Just about every puppy or dog owner in the world has encountered this problematic issue at some point during their lifetime. Watching TV with a bag of popcorn and suddenly theres a very unique smell, unmistakable to any other scent - your dog has had an accident.
Now this does happen from time to time, but before we delve into the best methods to clean an accident up from carpet we will have a quick recap on the reasons accidents happen to make sure there is nothing sinister health wise behind it.
Common Causes of Dog Incontinence
As dogs start get older you will start to find that they encounter an occasional unscheduled toilet stop, which has a fairly noticeable ammonia like smell. As long as there are no other symptoms and it is happening infrequently in small amounts there is usually nothing of major concern but it is worth letting the vet know at their next check up. Larger amounts in abnormal areas of the house are worth a vet visit sooner rather than later to rule out any kidney issues.
Puppies which haven't yet been housetrained are likely to urinate inside fairly frequently and if you are reading this article there is a good chance you ended up on this page due to this very issue. Once again there is nothing too sinister behind this and a good routine and disciplined learning should be able to remedy this issue.
The most common cause for a house-trained dog to have an accident inside is a UTI or Urinary Tract Infection. Normally this is no great concern but something you want to get on top of quickly. Taking you dog to the Vet is the first step where they will check a urine sample and if a UTI or bacteria is present will treat it with antibiotics. If not, they will give your pup a thorough exam to make sure there aren't any other issues at play such as inflammation or bladder stones. Always let you vet know if there has been a recent change of diet which can contribute sometimes also.
If your pup has been give the A-OK from the vet and you still experience issues chances are it is behavioural and could be caused by stress or excitement. Try to pin down any causes of stress such as a dog barking nearby or a certain program playing on TV, you can also try and use familiar scents to help calm them such as a dog spray as smell is a dogs greatest sense.
Next have a look for anything that could be exciting them such as kids playing or a cat chasing them around the house and try to remove the stimulus to see if it helps. Remember to be patient while identifying the trigger, it can take time.
Cleaning up the Urine
Now the most important part of cleaning up by far is SPEED. Get to it as soon as you possibly can as the longer you leave it the more it will start to smell and the harder the stain will be to remove. The reason we want to remove as much of the smell as soon as we can is to stop not only you, but your dog smelling it to avoid repeat offending from them in the same area.
The easiest method is simple and effective. Grab some paper towels and dab the urine until you can't absorb any more, you may need to use a bit of muscle to push down or even walking on the paper towels can help.
Next pour or spray a small amount of vinegar solution (50:50 white vinegar and water) onto the area and allow it to seep in to the fibres for 5-10 minutes. Vinegar is gentle on carpets but if you are concerned we recommend trying it on a small patch of carpet before trying it on a large stain.
After 5-10 minutes, once again pull out the paper towels and dab away again until the area is dry.
Once the area is completely dry which could take some time (1-2 hours), sprinkle a touch of baking soda over the affected area and then vacuum it up after 10-20 minutes and voila - your carpet should as good as new! Feel free to repeat this process twice if there is a tiny bit of residual smell remaining.
Urine Stains that have Dried Already
If you unfortunately didn't manage to find the urine stain in time or it had already dried in to the carpet, this can require a stronger cleaning agent than vinegar. Our recommendation is to contact a professional carpet cleaner or use a Rug Doctor to avoid trying harsh chemicals which can damage the carpet and do more harm than good. If you decide to try a supermarket brand, we recommend trying it on a small patch of carpet first just incase!