Charlie is burning the grass!!!
8So I just realized that Charlie seems to be burning the grass with pee circles all over the yard. We had this problem when I was a kid with one of dogs, but no one can remember what we did to solve it. Added something to their water I think?
Anyway, anyone ever deal with this, have any suggestions?
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How to Fix Dog Urine Spots
Water well.
Watering the dog urine spots will help dilute and displace nitrogen and acidity, and allow the grass to recover more quickly. This might mean watering every morning or evening in that particular spot, or carrying a watering can or hose along with you to dilute the spot each time your dog urinates.
If the grass is already burned, it’s too late. Water to dilute the excess nitrogen. The acidity (pH) is pretty much a non-issue. Uric acid is a weak organic acid, like citric acid. It’s the nitrogen.
The nitrogen comes from the proteins in your dog’s diet. Dogs are carnivores, so the proteins come from the meat they eat. Changing your dog’s diet to low-protein doesn’t work, nor do supplements.
Just water, water, water the spot where they pee.
@mike808 well damn. That is what I found on line too. I am still hoping someone may have a old home remedy as I cannot easily get into the yard at the moment (broken ankle) may have to let him burn spots until I can get down there
@tinamarie1974
Ouch! Sympathies!
@f00l thanks, it sucks
@tinamarie1974
Bet it hurts too.
: (
@f00l yeah, two Avulsion fractures so the ligament partially tore away from the bone and took a chunk of bone with it. One on the side and the other in the front.
Good news was no surgery and just a boot + physical therapy
Train your dog to go in one area and then put in something that looks good and doesn’t get destroyed. I trained my dog to go in an area of the yard that grass always struggled in due to full day shade from a large tree. Just gave up the grass battle and put down mulch in that area. If it did not rain for a stretch would have to hose it down in the hot weather for the expected reason, but worked well.
From comment above it seems that at the moment training isn’t possible due to limited mobility, but something to consider for the future. Most dogs like routines so giving them a set area works well for them. My location did make for some interesting times in the winter having to dig a path in the snow to the dog’s spot, but going through snow is what destroyed the back lawn in the first place so small sacrifice.
@Raider thanks, for the most part he does this. The area is likely a little bigger than you were describing. It is about 5’ x 5’ and is actually why I noticed it. The yard is about a half acre so if he was peeing everywhere I likely wouldn’t have seen it so quickly.
Had to switch him to new food for sensitive stomach a few weeks ago as he was having issues with his usual kibble. The new food is working and he is not throwing up at all anymore, but now we have little burnt crop circles. TBH I’d rather have the crop circles that a sick Charlie.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
@Raider @tinamarie1974
Hey Teeny Tiny, Tina,
Sorry 'bout your bum ankle- just don’t push too hard to get back to normal activities too soon.
Also related to Raider’s comments re: finding something that will withstand doggy ‘business’ practices, you may want to try this:
https://www.highcountrygardens.com/sustainable-lawns/drought-resistant-lawns/cynodon-hybrida-dog-tuff
I’d say break a leg, but…
/giphy broke the leg
@PhysAssist @Raider hi there my friend! Thanks for the well wishes and the link, looks interesting. I am wondering if I can strategically plant a few plats of plugs strategically to spread (1/2 acre) over a few years
something to think about and research while I am sitting at home not driving lol Trying to take it easy, so frustrating!!!
@tinamarie1974 The only thing to really try then is encourage him to drink more water, which will in turn help dilute what damages the lawn. The down side is having to bring him out more, which for the time being doesn’t seem ideal for you.
I wouldn’t want to give my dog anything that would somehow mess with the chemical balance of their pee. I wouldn’t want to risk my dogs heath over some lawn. I know they make some stuff that you put in their water bowls, but sounds like either snake oil and a recipe for disaster to me.
One thing to try next year, if you used nitrogen based fertilizer for the lawn, just skip that area. A lot of times it is the nitrogen that burns up the grass. It could have the same effect as if your over fertilized your lawn and got burn spots from it. Could be an easy thing to try. Mother nature could also be a cause, has it been a dryer year then normal for your area? If so maybe nothing has changed but less rain to wash it away naturally. If so just break out the hose and let it rain!
@Raider I completely agree with you. I saw those supplements and it concerned me. Those things are not really well regulated so you never know what you are getting or how it will affect the pup. In addition, given his already sensitive stomach it is just not worth the risk.
Ill see what I can do to get him to increase his water intake for now and can water after he pees once this darn ankle allows me to get around easily again.
Ill also check on that urine resistant grass.
You and @PhysAssist gave me a couple of things to look at this weekend. Thanks
✌
@tinamarie1974
I know absolutely nothing about this
That said (this is what occurs to me):
You might ask your vet. Also, if you know someone who works with dogs extensively as a personal activity or professionally, ask them.
You might ask at the place where you got Charlie. Often, rescue groups know all sorts of practical stuff like that.
Also, ask at your garden store.
(If you have already done all this, then, my apologies for the annoying repetition of ideas.)
@f00l oh good idea! Ill call the vet tomorrow and actually his health insurance had a doggie help line!! Why didn’t I think of that?!?!
I’m gonna skip the rescue place. It was deplorable. The woman who runs it is NUTS and I don’t want to open the door for her to harass me again (she accused me of unspeakable things when I pushed her to give the microchip company permissions to transfer it to my name) Got a few good “over a beer” stories out of the whole experience!
Thanks much!
@tinamarie1974
Ok, some people who do rescue are a bit crazy. And, sometimes, when people are crazy, you have to cut them off.
But don’t let that stop you from talking to other people (not including your crazy rescue person) who either rescue or who work with dogs a lot.
People who aren’t proprietary about your particular dog and aren’t generally crazy should be fine as info or technique resources.
