Why Does Dog Urine Stain Grass?

If you have a canine, you may wonder what causes your canine’s pee to sometimes stain or burn the grass. Many believe it’s due to the acid that’s in the urine, but actually, nitrogen is to blame. Let’s dive more into this phenomenon and what you can do about it.

Is There a Difference in Female vs. Male Dog Urine?

Contrary to popular belief, there is no chemical difference between male and female urine. What may cause a variation, however, is related to how a female dog pees vs. how a male dog does. When a female pup urinates, they go into a squat, which ends up depositing more urine into one concentrated area. With male dogs, though, since they lift their leg, they have a higher chance of peeing in several spots, which in effect releases small amounts of urine in multiple areas.

Now, this doesn’t mean that male dog pee doesn’t stain or kill the grass (because it can); it just means that it will happen in smaller spots across your yard.

Are There Ways to Lessen Grass Being Stained?

Yes! In fact, some varieties of grass are considerably more resistant to the nitrogen in dog urine than others. Fescue and Perennial ryegrass, for example, are types of grass that have a higher resistance to nitrogen in dog pee. You can also try watering your lawn or yard regularly to dilute the urine, hopefully.

Another thing you can do make sure Fido is drinking plenty of water as well as bone broth to additionally dilute the urine from the source. Bone broth is an especially great idea because it tastes great for Fido and contains a bit of fat, so they’ll drink it up much more than they would with water. Giving your furry friend more canned food can also help bring more liquid into their system as well.

You’ll probably find a handful of “hacks” on the internet, claiming that pouring tomatoes juice on your lawn or giving your pooch supplements can help. But these simply aren’t factual or accurate, and some of the suggestions can actually cause you furry friend harm. So if your dog’s urine is staining your lawn and it’s something you want to change – stick to watering your lawn more frequently and introducing more hydration into your canine’s diet.