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If this topic has been covered previously, I've somehow missed it.
I have a golden retriever and a border collie mix, and our backyard has bare patches where the "boys" have killed the grass with their urine. The grass is tall fescue, so I don't know if this grass is especially susceptible to urine burn. The grass first turns yellow and then just leaves a bare patch.
I have tried the Lawn Guard treats through Drs. Foster & Smith, and this does not seem to help. A landscaper told us to add tomato juice to the dogs' food and this will help neutralize the urine, but this does not help either.
The food does not seem to matter either. I use premium holistic dog food -- not the lower grade dog good -- so I don't believe the food is at fault.
Short of pulling out the hose EVERY time the boys go outside, does anyone have a success story they can share? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
I tried to enzyme treats and it seemed to help some. You have to keep it up though. Never tried tomato juice although older folks swear by it. I just live with the spots now.
Location: The Frenchie Farm, Where We Grow 'em Big!
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This is what my best friend has done it eliminate the bare spots. It seems outlandish in a way, but it works. I wouldn't know if this would work for you, but if you like post a picture of your backyard and we could see if it does.
He has a concrete slab that was next to his home and used it for his patio and gathering area. A nice manicured landscape and an in-ground pool. He was getting frustrated with the yellow and bare spots in the lawn.
So he placed the Invisible fencing around the concrete slab and walk ways to the pool so they would not go on the lawn. It lead to a place in an area where he installed the artificial grass that you see in those big box hardware stores. He matched it to the kind of grass that he was growing. They did their #1 duty on the artificial area and all he had to do was wash it away into the ground. It kept his yard green and the dogs happy. It looks funny during the fall and winter time when you see half the backyard yellow and the other half green.
If that is not the option, then I would say the garden lime treatment that World Citizen mentioned. But I would have apprehension with chemicals like that on the lawn where your dog can ingest...IMO!
Yucca extract is what aides in offsetting the acid in the urine to prevent the burn marks.
Canidae, Eagle Pack, Eagle Pack's Holistic Select and Blackwood brands are all foods I know that have the yucca in them and yes they do indeed work. I have both, a male and female and have no burn marks....only stinking grubs this year messing with my lawn.
I'm no landscaper, but the last food I fed with tomato anything in it caused the lawn to burn.
We had the same problem with out back yard and our dog - solution? We built her her own potty park - we pulled out some ugly bushed and put down pea gravel and trained her to go there and she does. Now we have our yard back.
It's strange -- I have four dogs and don't have the burn marks on the lawn, even though it's hotter than heck here. Maybe St. Augustine grass deals with it better? Heh, so all I can say is plant St. Augustine!
Dash's urine use to burn the grass and kill it too then I started both dogs on Willards Water and the grass burning/killing stopped. It makes the PH more alkaline. It is 100% non toxic as what it really does is change the molecular structute of water into a form that the body can use better, Plants thrive on it too and seem to develop a much healthier root system.
It is also great as a spray and will dry a hot spot overnight and stops itching and infection. I have even used it in my eye when I got pink eye and it worked very fast at clearing it up. I spray it on cuts etc. I love the stuff. I have alot of friends using it now too . You have to make sure you get the real willards water as there are imitations that don't work as a friend of mine found out. Whole Dog Journal did an article on it.
It would not be a waste of money as if your dogs urine is burning the grass so some reason and it does not help there are just so many uses for it and as I said it is non toxic. here is a link to the site www.willardswater.com
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