How to Prevent Dog Urine Spots, Burns on Lawn, Grass, Plants - Natural Prevention
In this
Article:
- Why You Should NOT Give your Dog Commercially Manufactured Products to Stop Grass Urine Burn
- Why Your Dog’s Urine Burns Grass and Vegetation and Related Negative Implications to your Dog’s Health
- Some Typical Indicators That a Dog Food is Low in Quality Protein;
- The Importance of Methionine
- Urine Burns Can Be a Warning Sign That you Need to Improve Your Dog’s Diet
- Healthy Solutions to Help Stop Your Dog’s Urine from Burning Your Lawn
My dogs', (various breeds, female and male dogs) urine does not burn the grass (lawn) when my dogs (female and male),
urinate. A healthy dog's urine should not cause any substantial burning of grass (lawns).
Why You Should NOT Give Your Dog Commercially Manufactured Products to Stop Grass Urine Burn
There are many commercially manufactured supplements - that claim
to be ‘natural’; to stop your dog’s urine from burning your lawn – however the
truth is that these products are not all natural and do contain ingredients
that are toxic and carcinogenic. In addition these products do not resolve the
root cause of the problem – and that leaves your dog’s health in ongoing jeopardy.
An example of one such product is
‘Naturvet Grasssaver’ products (biscuit, liquid or pill form) for dogs.
Naturvet Grasssaver liquid product which is designed to be added to your dog’s
drinking water contains ingredients such as:
- DL methionine (synthetic methinone, you can read about that further below);
- Sodium benzoate – a known carcinogen;
- Maltodextrin – an artificial polysaccharide sugar used as an additive to make foods more attractive;
- Maltodextrin is manufactured by applying acids of other enzymes to starch;
- In North America cornstarch (derived from corn) is the primary base.
- Corn and corn derivatives used in pet food manufactured in North America are carcinogenic, endocrine disrupting, allergenic and more.
- In Europe wheat starch is used as the base – grains and grain derivatives cause many health problems in dogs;
- Maltodextrin is a large molecule that contains no vitamins and minerals;
- In order for your dog to digest maltodextrin he must use his own store of vitamins and minerals to assimilate the maltodextrin – this can rob his body of essential vitamins and minerals;
- Maltodextrin can trigger allergic reactions, asthma, weight gain, hypoglycemia, raise bad cholesterol levels and is most obviously not part of a dog’s appropriate diet.
Why Your Dog’s Urine Burns Grass and Vegetation and the Related Negative Implications to your Dog’s Health
Dogs are omnivores, evolved to consume a diet comprised
mainly of high-quality protein, high quality fat and some carbohydrates. A dog’s species appropriate diet is a raw food diet as detailed in this article. Dry, canned and wet food diets, starchy carbohydrates, food additives cause and contribute to a wide spectrum of health issues and conditions in dogs, including acidification of the body.
A dog’s digestive system is evolved to effectively and efficiently breakdown
high-quality: proteins, fats and raw meaty bones and a small amount of appropriate plant materials while generating minimal waste products - i.e. nitrogen.
The most prevalent ingredients in lawn fertilizer are nitrogen,
phosphorus and potassium (N-P-P). Commercially
manufactured fertilizers include N-P-P in a ratio formulated to support plant growth.
When the ratios are unbalanced and too much nitrogen is present vegetation will
end-up being burned.
Most
commercially manufactured dog food does not conform to the ratios as described
above, nor come anywhere close. Instead most commercial dog food contains an
overabundance of:
- Poor quality carbohydrates and fillers: such as corn, soy, and other grains including highly refined cereal grains, cellulose (wood pulp), potatoes;
- Poor source protein i.e.
- Chicken by-product, egg-product, soy, peas, etc.
While
many manufacturers claim that their dog food is 'scientifically' researched and developed to be
nutritionally complete - it is very important to understand that the term ‘nutritionally
complete’ is not a regulated term in the world of pet foods, nor is ‘holistic’
or ‘natural’. AFFCO certification is also not an assurance that a dog food is nutritionally
complete. In-fact I have yet to see a ‘nutritionally complete dog food’. Dogs are evolved to require the presence of
sufficient levels of specific nutrients to keep their system in natural
balance. Good quality protein is an
essential.
When a dog is on a diet that contains low-quality protein, the
digestive system must work harder to separate viable nutrition from non-viable
and as a result more waste product is produced. Nitrogen is one of those waste
products - a natural by-product resulting from the breakdown of protein during
the process of digestion. An unbalanced diet for a dog creates the same effect
as an unbalanced lawn fertilizer – the dog’s urine ends up containing very high
levels of nitrogen. If the dog is not ingesting sufficient fluids the
concentration of nitrogen in the dog’s urine increases.
