Kennel Odor - Page 1

I was wondering what methods you all use to control outdoor kennel odor? I dont have individual outdoor kennels but a big pen area. I rototill the soil and rake in super strength lyme to get it under the surface but the area where the girls pee still stinks. I have been putting down a bleach solution to control the odor...seems to be the only thing that works but I am looking for better options. The pen area is sloped so putting down stone or pine shavings doesn't work for me...have tried that but they end up moving down the slope to one corner. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

I know this sounds weird, but worked for my horses. The dogs area hasn't ever smelled bad, so I've never had to try it with the dogs. At WalMart or your other local store, you can get RID-X, which is an enzyme treatment for septic tanks containing liquid and solid wastes---the enzymes apparently EAT the waste. Anyway, worked great in the horse stalls. You just sprinkle it dry on the area, and then spray it down with a little water to activate the enzymes. Hope this helps. :) Melanie

That’s an interesting advice! My kennel hardly ever has any odor, but it’s good to learn something new “just in case.” I bleach the runs area about twice a year and spray it with disinfectant. It works great. But my runs are on concrete with imbedded pebbles (which is not very easy to clean, but is good for dog’s feet), and I let the dogs out of the runs often enough so that they hardly ever pee/poop inside their runs – they wait to go out. Which is extremely helpful.

ENZYMES!! What a wonderful idea and I bet it works well. I will try that tomorrow. Thanks!!

When I had concrete runs I used to use a white plastic bucket 3/4 full of water and about a cup of Clorox cleaner with a narrow head, stiff broom to clean 2x daily. I used a wide, industrial, long-handled squeegie (sp?) to sweep off excess water as some of my runs were not correctly graded. :( It worked very well: no smell. I use enzymes on the carpet for puppy accidents. That works very well too, but then again NOTHING stains the commercial-grade carpet and water-proof padding we put in this year! It ain't beautiful, but it stays just as uninteresting as the day we installed it no matter WHAT we throw at it ;) including when Gabi ate a whole pound of licorice and pooped it out in a truly disgusting form some hours later. It took a few tries with my old, upright carpet shampooer, enzyme and Oxygen foam stain remover & hot water, but its gone. Red wine falling victim to wagging tails is a cinch. ;))) Hope this helps, Shelley

VFH Sounds like a good idea and I am trying this in my gravel kennels. How much do you use and does it really cut the odor? I used quite a bit the first time because we have been using bleach wich is known to kill enzymes. I'm not going to use bleach for awhile and just use the enzymes to see how it works, but we are wondering! =) I hope the smell doesn't get really bad before the enzymes kick in. ANybody else using this method or have an opinion???

OdoBan from Sams....dilute in a gallon jug as instructed, no smell, no ants, and no flies......use it in the washing of towels for puppy pens and stinky shoes, and spray the bed of my truck and the kennels in the truck , keep bottle everywhere......love it Has Eucalyptus in it............

Yellow, is that exactly how it's spelled? Never heard of it but I will try to find it. I'll try anything to keep the smell and especially the flies away this next summer.

4pack, I use to use 3 boxes of Rid-X for each of my 20x20 stalls for the horses. I'd rather over-do it than under-do it. :) It starts working immediately. They suggest one box per month for the septic tank. I used 3 boxes per 20x20 HORSE STALL (filled with all kinds of muck during wet/snowy times especially), and had NO SMELLS whatsoever. Great stuff. Also, for the flies, another horse remedy. Purchase from your local feed store "DE" (diatomacious earth), which is ground up crustacean shells. It kills any and all insects with exoskeletons (such as flies and cockroaches!), but doesn't hurt the beneficial earthworms. You can feed it to the dogs (1 tablespoon per day for an adult GSD, spread out over the two feedings, if you feed multiple feedings) and put in on the ground where they "hang out". One 50 pound bag usually lasts all spring/summer. :) I was given this suggestion by a woman who we met on our honeymoon in Hawaii, who had horses/stables and not a fly to be seen on any horses or in any of the horse areas. Apparently, if you feed the dogs the stuff, it does come out in their feces, and if the flies lay eggs in it (if you fail to catch it or clean it up immediately), even the larvae will die as well. Just thought I would share. :)

The rid-x is safe for the dogs? I ask because I have dirt runs (with lots of sand to play in) and this sounds like a wonderful thing to help with smell.