I am going to answer a question that was posted for me a little while ago. It is to do with the white powder or residue left from dog urine on concrete. This white powder many times is visible on concrete and not visible in other situations. It could be present but not visible on carpet for example. If the residue is heavy you will see it on carpet also. The question left for me was this:
“There are many white stains on our concrete path from my dogs urine. Is this white reaction from the concrete or a stomach problem.
thanks
paul”
The reaction is neither a stomach problem or a reaction to the concrete but a condition created from the urine. When urine leaves the body human or mammal it is slightly acid (or acidic on the ph scale). The urine begins to change as soon as it leaves the body. Uric acid in the dogs urine is broken down into ammonia and carbon dioxide. The ammonia is high alkaline on the ph scale. The reaction from the acidic urine and the ammonia creates alkaline salt crystals. This is the white residue left on the concrete from the dogs urine. A good acid pretreatment wash will neutralize the alkaline salt crystals (white residue). Once neutralized it wash’s off easily with water or another neutral cleaner. If the urine has penetrated deeply into the concrete you may want to use an enzyme digester or oxidation product to deal with any smell or other residue. But the acid cleaner will remove the alkaline salts (white residue) left from the dog urine on the concrete.
I have come across two main complaints regarding outdoor dog urine. By far the most common is the damage caused to grass from the dog urine. The other is the smell from the urine. Usually the smell dissipates and is not a problem in the outdoors. There are exceptions to this. For example I heard of a case where two large dogs were kept in a run almost continually and the urine in the run was never cleaned up. This build up began to smell and when the wind was blowing towards the neighbors it carried the urine smell into there yard and was a considerable nuisance. The damage to grass is the more common outdoor dog urine problem. The best solution is an all natural lawn repair product that is safe for you, your pet and the environment. Designed to prevent and repair lawn damage caused by dog urine.
Neutralize dog urine in or on grass. There are three items experts say you need to deal with when neutralizing dog urine damage on grass. Some say it is the acid in the urine that harms the grass. Some say it is the excess nitrogen in the urine. And I recently read an article explaining it is the salts in the urine. Some of the solutions to correct the problem are to water the exact area soon after the dog urinates. This will dilute the urine and which ever ingredient in the urine that is causing the grass to die will not be concentrated enough to do any damage. This sounds like a good solution but my problem with it is I am not going to follow my dog around waiting for her to do her business so I can then dilute it with enough water to fix the problem. I refuse to do that. Sorry! Another solution is to feed your dog supplements (pills, wafers, treats,) that change the makeup of the urine in your dog so it no longer damages the grass. The supplements come in many forms and some come with a product (paint type product) that you spray on the grass to turn it green. The grass now looks good while the supplements have time to take effect and give the grass the chance to grow back. It is a cover up until the grass grows back. This might also be a good solution but my disagreement with it, is the possible negative health issues to my dog. There is also the solution of re-planting new grass. Sometimes this will be necessary. What I have been looking for and have now found a natural product that you put on the grass that treats the soil and counteracts all three effects of the dog urine on it. I am now working on making it available to you.