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Many owners will come to me asking for a solution to this problem. For proud gardeners, a lush green lawn is a thing of beauty. Once urine stains start to taint the colour and health of the grass, this can cause huge frustration and disappointment.
This article will talk you through why dog urine is so bad for grass, the effect a dog’s gender had on things, and several useful solutions. So, if you want your garden looking perfect, read on here.
How to Recognize Dog Urine Damage in Grass
Why Does Dog Pee Kill Grass, or Discolor it?
Will a Dog’s Diet Affect Things?
Does Water Intake Make a Difference?
Does Gender Affect Lawn Damage?
Can Changing Your Dog’s Diet Help?
How to Stop Dog Urine from Killing Grass
There are lots of things that can spoil the look of grass , and dog urine can have a range of unappealing effects. It may seem quite harmless, but prolonged and repeat exposure to urine can have dramatic effects on your lawn.
Very commonly, the areas where your dog pees will start to change color. As you may have noticed, your dog likes to pee in the same spot. This spot will begin to look burnt- a yellow, orange or brown color- and this is thanks to the high nitrogen levels from the urine.
In those areas of grass where the pee has left some nitrogen (but not huge amounts), it can act as more of a fertilizer than a death sentence. This grass turns a darker green in comparison to the rest of the lawn.
This effect is more common if the urine is quite dilute- so if your dog drinks a lot, or if they have a medical condition such as diabetes or Cushing’s.
It isn’t always obvious if the grass is changed due to the dog, or something else. Things like bad weather conditions, insects, fungal disease and inadequate water can all lead to discolored or lackluster grass.
When your dog is to blame, the changes in the grass’s color begins shortly after they start using your lawn as their toilet. The grass is damaged in patches and blotches, rather than all over. Keep an eye on where your dog pees- is this where your grass has changed appearance?
The typical progression of a canine urine spot is from yellow to brown. They are in circular patches. The grass is dead, which can be confirmed by pulling the dry grass- which lifts easily without giving up much of a fight.
Grass is a living plant that requires set conditions to grow and thrive. This means the right sunlight, moisture levels and nutrients. Dog urine will kill your grass and really mess with its status quo.
Both the nitrogen and the salts in dog wee are too harsh for grass and quickly cause negative effects. Urine that is concentrated tends to have more salt and more ammonia (nitrogen).
The make-up of your dog’s urine changes depending on things like what they eat and drink. The higher protein their diet, the more urea (and thus nitrogen) their urine contains. If you have a puppy, working dog or pregnant dog, you may be giving them a high protein food.
As well as meals, consider if your dog is taking any supplements or medicine. Urinary acidifiers, for example, may make the urine less alkaline, and this could lead to a reduced color change.
Dogs taking medicine like corticosteroids or diuretics are going to drink more, so produce much more diluted urine. Again, this urine has a lesser effect on your lawn and will not change the color so much.
For sure, water intake makes a big difference. If your dog drinks lots, the urine becomes dilute and this means the nitrogen and salts are not present in such high concentrations. Very dark urine (which tends to smell strong) is the most harmful for lawns.
If you notice your dog’s urine is really concentrated, try improving their hydration by adding water to meals, feeding wet food (rather than kibble) and giving them dog soups or doggy bone broth.
Actually, yes! Females usually squat and pee in one big puddle. This leads to lots of nitrogen and salts pooling into a small patch of grass- and grass will suffer. Males tend to spread their urine around more, so the negative effects are felt less.
If your male dog is not neutered, or was neutered later in life, you’ve likely noticed he likes to pee all over the place and in small amounts. This can lead to more widespread lawn damage.
It will come as no surprise to you that larger dogs have bigger bladders and pass more pee. Unfortunately for you Great Dane or Irish Wolfhound lovers, your grass is going to be worse off in comparison to your neighbor with the Chihuahua.
If they pee on it, your dog’s urine is always going to alter the appearance of your lawn. If this is a big issue for you, you’ll need to block off access to the lawn.
Things like lower protein diets could reduce the amount of urea passed, but is this the right thing for your dog' s health? Dogs need lots of protein to maintain their muscle mass and provide energy for the day- and discolored lawn is not a good enough reason to tamper with a diet.
You may have read about supplements you can feed your dog, with the aim of reducing grass damage. These are usually not very effective. Some products are really salty, meaning your dog drinks more. Sure, this could make their urine more dilute- but it could also have a negative effect on their heart or kidney health.
Possibly the one thing that you could do, is to encourage more fluid intake. This is usually thought of as beneficial- as it can be good for both kidney and bladder health.
Let’s take a look at some options available to you, to save your lawn.
Possibly the most sensible thing to prevent dog urine from getting on the grass altogether. Teach your dog to pee elsewhere. Give them lots of praise and rewards when they pee on their walk, or in a designated spot in the garden. Many dogs like to pee on leaf piles or soil- so take advantage of this preference.
Do also consider increasing their hydration levels, especially before they spend time outdoors. This can mean having a few water bowls available and giving a wet food diet.
If your dog does urinate on the lawn, really the best thing you can do is to add water. Use a hose to wash it away.
Some grass types are better to use when dog urine is around. It seems fescue or perennial ryegrass are good choices.
If you use fertilizer, you should perhaps reduce the amount or strength of what you are using.
The grass that is totally dry and brown is dead and cannot be saved. You can, however, remove the dead grass and reseed those areas.
If you use a lawn repair mix, this will contain some grass seed, but also mulch and fertilizer. This means the seedlings are protected and should grow well. Be gentle with watering, but do give them a top up until more robust.
Treatments that alter pH are not very effective, as it is the nitrogen rather than pH of the urine that is damaging. You could try adding a thin layer of compost or calcium sulfate which might improve soil structure and permeability.
Will grass grow back?
Dog’s urine may burn the grass mildly, so it can then recover, as the roots are alive. This yellow grass needs lots of water and TLC. If the grass is discolored and dead, chances are a re-seeding is soon in your future.
Will dog pee kill grass and plants and shrubs?
If a dog is constantly peeing on the same plant or shrub, the salt and nitrogen are likely to affect its growth. You may first notice some mild wilting and yellowing and over time, the vegetation could die completely.
Do brown lawn spots mean my dog is sick?
Not at all, no. Normal dog urine contains chemicals that discolor grass. This is a normal effect of canine urine.
Does dog poop kill grass?
If you do not ‘scoop the poop’, it will block sunlight and kill the grass this way. The nitrogen, just like with urine, can also burn or kill the grass.
How to stop dog urine from killing grass naturally?
Many green fingered gardeners want to know how to keep dog pee from killing grass, without turning to any chemicals. The best quick fix is to restrict their access, so they cannot get to the lawn. If not possible, try to get them to pee in one spot only, and then rinse the spot.
Dog waste and healthy grass are not two things that go together. Where possible, make sure your dog toilets elsewhere. You should wash away any urine quickly, and pick up poop as soon as it is passed. With a few simple rules, you should be able to have a lush lawn- even with a dog in the home!
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