Did you know dog urine can kill your lawn

 Dog urine can kill your lawn

Georgia Turf Magazine....Do you know what happens to your lawn when your pet or neighbor pet urine in your lawn?

 Because dogs are carnivores and eat a high level of protein in their diet, they break the protein down and excrete it as nitrogen in the urine. The result is a killing of the grass from an overload of nitrogen. You will get the same kind of burn if you put a concentrated handful of fertilizer in one.

Lawn Burn Solutions Drs. Foster & Smith Educational Staff Lawn burn is a common problem that occurs when your dog's urine damages the grass in your lawn. If you have ever had to deal with this problem, you know how frustrating it is and how difficult it can be to prevent. There are many home remedies that promise to correct this problem, but most of them are ineffective and a few of them can actually make the situation worse.  Contributing Factors There are several factors that make lawn burn more likely to occur: Female dogs are more likely to cause lawn burn than males because females void their entire bladder in one location instead of lifting their leg and marking, like males. Large dogs deposit more urine so they increase the quantity of nitrogen in one location, making lawn burn more likely. Dogs fed a very high protein diet are more likely to produce a urine that causes lawn burn. Nitrogen is one of the substances excreted when protein is broken down; the more protein, the more nitrogen and the more chance of lawn burn. Heavily fertilized yards are already receiving near maximum levels of nitrogen. The additional amount of nitrogen in dog urine may be all that is needed to put these lawns over the edge and cause lawn burn. Lawns that are stressed are more susceptible to damage. Lawns that are suffering from drought, disease, or are newly sodded or seeded are more susceptible to lawn burn. 8 Ways To Eliminate Lawn Burn Successfully treating and preventing lawn burn often requires a multi-step approach. Saturate the urinated spots with water. After the pet urinates, pour several cupfuls of water on the spot to dilute the urine. A watering can works well. Feed a high quality dog food that does not exceed your pet's protein requirement. High quality foods also have more digestible protein sources that are more completely utilized by the pet and create less nitrogenous waste in the urine. Encouraging your dog to drink more water will help dilute the urine and decrease the risk of lawn burn. Small amounts of low sodium broth in the drinking water may help increase your dog's water intake. Train your dog to urinate in a location that is less visible. This approach is very effective for owners who do not want to add supplements to their dogs' diet. Replant your yard with more urine-resistant grasses. The most resistant grasses tend to be perennial rye grasses and fescues. The most sensitive tend to be Kentucky bluegrass and Bermuda. Feed your dog a supplement like Doctors Foster and Smith Lawn Guard®, which helps bind nitrogen in waste and reduce fecal odor. Or apply a product to the lawn such as Dogonit Lawn Rejuvenator, which restores unsightly lawn spots due to pet urine, salt deicers, or winter kill. Reduce the stress on your lawn by not over- or under-fertilizing and by watering frequently. If neighbors' dogs are causing the problem, using a fence or motion-activated sprinkler may be helpful in keeping these dogs off your lawn.