Pet urine in carpet. We can all recognize pet urine as a potential source of odor that we prefer to avoid. Pet urine in your carpet from the dog, cat, rabbit, gerbil other pet and yes even human urine can severely stain a carpet. Urine damages the face and back of a carpet, and even the floors below the carpet and pad.
Our dogs and cats are often like our family. We wouldn’t allow our children to pee on our carpet and we shouldn’t allow our pets to pee on it either. Unwilling to make sure that our pets are litter box trained or let out frequently to answer those calls of nature, we should have concrete or tile flooring and not wall to wall carpet.
Pet Urine in Carpet What Can We Do?
A majority of pet owners place a litter box or at least a container with sand and pebbles for their cat to relieve themselves.
With dogs that are house pets you might want to consider a doggy door. This bit of convenience for the pet is a prevention step that will help to prevent pet urine in carpet.
Well trained pets and carpet mix. Untrained pets and carpet do not mix. We get a new puppy and one of the first things we experience is a bit of pet urine on the carpet. Puppies need to be housebroken and the quicker we can do it the sooner we prevent them from breaking the house. For that reason it is a good idea to have some type of protection over a carpet during this period of time.
Fail to protect will result in urine damaged carpet. Fail to cleanup accidents immediately means that pet urine on the surface is now in the back of carpet. With repeated accidents in the same area it will soak through the pad and into the floor.
Why Are They Peeing On My Carpet?
As with puppies, older animals also have accidents. One remains safe in a single case only, basically – if keeping smaller animal, and keeping it in cage. Because, like us humans, as animals age they are often unable to hold their bladder as long as when they were a bit younger. Some animals are on medication and may be on a special diet. Pet urine will also go through changes as changes in reproductive cycles take place. Dyes are found in medication and animal foods and these too can stain a carpet.
If you have a dog that lifts his (or her) leg on anything and everything, you know what a frustrating and disgusting habit this can be! While it may be perfectly normal dog behavior, it’s not acceptable for dogs to choose to mark inside homes and public places. So it is up to the humans to try to explain that rule to the dog in a way he or she can understand. Understanding the causes may help you pinpoint the best method for stopping the behavior.
Boys and Girls
If your dog is young, you may notice he has recently started lifting his leg to eliminate. He is trying to be a “big dog” and leave his mark higher than other dogs might. Some small dogs will even walk backwards up a vertical surface in an attempt to mark higher! It’s not just the boys.
Females may also mark and some get it just as high as the boys! It is often done in response to the sight or smell of another dog. Your dog may be trying to cover the scent left by another dog or be trying to send the message that “hey buddy, this tree is MINE!” or “I’ve been here”. While this may be acceptable outdoors, the problem starts when the dog doesn’t realize that leaving those little p-mail messages inside is NOT OK.
Quick Cleanup of Pet Urine in Carpet
Quick cleanup of pet urine is important. The sooner you get to it the greater opportunity you will have of preventing damage. For a quick pet urine accident do the following:
- Blot the area with a cloth or white paper towel as soon as you notice the spot. Absorb as much of the residue as you are able to.
- Blot the area with a solution of 1/4 teaspoon of a liquid dishwashing detergent (non-bleach and non-lanolin) with one cup of lukewarm water. (Do not use automatic dishwashing detergent or laundry detergent. ) Absorb the moisture with a cloth or white paper towel.
- Rinse with warm water and repeat the application of detergent. Continue rinsing and blotting with the detergent solution and water as long as there is a transfer to the towel and as long as the spot continues to improve.
- Follow the detergent application with a solution of two tablespoons of ammonia with one cup of water.
- Rinse with warm water and repeat and blot dry.
- Blot the area with a solution of one cup white vinegar to two cups water and blot dry.
- Apply a half-inch layer of white paper towels to the affected area. Weigh the towels down with a flat, heavy, non-fading object or with books with a layer of foil or wax paper between them and the towels. Continue to change paper towels until completely dry.
For professional assistance with pet urine in carpet visit IICRC
My mother decided that she wanted to get a new dog. He hasn’t been house broken at all, so she decided to lay out pee pads while she’s trying to house break him. We’ve kept him upstairs where he can’t urinate on any carpets. She wants him to be able to go downstairs so that he can get some exercise. I’m worried about what her dog will do to the carpeting downstairs though. It seems like a good idea to use dishwashing detergent to get rid of pet urine from carpet. I’ll try to use that method if my mom’s dog urinates on the carpet.
Keep in mind that the best thing you can do is prevent the new dog from peeing on the carpet. When you start getting a buildup of urine in can be very difficult to clean up. Once a dog pees in an area clean it up immediately or it may be attracted to the same area again. Good luck!!