The only reason a female dog’s urine seems to burn grass more than
a male dog’s urine is because the female squats low to the ground and the urine
pools in one area as opposed to the urination ritual of a mature male dog who
will usually pee streaming the urine at an elevated height, which does not
result in a concentrated polling of the urine. When a female dog squats to
urinate all of the urine pools in one spot and then sinks down to soil and root
level at which point the roots of the grass, plant absorb the water and with it
an excess of nitrogen causing a fertilizer overload and the resulting burn.
The
Importance of Methionine
- Methionine is an essential amino acid that the body cannot produce on its own;
- Therefore the dog must receive a constant level of methionine from the foods he/she ingests. Essential amino acids are building blocks that enable protein synthesis and the breakdown of fats.
- Methionine is essential for healthy skin, coat, eye, heart health and more.
Foods
that are rich in Methionine include:
- Dairy products
- Eggs
- Fish - such as cod, haddock, perch, pickerel, smelt, salmon, tuna, mackerel, sardines
- Meat
- Seeds
and Nuts - sesame seeds provide the most methionine. For a list of appropriate seeds and nuts, go to this article.
- Pumpkin seeds (pepitas) are good for dogs when provided in moderation
- Dark leafy greens and vegetables.
If
you see ‘egg product’ in the list of ingredients in your dog’s food don’t
expect that egg product to be a source of natural methionine as the ‘egg product’
included in most dog food is waste material from hatcheries and egg processing
facilities.
Plant-based
protein (soy, peas, etc.) is very low in methionine. The soy used in pet food in North America also
poses a whole
host of serious health problems for your dog.
Urine Burns Are a Warning Sign That you MAY Need to Improve Your Dog’s Diet
Seeing
your lawn covered in yellow or brown spots can be an eyesore and may also be a sign
that you are placing your dog’s overall health at risk.
Dogs
that are fed only processed dog food (dry or wet) can have many health
problems both early and later in life and a foreshortened life-span.
- In 2012 the top reason for bringing a dog to the veterinarian was ear infections;
- Most ear infections are triggered by inappropriate diet;
- Most veterinarians prescribe antibiotics to clear-up the infection, which unfortunately does not clear-up the root cause;
- Which can then result in chronic ear infections;
- An immune system that is suppressed, and;
- Resistance to antibiotics .
- Poor diet can cause many other issues including a disruption of the body’s natural Ph level where a dog’s blood becomes acidic;
- Diseases including cancer and parasites all thrive in an acidic environment;
- Insects such as mosquitoes and fleas are attracted to dogs with acidified blood.
The Best
Solution is one with a Multitude of Benefits
The
best solution to a nice lawn is a mutually beneficial one which will first
ensure your dog’s overall health and well being and, at the same time resolve
the unsightly yellow and brown spots in your lawn and garden.
Healthy Solutions to Help Stop Your Dog’s Urine from Burning Your Lawn
The best solution is to
feed your dog a species appropriate raw diet.
If
you do not want to make your own raw food, you can purchase pre-prepared good quality
frozen raw dog food in many pet stores;
- Just because you are feeding your dog a cooked or raw diet, does not mean that the specific diet you are using is appropriate for dogs. Many (homemade and commercial) cooked and raw diets include inappropriate listed and/or hidden ingredients that can cause health issues.
- Homemade cooked or raw diets, commercial store bought cooked and raw diets are NOT a one-size-fits all panacea for perfect health.
- Every dog is an individual, with his / her unique gut microbes, unique metabolism, and needs.
- A specific diet that works well for one dog may not work well, or 'perfectly' for another dog. There are thousands of raw diets - each comprised of specific ingredients that MAY or MAY Not all cooked or raw diets are equal in quality.
- A formula / recipe may include one or more inappropriate ingredients - listed or hidden.
- You may be including additional supplements that are simply not appropriate for your individual dog, or not appropriate due to listed and hidden ingredients.
- When seeking reasons why a specific diet may not be resulting in the expected result for your dog, a detailed review is recommended.
If your dog is on a raw diet BUT the components of the diet are sourced from factory farm raised animals, the toxic residues can contribute to your dog's toxic load, resulting in underlying issues and increase risk of urine burns.
Learn more in this article.
Healthy Fluids
Include health supporting liquids in your dog's dietary protocol. Choose what bests suits your dog, for example:
- For the recipe go here.
Short Cooked Broth
- For the recipe go here.
Rooibos Tea
- Go to this article.
Holistic Diet, Nutrition, Wellness Services Tailored to Your Individual Dog and Cat
For information about my holistic diet, nutrition, wellness services visit my:
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Affiliations to Companies
✓ None.
✓ I don't sell food or supplements.
✓ I'm not aligned with any companies.
✓ None.
✓ I don't sell food or supplements.
✓ I'm not aligned with any companies.
Article and graphics by Karen Rosenfeld
