will recommend a formula based on breed, age, and activity level. The food should be easy to digest so your pet absorbs more of the nutrients instead of flushing them out in lawn-damaging waste.
If your pup is constantly pawing at the door to go to the bathroom, reach out to us at Wards Corner Animal Hospital in Loveland, OH. Our veterinarian will examine your animal and offer testing to determine the underlying cause of frequent urination and how to treat it. With over 30 years of experience, count on us to provide house calls and emergency vet services in the Cincinnati area. Call (513) 683-2883 to schedule a checkup. Read reviews from other pet parents on Facebook.