Why Is My Dog’s Pee Killing the Grass (and What Can I Do About It)?

If your dog’s urine is causing brown lawn marks, rest assured that you are not alone. Many dog owners suffer from this problem and it can be time-consuming and costly to come up with an effective solution.

In order to determine the best way to manage this problem, it’s useful to understand why dog urine has such an effect on your lawn. If you find your dog’s pee killing the grass, there are three main factors involved in why this might be happening:

1. Your dog’s alkaline urine pH

Because dogs are carnivorous and tend to consume a large amount of meat, their urine pH level tends to be higher than vegetarian animals (such as horses or rabbits, for example). The ideal pH level for a dog’s urine is between 6-6.5: any higher and your dog might be at risk for developing struvite crystal. If your dog’s pH is lower than 6, however, your dog is at risk for developing calcium oxalate stones.

If your dog’s pH level is too high, it will burn your grass. However, because there are health risks associated with lowering your dog’s pH too low, it is best to avoid the number of products on the market that specifically cater towards changing your the pH level of your dog’s urine.

2. The level of concentration

Brown lawn spots are a common problem for dogs, so this isn’t usually the case, but it is something to keep in mind when looking for viable solutions for your lawn. If your dog’s urine is burning the lawn, it might be a sign that your dog is dehydrated and needs more water. As part of a larger strategy to solve the burn marks that are being left by your dog, consider also finding ways to encourage your dog to drink more water: adding ice cubes, diluted fruit juice, coconut water, or a bit of broth can help with this. Hydration is important for your dog’s health, and while it may not solve the problem of your burn marks entirely, it will certainly help at least a bit.

3. The amount of nitrogen in your dog’s urine

This is the key component in the burn lawn marks that Dog Rocks effectively solves. The kidneys work to remove excess nitrogen from dog’s bodies as they process their food, and because dogs have a high requirement for animal protein in their diets, there is a lot of nitrogen that is emitted in the natural food metabolizing process. In fact, according to studies conducted by Colorado veterinarian Dr. A. W. Allard, there is some evidence that nitrogen is the only main factor in lawn burn marks made by dogs¹.

Nitrogen is actually a key fertilizer ingredient in many lawn care products and, in the right amounts, helps your grass. The problem is that there is too much nitrogen in most dog’s urine, which is what results in burn marks on your grass. Too much of a good thing, essentially.

This is why Dog Rocks is the best product out there on the market to help combat the brown spots that are being caused by your dog’s urine, because they address the primary source of the problem: too much nitrogen.

It can be tricky to help reduce the concentration of your dog’s urine enough to make a difference, especially if your dog is of a larger size. Some pet owners try to overcompensate by watering the grass with increased frequency, but this is not the most environmentally and cost-effective option…not to mention that it takes additional time and effort to implement. Similarly, it can be challenging to try to monitor your dog’s pH level on a regular basis, and it isn’t the most proven or safe solution.

Instead, Dog Rocks works quickly and effectively–and the best part is that it is a 100{c454582d05da21832b81af76e9de355f55fbab7dd8232aae41610489c1467203} natural product. The rocks come from Australia, and they naturally reduce the amount of nitrogen (and other impurities) in your dog’s water, which in turn reduces the nitrogen that gets distributed onto your lawn. In addition, fewer impurities in the water makes your dog’s water safer for your dog. And rather than harming your lawn by causing burn marks, your dog’s pee actually works as a natural fertilizer, containing a significantly reduced amount of nitrogen, but just enough to act as a form of fertilizer.

If you’re looking to solve the root of the problem of your lawn’s burn marks, look no further than Dog Rocks. For more information on how the product works, check out the FAQs section or to purchase the product online, click here.

1. Allard, AW. Lawn burn and dog urine, Canine Practice, March/April 1981;8;(2);26-32.