Stitch Posted August 20, 2004 Share Posted August 20, 2004 I notice that even using Hills Science diet the dogs urine still makes a dead patch on the lawn. If you feed no dried food at all does the urine still stay at the same pH? Also is there any dried dog food that does not alter the pH (regardless of what the manufacturer says)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aatainc Posted August 20, 2004 Share Posted August 20, 2004 my dogs get no dried and the males wee doesn't kill of the grass but the girl's does - only if she goes on the same spot a few times in a row though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dali-love Posted August 20, 2004 Share Posted August 20, 2004 That's why those patches are called bitches patches. It helps if you hose it of with water directly after the dog/bitch has been to the toilet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stitch Posted August 20, 2004 Author Share Posted August 20, 2004 Not worried about the grass but I was interested to know the effect of what must be a high urine pH on the internal organs of the dog. If it kills grass so quickly imagine what it might be doing to the dog!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aatainc Posted August 22, 2004 Share Posted August 22, 2004 Hi Stitch, I think from memory it's not specifically the pH of the urine, rather the nitrogen content. It's very normal for dogs (and any animals) to excrete lots of nitrogen in the urine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stitch Posted August 22, 2004 Author Share Posted August 22, 2004 The first stage of waste from any animal including humans is ammonia, then nitrite then nitrate, which is probably what you were thinking of. However pH is a totally different thing - I was just wondering what effect the dry food has on the pH as I know it does affect it. I did hear it mentioned somewhere that if you don't feed dry food then the pH of the waste is better for the dog but I don't know the specifics of that comment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bladek9 Posted August 22, 2004 Share Posted August 22, 2004 Its when the urine ph is high that does it ie alkaline urine. My dobe gets bladder stones and UTIs and he has alkaline urine which I have to control. The vet says it is his metabolism. He has 2 ops already to remove stones. When he has a UTI or the urine is turning high again the grass burns terribly. The vet told me alkaline urine causes it not acid which a lot of people think. Its true too, cause it only does it when we are getting into trouble again. I have also changed my dogs diet to BARF diet to get him totally off kibble because the vet is suspicious of kibble causing his ph trouble and to tell the truth I am too. I have to check his ph levels once a week and he is on acidifiers at the moment but hopefully in the future I can wean him off them slowly. Hopefully the new diet might help his problem. I know one thing he loves the variety and his coat is gleaming again. I would say just be a little wary of a dog if the grass is burning to make sure it isnt harbouring a urinary tract infection. Whatever you do, dont let your dog have a high ph for very long as your dog will end up having stones which can cause blockages. Believe me I have been through this and my dog was operated on 14 days ago. I have spent a lot of money at the vets because of this. Just keep in mind that UTIs can cause high ph and if a dog gets regular UTIs there could be stones present. Best to get it checked out if this is the case to save a lot of trouble later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stitch Posted August 22, 2004 Author Share Posted August 22, 2004 Thanks Blade, that covers it!! I have started not feeding dry food every night and substitute chicken wings and/or lamb flaps instead about 3 times a week. With your BARF diet what do you feed? I work so I really need something that could be prepared in advance, say once or maybe twice a week and frozen or stored. Is it possible to feed a BARF diet this way? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bladek9 Posted August 24, 2004 Share Posted August 24, 2004 Yep that is what I do. Make sure you've got a big enough freezer. I get a large amount of vegies at once and blend them and put them in seperate bags and write on the bag. I freeze straight away but leave some unfrzen for next couple days. I thaw as required in advance. I dont give the same vegies everynight but change them so he doesnt get bored. I feed my dog twice a day and just give him some bones with meat for brekky. Freeze these also and thaw in advance.This can be different chicken pieces or beef bones. I also feed fish on different days also. I buy cheap cans of tuna, mackeral, sardines or salmon to substitute some meat days. I add a little vegeroni pasta or white rice and throw in an egg no more than twice a week & add liver as well but dont give it everyday.I also add some kelp, cod liver oil & natural yoghurt with the beneficial bacteria ( my dog has had frequent doses of antibiotics lately) & ascorbic acid. I grate a