It doesn’t have to be that way… There are many ways to take care of your yard without hurting the lawn and without impacting your pets health.
Pet urine can overpower even the healthiest lawn. There are many theories on why dog urine (and cat urine) effect common lawn grasses, and why some types of lawns don’t seem to have much of a problem resisting urine (fescue, perennial ryegrass are two examples). But, if you’re seeing brown spots on your lawn, we have solutions for you.
[heading style=”2″ color=”#996633″ style_color=”#996633″]Evaluate Health of Pets:[/heading]
The fact is, some animals have a particularly high pH levels in their urine, which can cause brown spots and increase odor problems. If your pets’ urine is strong enough to burn the lawn, it’s time to visit the veterinarian and rule out a health problem.
Stronger urine means it is highly concentrated, and that can indicate anything from dehydration to a urinary tract infection.
But, if it’s due to your pet urinating in the same area repeatedly, there are other options.
[heading style=”2″ color=”#996633″ style_color=”#996633″]Natural Solutions for Pets and Lawn Care [/heading]
Dog Rocks: These 100 percent natural, proven and convenient rocks absorb the impurities from your dog’s water to prevent lawn burn. Simply place the rocks in your pet’s water dish, and Dog Rocks act like sponges as they soak up impurities. They only need to be replaced every two months or so. Dog Rocks work with all dog breeds (cats can use it too), and do not change the pH balance of your pet’s urine. They are already popular in the UK, and are even used by the royal family for Price William and Duchess Kate’s puppy. Not only does the royal family use these rocks, they were used to preserve the lawns of Downtown Abbey and Hogwarts School! Sold in a one pack (lasts two months), three pack (lasts six months) and six pack (lasts one year), these start at around $16.99. Learn more at Dog Rocks K-10+ UT Lawn Care Formula: K-10+ UT Support/Lawn Care Formula is a new product that is scientifically formulated to help maintain bladder function and urinary tract health, which in turn supports a healthy lawn for you. This product comes in boxes of 28 packets and is simple to use because you only need empty a packet into your dog’s water bowl each day. (If you use a water fountain or purifier, you’ll want to remove the carbon filter when you give your dog this packet). It’s vet recommended and is great for your pets and your lawn! (Note: Visit K-10+ to learn about all of their formulas that support other functions – we’ll talk about those soon). - Grass Guard for Dogs: Nutri-Vet Grass Guard Chewable Tablets for Dogs are liver-flavored chewable tablets from Nutri-Vet which contain supplements to help keep your pets healthy, while naturally reducing the pH in your pet’s urine. Each tablet contains 133 mg of dl-methionine, which is one of the 10 amino acids required by both dogs and cats. Pay close attention to body weight when ordering this product and make sure you read the directions carefully.
[heading style=”2″ color=”#996633″ style_color=”#996633″]Natural Solutions to Garden Odor[/heading]
- Sweet PDZ: “Manna Pro PDZ
is an all-natural, non-hazardous and non-toxic mineral. It captures, neutralizes and eliminates harmful levels of ammonia and odors. it’s been used for years in horse stalls and also works well in garden areas. Sweet PDZ is a far superior alternative to lime products for ammonia removal and moisture absorption.
Sprays: There are many powerful sprays you can use on your lawn that will help eliminate odor, is safe on plants, and are ideal for dog runs or lawns. All you need to do is pick up one of these products, hook your hose to it, and spray the yard down. These products not only help deodorize the urine in lawn and dirt, they help to neutralize the scent of stools and contribute to a more rapid breakdown of proteins.
Earth’s Balance Dogonit Lawn Rejuvenator This is a safe spray that naturally flushes dog urine residue out of soil while it promotes new growth. As it’s DL-Methionine free, it’s safe for families and pets. - Simple Solution Eco-Care Yard Odor Away Spray
: This biodegradable odor eliminator contains Pro-bacteria and enzymes that naturally work together to fight odor and remove stains from outdoor surfaces. It treats up to 25,000 square feet and is reported safe for use around pets, kids, and other living creatures. - Simple Green Outdoor Odor Eliminator
:This is a good outdoor eliminator that works on patios, decks, dog runs, and artificial turf, as well as your lawn and garden area. This eliminator is an enzymatic cleaner (which contains naturally derived enzymes), and is reported safe for use around pets, kids, and landscaping. It’s non-toxic and biodegradable. It’s also one of the more effective ones we’ve found. - NaturVet Yard Odor Eliminator
: This concentrated odor eliminator is designed as a stool and urine deodorizer. Simply hook the bottle of concentrated formula on your hose, and spray the yard down. A 32-oz bottle covers about 15,000 square feet (so plan accordingly) and it is reported to be safe to use around pets, kids, and wildlife. Just note that it does contain Alkyl Dimethyl Benzylammonium Chloride.
Repellents: If you really need to keep your dog off the lawn (although we can’t imagine a scenario where your lawn is more important than the health and happiness of a pet), then you can try a repellent. There are many non-lethal methods of keeping pets off the lawn. This is our extensive list on how you can keep other people’s pets out of your yard (including cats).