Also reddit might be a place to look for this sort of info. Either in a pet section or some lawn section.
Also I know there are pet care forums out there. I would expect them to have some info.
Also if you know someone who is a serious gardener they might have ideas.
@f00l oh no, no issue with talking to others, just avoiding her and her group. Was just a response to the idea of reaching out to the rescue.
I’ve never done the Redditt, but I heard there is a lot of interesting info out there.
@PhysAssist @Raider @tinamarie1974 On the ankle comment - know it may take longer than you want to be able to deal with your demented toddler with training to pee in the area of the yard you want him to. I screwed mine up in a similar way you did to yours except my screw up involved 4 cement and metal steps instead of a retaining “curb” on a garden edge. Went to an orthopedist the other day as it was 7 weeks out and still a bit swollen with places that still hurt. He told me I had torn two tendons between my leg and my ankle and not to be surprised it if too SIX!!! months to completely heal. WTF? I hope for your sake it doesn’t take that long but you might need a temporary solution to the training one if it does take you that long. For example something to put on the pee area that breaks down the nitrogen so the grass doesn’t continue to get burned.
@Raider @tinamarie1974
de Nada Teeny, and that’s how I’m replacing our weedy rye grass- a little at a time.
Nature’s Miracle is the only thing I know of that breaks down urine, I don’t know if it works on grass though.
@Kidsandliz
Ouch, God bless you too, you poor thing.
@PhysAssist That accident was my stupid. I was selling something, walking down the stairs (I live on the 4th floor, phone does not work in the elevator) talking to the guy buying who pulled up at the wrong apt building explaining to him how to find me. Somehow lost my balance, made a split decision to save my phone and the item I was selling for $50 as I figured “it’s only 4 steps”. Umm yeah. 20/20 hind sight. You can still see the scrapes on my shin in the pattern of the metal step edge and that entire area is still completely numb. I was dumb shit stupid. I should have dropped the item, grabbed the railing and hoped the item would survive the fall.
@Kidsandliz @PhysAssist @Raider oh K&L I am so sorry, that is horrible! I remember you complaining about the pain weeks ago and now it makes sense. I cannot imagine how you have been walking on it so long
Try to rest it as much as you can!
I go see my doc again on Monday and will see what he thinks about how much longer Ill be in the boot.
@Kidsandliz Hey now, don’t beat yourself up about it- sounds like the stairs did a pretty good job of that already
We can only do the best we can in the moment, and then do our best to cope with the outcome.
I have done similar things and had to live through the consequences too.
All too often, the realization that I might be better off doing something differently occurs only in that split second that’s just barely too late to avoid the painful outcome.
So far at least, I am living though these occurrences well enough to learn and not make the same mistake twice.
you’re an all-star
@PhysAssist @Raider @tinamarie1974 I hope you get good news when you go to the doctor and can burn the boot!
@PhysAssist I would prefer to learn lessons like this vicariously and not experientially
Oh and I forgot to blame the goat: @RogerWilco it is YOUR fault I had to learn this lesson by experience. And your fault I forgot.
@Kidsandliz @PhysAssist
@Kidsandliz I hear you, and I agree!
@Kidsandliz @tinamarie1974 My prayer and good thoughts will be with you- but don’t burn the boot- spray it with Lysol, bag it, and save it as a hedge [or totem, or good luck charm- whatever you want to call it] against recurrence.
Follow it around with a cup.
@medz ❤ THIS!!!
@tinamarie1974
@medz @tinamarie1974 I did this to get a urine sample from my dog. She pees facing me now.
@medz @sammydog01 omg how difficult was THAT
We had a foster dog that turned out to be pregnant; gave birth to 9 puppies. Had to replace the lawn by the time we found homes for all those little pee machines.
When I read the title of this topic, I thought I’d get to read about Charlie smoking weed.
What about you, tm, help with the ankle?
@phendrick now that would be a trick!
Me no, I’ve never done anything beyond alcohol. May have been contact high a few times when I was with friends who were enjoying themselves A LOT.
All I could think of was this
or this
Same here. Good thing I don’t care that much.
@sammydog01 I do because I have worked so hard and spent so much $$ to fix my grass over the last five years. BUT, Charlie is more important than the grass so if I can’t fix it…I will be the yard with crop circles
/giphy sad
@tinamarie1974 I’ve debated leaving a watering can outside and carrying it with me when Cora goes to pee but it seems like a lot of work.
Doggy diapers?
/image doggie diapers
Lawn spray paint. Seriously. If you’re creative, you can make a stencil and create something beautiful.
@OldCatLady or astro turf. I had a neighbor once who used astroturf. He also painted the cement green which kind of wrecked the effect though.
Apparently there’s something called dog rocks you put in their water that somehow makes their pee not as acidic or some s***.
This article says baking soda can help
)
(Is there anything it can’t do?
“A natural way to repair yellow spots in the grass caused by the dog’s urine is to dissolve a cup of baking soda in a gallon of water and pour on the affected area. The baking soda neutralizes the high nitrogen concentration, and it will also deodorize the area so the dog won’t recognize the spot and go there again.”
https://www.ktvb.com/article/life/home-garden/you-can-grow-it/you-can-grow-it-treating-doggy-lawn-spots/277-458301427
@Kyeh You forgot the part about buy stock in that company first LOL
@Kidsandliz ??? You mean an ad on the site? I saw a lot of them but they weren’t for stock; I guess it varies based on your browsing history.
@Kyeh Stock in the company that makes baking soda. She is going to be using a lot of that LOL
@Kidsandliz Oh. I’d love to have stock in that company anyway - seems like baking soda gets recommended for everything online. I use quite a bit of it myself for various things. But my fave product is hydrogen peroxide. Hmmm, I wonder if that would help with this?