Getting Rid of Dog Urine Burns on Your Lawn


dog and lawnAlthough many of us can’t even imagine the prospect of living without our dogs, the negative repercussions of owning one are not always so pleasant! Case in point: dog urine wreaking havoc on your meticulously nurtured lawn with brown “Burn” spots in patches. These spots not only make your lawn appear unflattering and unkempt, they are almost impossible to eradicate. The problem only worsens if you have multiple dogs. One day, you may find yourself with a dead lawn.

How to Prevent Brown Spots

The most viable approach to dealing with those nasty burn spots is to concentrate on your lawn, and provide it with all the TLC it needs to be resistant to the Nitrogen in Urine. Be mindful of the pH levels of the soil, and focus on the type of grass you have, the fertilizers you use, and develop aeration and watering schedules. The following tips are great in preventing the occurrence of brown spots:

  • Every time your dog has to give in to the call of nature, if possible use a leash to control where he goes.
  • Always keep your pup hydrated as an increased consumption of water serves to dilute the urine, alleviating the potential for turf injury (BEWARE: this may cause a bed wetting incident or two). However, no urine boosting supplement or additive should be given to your dog without consulting with your veterinarian first. Certain additives that increase the water intake of your dog may have detrimental impacts on their health.
  • As soon as your dog urinates in the lawn, water the area immediately to dilute the nitrogen concentration.
  • If your dog’s urine has a high concentration of nitrogen, try switching to a higher quality dog food. This may reduce the nitrogen content or the pH of the dog’s urine. However, it’s always best to discuss with your Vet about which diet would best suit your dog.
  • A sure fire way to prevent your lawn from dying a slow death is to train your dog not to let go on the grass altogether. You can try creating a patch of area out of mulch and gravel, perhaps in your backyard, and train your dog to do his or her business here instead. This may put a stop to all future dog spot issues in the lawn.

Removing the Spots

Once the spots are there, they are unfortunately there to stay. Removing the spots is a challenging, and in most cases, impossible task. In fact, if you try to use a fertilizer to aid your grass in growing back, it will only aggravate the situation, especially if it’s a nitrate based fertiliser. It is best to allow the grass to come back on its own, and in the meantime all you can do is to try to train your dog, and keep him from going in the same place and burning the grass any further.

Recent Posts

x