little cheese over his dinner sometimes. If I see bruised vegies on special I grab them all and blend straight away. My dog eats raw spinach, celery, green beans, peas, cauliflower, squash,pumpkin, eggplant, carrot, apples, cheap canned peeled tomatoes & cooked leftover vegies. I don't see a problem with frozen vegies if your short on time. They go through the blender fine still frozen. I do this with beans and peas. Mind you my husband thinks my dog eats better than us Just keep in mind though that we have had drought conditions lately and I don't know if the lack of rain can cause more pronounced grass burning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stitch Posted August 24, 2004 Author Share Posted August 24, 2004 Thanks Blade9! That all sounds good - I could do that - but you lost me with the fish - ugh, fish mouth when they come in at night!! With the grass thing - I am not worried about that as all our grass is dead anyway - that is all except the small area where the dew drips down every morning from the overhanging back verandah roof onto the grass - and guess where the girls like to pee - yep, on the only green area of grass in 40 acres!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Slipper Posted September 1, 2004 Share Posted September 1, 2004 we have always fed our puppies until one year of Age Hills Science Diet. As soon as weaning starts the bitches have polyuria. I put a dipstick in it the other day and the pH was 5.0 which is a low pH or more acidic than neutral which is 7.0. Also present was leucocytes and nitrates whilst the SG was 1.020 which means they are well hydrated. An SG of 1.000 means the wee would be the same solute as water. I have heard that Hills causes urate crystal formation (reliable veterinary source) which might partway explain the intractable vaginitis/cystitis they develop within days of commencing weaning. That aside we have found it a great food for growing youngsters compared to some of the other brands of biscuit we have tried in the past Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rappie Posted September 1, 2004 Share Posted September 1, 2004 Also present was leucocytes and nitrates whilst the SG was 1.020 which means they are well hydrated. An SG of 1.000 means the wee would be the same solute as water I'm not really sure what you're getting at An SG is 1.020 does mean they are hydrated (but urine concentration isn't usually used to determine hydration, rather renal function - a PCV is the measure of dehydration), but it would make me happier to see it up closer to 1.030 to show that renal function was fine. An SG of 1.000 is the same as water, but that isn't a problem so long as there is water going in. An SG that is the same as plamsa 1.012 one multiple occasions is the biggest worry. Also in addition to the original question, a high level of protein in the diet (such as high "just meat" content without vegies etc will also do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carloslex Posted January 18, 2008 Share Posted January 18, 2008 Hi guys, I know this thread is bit old but hopefully someone will be able to help me, does anyone have a solution to a dogs urine burning the grass? not all the time just occassionaly, I tried to buy some supplements from the US that fix the problem but customs seized them and said they are prohibited. OOp's. I read somewhere that adding Tomatoe juice to her diet might help? but I don't like to try anything until I am sure it is okay for the dog? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cazxxz Posted January 18, 2008 Share Posted January 18, 2008 Apparently tomato juice or sauce is quite effective. It increases the amount of sodium, which increases the water intake, so the urine is more diluted. However, I wouldn't go with this option - increased sodium can lead to kidney stones. I would be wary of any supplements to prevent grass burn. What do you feed your dogs? Could you train your dogs to urinate in one spot? Then there could just be one burnt patch. If there's a post, that'd be a good spot to train the boys if you have any. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oakway Posted January 18, 2008 Share Posted January 18, 2008 Why not try Dog Rocks in the water. Visit the "View All Advertisers" at the top of page and go to the Dog Rocks page. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carloslex Posted January 19, 2008 Share Posted January 19, 2008 I am currently trying dog rocks, they say it takes up to 6 weeks to geta result, it is a bit hard to say if they are doing the job as we have had a fair bit of rain over the last few weeks so that might be actually naturally watering down her urine and not burning the grass. I guess I will have to wait and see Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carloslex Posted January 19, 2008 Share Posted January 19, 2008 I forgot to mention diet, she is on Royal Canine, with a a few pig ears etc every now and again. She loves it and her coat looks brilliant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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