Dog Wee Killing Grass.

[pumpy]

We have a lovely 2-yr-old bitch (recentish aquisition from rescue home), & her urine is totally destroying the lawn, which we knew it would, but it would be nice to find a natural way of neutralising her wee (apart from following her round the garden with a watering can!). I know that you can add some medication to her food, but the long-term effects of this are not really known. Anyone found a good/natural way to treat the lawn? (i think it is a ammonia based chemical in the urine thats the problem). Answers,please,on a post-card,to this address.........

[MuddyWitch]

What ever you do DON'T give her any tomato based products. Even the RSPCA used to recommend this, as it does stop the urine being so destructive. It does so by poisoning the animal's kidneys! (There are still people who advise this, in the same way they recommend bread & milk for hedgehogs, which kills them too.)

Your best bet is to teach your dog to 'go' in a wild bit of your garden, or on a gravel path, or on bark chippings or follow her around with a watering can.

MW

[growingthings]

What about Dog Rocks?

My vets surgery sells them, they are a naturally occuring (australian I think) mineral rock, which you put in the dogs water dish and it neutralises the effects of the wee.

I have two bitches 7 and 14 years who have a DELIGHTFUL habit of weeing on top of where the other has been! So you can imagine the mess that they made. The dog rocks have made a real difference.

I don't have a website for them, and I am a little concerned about what might come up on Google if you put a search in for them , but its gotta be worth a go surely?

Lorna x

[Peggy Sue]

Oh I've always given my dog bits of tomato I had no idea it poisoned their kidneys I feel terrible she's such a sweet dog!
I've got to say even when she hasn't ahd tomato for ages her wee doesn't burn the grass anymore, it did when we first had her but we changed her diet to meat and veg (plus some of our leftovers like bread etc) rather than tinned dog food and 'special' dog diet biscuits. I don't knpw if I've destroyed her kidneys and thats why it's OK now but she also used to wet inside in the beginning but doesn't now.

[pumpy]

Thanks guys. Hey,Lorna.... i've never heard of Dog Rocks but will certainly be looking into 'em.

[MuddyWitch]

Peggy Sue,

If you only gave your dog tomatoes occasionally, then its unlikely you'll have harmed her.

The advice used to recommend a teaspoonfull of ketchup DAILY.

For the record, things you should never give to dogs, as they are poisonous to them in greater or lesser degrees are:

onions
raisons
grapes
human chocolate
tomato

Also be very carefull if you use cocoa nut shell mulch as dog deaths have resulted. (They eat the stuff with dire consequences). When walking your dog past those awfull open front gardens that developers are so fond of, keep them short leaded so they can't grab a mouthful.

MW

[Peggy Sue]

Muddy Witch, I've seen that list before, but never with tomatoes on it. And I used to give her onions and grapes til I originally saw the list (she must have a hardy constitution from the abuse!)

Does anyone lknow what it is in dog wee, horse wee for example doesn't burn grass

[Big Al]

We have a lovely 2-yr-old bitch (recentish aquisition from rescue home), & her urine is totally destroying the lawn, which we knew it would, but it would be nice to find a natural way of neutralising her wee (apart from following her round the garden with a watering can!). I know that you can add some medication to her food, but the long-term effects of this are not really known. Anyone found a good/natural way to treat the lawn? (i think it is a ammonia based chemical in the urine thats the problem). Answers,please,on a post-card,to this address.........

Not a way to treat the lawn but if you put some sulpher rocks in her water dish it will nuetralise the wee. If you need a comercial outlet for these they are available at many p3ts at h0me stores.

[Peggy Sue]

I'm still intrigued (as a boring scientist) as to what exactly burns the lawn in the wee.....and....whats not good for dogs as a cure!
If Sulphur works then this is high in garlic, onions etc- but you shouldn't feed these to dogs- is that because of the sulphur? Are sulphure rocks really OK or is it another 'Tomato case' (If you see what I mean)
Does it burn because we feed dogs an unnatural diet and thats a reaction to it? I don't remember it being a problem when I was a kid??

[Millymollymandy]

I do, Peggy Sue. I've only ever had one dog (when I was a kid), a female and our lawn was a right blotchy mess! I've always understood from discussions on green forums that it's the hormones or something - in the same way there are those that say that only male urine should go onto compost heaps. Though I can't remember the specifics but I think there have been some discussions about pee and compost heaps on this forum in the past.

[Peggy Sue]

Oh yes lots of wee and compost heap discussions, I assumed it was only the boys to go due to privacy reasons
Might be wrong there!