# Grass Saver Tablets?



## pinkanml

I was wondering if anyone has tried one of those grass-saving tablets/treats/etc.and had any results?


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## ozzymama

In this case, you don't have to treat the dog, you treat the lawn. Water washes away alot of the nitrogen which (excess nitrogen) causes the yellow spots. When you fertilize, look for a higher concentrate of phosphate, the second number in fertilizer. This is also the fertilizer one would use with blooming plants. You want to treat specifically to the spots. If you treat your whole lawn, look for a fertilizer whose first two numbers are close, the fertilizer particle does not obey the common periodic table equations, often there exists a catalyst which permits phoshate to bond better and at a higher amount to nitrogen. Think, as they have the molecule on the bag, the phosphate and nitrogen should be close, the potash lower.
Don't give your dogs anything with treatments in them if not necessary........ Especially when fertilizer and water







can do the trick!! If you are really worried, have the ground aerated, overseed, then fertilize, but watch the first two numbers, nitrogen is necessary for green plants like grass, but too much - as exists in dog urine can kill it, therefore supplementing your lawn with (specific spots) phosphate should stave off unsightly yellow spots.


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## pinkanml

Thanks! Do I have to wash the dogs' feet before they come in if they walk on the fertilizer? Wouldn't want them ingesting anything or hurting their skin.


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## BowWowMeow

> Originally Posted By: ozzymamaIn this case, you don't have to treat the dog, you treat the lawn. Water washes away alot of the nitrogen which (excess nitrogen) causes the yellow spots. When you fertilize, look for a higher concentrate of phosphate, the second number in fertilizer. This is also the fertilizer one would use with blooming plants. You want to treat specifically to the spots. If you treat your whole lawn, look for a fertilizer whose first two numbers are close, the fertilizer particle does not obey the common periodic table equations, often there exists a catalyst which permits phoshate to bond better and at a higher amount to nitrogen. Think, as they have the molecule on the bag, the phosphate and nitrogen should be close, the potash lower.
> Don't give your dogs anything with treatments in them if not necessary........ Especially when fertilizer and water
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> can do the trick!! If you are really worried, have the ground aerated, overseed, then fertilize, but watch the first two numbers, nitrogen is necessary for green plants like grass, but too much - as exists in dog urine can kill it, therefore supplementing your lawn with (specific spots) phosphate should stave off unsightly yellow spots.


Um, I'm going to assume you would be recommending a chemical free, green fertilizer? Because otherwise you are poisoning your dogs, yourself and all the legged and winged critters who visit your backyard. Plus the rest of your neighborhood too since they carry it with them and since the fertilizer runs off when it rains. 

Dogs and chemical fertilizers = CANCER

http://www.beyondpesticides.org/news/daily_news_archive/2004/05_03_04.htm

Just one story for you: When I lived in Wisconsin I lived for about a year near a golf course. Everyone used to take their dogs there to run when it was closed for the season or at night. Then a huge percentage of dogs in the neighborhood (all of whom had run at that golf course) started getting cancer and dying, including our 6.5 yo sheltie. I did a little research and found studies that showed a higher incidence of cancer in dogs in neighborhoods that used more lawn fertilizers. 

I would much rather have dead spots in my grass than dead dogs.


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## pinkanml

Yes, I'm pretty much resigned to the dead grass. I'm just a bit embarrassed because I live in a townhouse and we only have front yards, so everyone can see the one yard with the nasty grass, LOL. There are grassy areas and woods nearby, but a lot of people let their unruly dogs and kids run loose around here, which makes Sash too nervous to go potty anywhere but our yard. 

We rent and the community is landscaped by the owners, so I wouldn't/couldn't do anything to the lawn anyways. There's no water spigot either, so I couldn't even rinse the grass unless I haul buckets from the bathtub.

That's why I was hoping someone heard of any safe treats I could give them, since I've seen them in catalogs before. I don't really really care, but just wondered if there was anything safe and easy I could do.


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## ozzymama

Our pesticide ban here suggests what fertilizers to use, the other option for putting nothing on the lawn is to cover the lawn 1in thick with topsoil and then overseed. 1yr old sheep manure mixed with peatmoss is an excellent fertilizer.
If you are worried about chemicals, then don't get anything that is weed and feed.
Depending on what you use and the by-laws in your area that dictate such, you probably want to wash the dog's feet. My only suggestion in looking for a greener fertilizer is buy it from a place that sells it, often people go to farmers and get manure, this only works if you can analyze it yourself. Basically the tea that one puts on rose bushes works on the lawn. We fertilize every six weeks in the warmer months with a liquid. Very early spring we do topsoiland seeding, 6 weeks later we fertilize and then again and again until we put the lawn to bed in the winter. Since we moved in here in August, we're a bit behind.
Find out what grass is recommended for your area, a good root base helps signifigantly.
Depending on your watering guidelines, rinsing the lawn off each evening will help to wash away the nitrogen from the pee.
I worry about giving dogs anything that changes the way their bodies naturally filter elements. That's why I'm not big on the lawn saver tablets.


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## jejacks0n

*Avoid at all costs*

I purchased this product a few months back, and have been giving it to my dogs for that time.. I went out and came back this evening to find that one of the dogs had gotten into the bottle and had eaten a good portion of them. He had thrown up all over the house, and wasn't able to keep any water down.

I called the animal poison control and they advised me to take the dog to emergency care immediately. Some of the side effects of this poison (Methionine, the active ingredient) are: liver disease, seizures, possible death, etc.

He's spending the night at the vet on an IV, getting blood work done to monitor his liver and other various blood indicators (~$1200). Hopefully everything works out.

My advice is to never allow these things into your home, and tell your dog owner friends to avoid them as well. Is grass as important as your dog's health?

I'm still a little shocked that they can sell these things, since they're treat flavored and potentially deadly.. The bottle does not even come close to expressing how harmful they can be, so here's the heads up.


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## codmaster

Thanks!


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## arycrest

jejacks0n said:


> ...
> I called the animal poison control and they advised me to take the dog to emergency care immediately. Some of the side effects of this poison (Methionine, the active ingredient) are: liver disease, seizures, possible death, etc.
> 
> He's spending the night at the vet on an IV, getting blood work done to monitor his liver and other various blood indicators (~$1200). Hopefully everything works out.
> ...


I've never agreed with using this type of pill just to keep a lawn green, and after reading your horror story I'm even more convinenced people shouldn't use them.

Hope your boy will be okay!!!!


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## Rott-n-GSDs

A big issue I have with these type of products is that many of them are made to alter the pH of your dog's urine. This can cause some pretty serious health issues, including urinary crystals that can lead to blockages.

I wouldn't risk it.

As far as the lawn, I didn't do anything to ours (it was completely dead/brown in a large area after a winter of them peeing in pretty much the same spot) and it simply bounced back, and is now green and nice looking.


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