How To Get Urine Smell Out of Dog Fur: 4 Easy Ways
Dogs aren’t always “straight shooters” when it comes time to pee, and that’s not the only way a dog can get urine in their fur. It may even occur on a regular basis if you have a pet who is incontinent. Regardless of how it happens, you will be compelled to get rid of the stale urine odor.
Urine not only smells bad, but the odor tends to linger. It can also become tacky when it dries and even transfer from your pup to other items, making them reek as well. It’s vital to remove the urine and its smell from your dog’s fur as soon as possible.
The question is, how are you supposed to do that? By using one of these four possible ways to get the urine smell from your dog’s fur, you’ll find you can handle the situation quite easily!
Before You Start
Before you begin removing the urine smell from your dog’s fur, you need to make sure you have a few things on hand.
Depending on the method you use, you’ll need:
Bathtub or sink
Regular dog shampoo
Apple cider vinegar
Towels
Pet wipes
Self-rinse or dry shampoo
Cornstarch
Talcum powder
Once you’ve acquired the items you’ll need for the method you’ve chosen, take them to the area you’ll be using to clean your dog and ensure they’re in reach.
Image Credit: Squirrel_photos, Pixabay
The 4 Ways to Get Urine Smell Out of Dog Fur
1. Bathing
Image By: Ultraskrip, Shutterstock
Depending on how much urine has gotten on your dog, bathing will likely be the best way to remove the urine smell from their fur. For this, you’ll need a place to bathe your pup, regular dog shampoo, towels, and apple cider vinegar.
You’ll be washing them as usual for the most part; you’ll just be adding an extra step with the vinegar. So, before you begin the bath, make a mix of 1 cup of vinegar to 1/2 gallon of warm water.
First, bathe as normal with an extra lather or two on the parts of their fur containing urine. Once you’ve rinsed the shampoo off them very well, you’ll then—very carefully and avoiding the eyes—pour the vinegar mixture onto the fur that has been urinated on. Then, you’ll rinse thoroughly with water again and dry your pet as you typically would.
The most thorough way to remove the smell of urine
You should have what you need on hand
The most time-consuming way to remove the smell of urine
Your dog might hate baths
2. Pet Wipes
Image By: Yevhen Prozhyrko, Shutterstock
Sometimes you might notice the smell of urine on your pup when you aren’t at home or when it’s just not convenient to give them a bath. In that case, you might give pet wipes a try.
While not as thorough as a bath, they make a good alternative when you’re on the go. They are also good to use if you have a puppy who’s having a lot of accidents and you’re concerned about bathing too often (as too many baths can lead to a dry coat and skin).
When using pet wipes, all you’ll need to do is wipe down the parts of your pet’s fur that have been stained with urine.
More convenient than a full-blown bath
Your dog may prefer this method
Prevents overbathing
May remove the urine smell less well than bathing
3. Dry And Self-Rinse Shampoos
You’re likely familiar with dry shampoo, but you may not have realized they make it for dogs too. If you’re in an absolute pinch and have no other alternatives on hand, dry shampoo should help remove at least some of the urine smell from your dog’s fur. All you have to do is spray or sprinkle this into the fur, massage it in, then brush when it’s dried. Be warned that dry shampoo can leave a sticky residue, so you may still end up having to give your pup a bath later.
Self-rinse shampoos work in a similar fashion but do a bit better job than dry shampoos. They’re more like regular shampoo, too, only not as thick. With self-rinse shampoo, you work the shampoo into your pet’s coat until it lathers, then blot dry, and you’re done!
Great when you have no other alternatives available
Quick and easy to use
Won’t be as effective at removing urine smell, especially dry shampoo
Dry shampooing may still require a bath later due to residue
4. Talcum Powder and Cornstarch
Image By: Pixabay
This combination of ingredients is quite like the idea of dry shampoo in that it’s meant to soak up any urine and its smell from your dog’s fur. In fact, you do the same as you would with dry shampoo—put a little of both on your dog’s fur, rub it in, then brush it out after it’s dried. This solution is usually more of a temporary one, so you may find yourself following up with a bath or other methods later.
Easy to use
Mostly a temporary method of removing urine smell
Will most likely require a follow-up with another method such as bathing
What You Should Know About Urine Leakage
Sometimes when your dog gets urine on themselves, it isn’t a simple matter of them having long hair or just peeing on their foot by accident. They might be leaking urine unintentionally, also known as incontinence. If you think this could be the situation with your pup, it’s important to know the reasons it could be occurring and what to do about it.
Why Dogs Leak Urine
There are quite a few health reasons why your dog might be leaking urine. These include:
Urinary tract infections
Weak bladder muscles
Nerve damage
Bladder stones
Prostate disease
If you suspect your dog has become incontinent, you’ll want to get them to the vet straight away to determine the root cause of the issue. Once your vet has determined why the incontinence is happening, they can begin treatment as needed. Treatments can range from medication to changes in diet to surgery, depending on the reason for the incontinence.
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Conclusion
It’s unfortunate when our dogs pee on themselves, whether accidentally or due to a health issue. But you don’t have to panic about how to get the urine smell out of their fur! Urine and its odor are relatively simple to remove.
You can get rid of it with a bath, some pet wipes, dry or self-rinse shampoo, or even just a bit of talcum powder plus cornstarch. Depending on which method you go with, it can take mere minutes up to an hour. Whichever way you choose to remove that awful urine smell, though, you can rest assured that your dog will be relieved!
