Yellow spots ruining your lawn? Dog owners know all too well how canine urine can burn a lawn. But don't despair. There is a type of grass seed that, while not totally urine-resistant, can minimize unsightly grass spots.
Why Dog Urine Burns Grass
Dog urine is highly concentrated with chemicals (salts) that can scorch grass. One way to avoid this is to make sure your dog drinks more water, thus diluting the chemical concentration. Also, dogs who are fed high protein foods tend to have urine that damages lawns, so you might change to a lower protein food. However, before changing food, be sure to check with your veterinarian to make sure your dog can handle food adjustments.
Types of Grass to Reduce Urine Burn
If you plan to re-seed your lawn, you can always use a hardier grass, such as fescues or perennial rye grasses. Over time these types of grasses can still be damaged by dog urine, but the damage will take longer to show up, and the grass will be better able to recover from scorching.
Salt-Neutralizing Grass Seed
In addition, some grass seed companies advertise products containing special "salt neutralizers" that minimize the effects of salts from dog urine. However, many dog and lawn experts believe no grass seed is 100 percent effective at reducing urine burn.
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Writer Bio
Debra Levy has been writing for more than 30 years. She has had fiction and nonfiction published in various literary journals. Levy holds an M.A. in English from Indiana University and an M.F.A. in creative writing/fiction from the Bennington Writing Seminars.