The pee line: How to plan for and respond to leg lifters in your practice

Reception desk at VCA Mill Run Animal Hospital in Hilliard, Ohio, features a porcelain tile front and flooring. This nonporous material is recommended for high-traffic areas likely to experience pet stains. As industry professionals, you do everything you can to keep your clinic sparkling clean. However, there is one particular situation that poses a unique challenge... dealing with those notorious little leg lifters! Everybody knows accidents happen, but whether the patient is large or small, urine of any kind is still extremely damaging to certain materials, interacting negatively with your floors, walls, and other areas. This article provides tips, tricks, and methods on how you can protect your clinic against the damages of pet urine... because let’s face it, when you’ve got to go, you’ve got to go! A smelly situation Dog urine poses a significant threat to surfaces due to its chemical makeup. While all urine is primarily water (with inorganic salts and nitrogen-rich by-products, such as uric acid and creatine), dog urine is highly concentrated, and therefore, much more destructive. (Did you know dog urine can even etch stone?). To make things worse, pee can soak through wall and floor materials, and get trapped out of reach of your cleaning efforts. Through absorption, it penetrates the core of porous surfaces, and that is where the real problem begins. As urine breaks down and dries, it becomes more challenging to see, let alone clean. As the remaining water evaporates, a high concentration of ammonia is left behind, and a sulfur-containing chemical is formed, producing unpleasant smells. This high concentration of ammonia is a key reason to never use cleaning products containing ammonia on affected areas. The scent is familiar to Fido and leads him to believe it is a “safe” place for him to leave his mark. The uric acid within dog urine also poses issues. It has a crystal-like structure that does not dissolve well in water. The crystals remaining after the liquid dries are why cleaning with soap and water alone will not resolve the issue. Traces of urine will be left behind. To avoid damage to walls, clinics can incorporate a “pee line,” an imaginary boundary indicating the worst-case scenario height for leg lifters. It takes into consideration where urine can reach for any size of dog, from Chihuahua to Great Dane. In general, the pee line occurs 107 cm (42 in.) above the floor, and all finishes below it need to be selected, installed, and maintained to be durable and washable enough to withstand urine damage. If a furry friend does decide to “go” at an inopportune time and place, there are some products recommended for the cleanup. A water-based grout residue remover is an ideal product for keeping tile floors and natural stone looking stain-free and polished. It gets into those hard-to-reach crevices where urine is likely to get trapped, and keeps them looking haze-free. These products are ideal for both epoxy and cement-based grouts, and will keep the tile itself looking shiny and clean. Another option is a heavy-duty alkaline floor cleaner that eliminates tough stains and protein-based buildup, especially on textured surfaces such as epoxy floors. These products are safe to use and go above and beyond to prevent stains from ruining your finishes. The treatment room at VCA Beech Grove Animal Hospital in Beech Grove, Ind., uses welded sheet vinyl flooring, which makes the surface more resistant to urine and other fluids. Selecting the proper materials There are some material options that are proven to be reliable and able to withstand urine and liquid stains of all kinds. One of the most common problem areas for pet stains is the floor. The use of a more durable material, such as an epoxy, porcelain tile, or sheet vinyl, is recommended, especially in high-traffic areas. In addition to choosing the proper materials, it is just as important to seal and install the products correctly. Doing so lowers the rate of absorption, and makes the floor more resistant to urine and other fluids, including cleaning supplies such as the ones suggested earlier. Keep in mind the pee line concept extends above the floor, so it is also extremely important to consider what is applied on cabinetry and other vertical surfaces. Plastic laminates are a good example of a cleanable material used by most hospitals on places such as exam room cabinetry. When laminates are properly cleaned and protected, uric acid crystals will not be left behind to erode the material and peel away surface edges and corners. In high-traffic or wet areas, metal or hard plastic corner guards can be placed on the edges to shield and better hold the material in place, keeping the area looking new over a longer period. There are some materials to avoid using altogether. Porous surfaces (e.g. carpet) can absorb and retain fluids within the fibers and allow them to spread underneath, trapping unwanted odors. Liquids move from wet to dry regions and, perhaps surprisingly, surfaces as seemingly hard as concrete and brick contain pores that act as a trap for excess liquids. When these porous materials get wet on one end, the pores begin filling with that liquid and spread throughout. Design professionals recommend the use of nonporous materials, such as porcelain tile, solid surface products, or plastic laminate, wherever possible. The world of veterinary clinic design is changing and progressing every day. With an understanding of available materials and how they will perform, it will be that much easier to keep your clinic looking and lasting (and smelling) brand new for years to come. Sophie Deaton is a recent graduate of the University of Louisville and an interior designer at MD Architects (MDA). Her work focuses on veterinary clinics and hospitals throughout the U.S., with an emphasis in material selection. Deaton takes pride in creating a stress-free and inviting place for pets as well as their owners. She can be reached at sophied@mdarchitects.com. Tara Seesman is an interior designer at MD Architects. Since graduating from Purdue University in 2015, she has worked on projects involving corporate offices and health-care facilities in Indianapolis and across the country. As a member of MDA’s veterinary design studio, Seesman’s work centers on animal clinics and hospitals throughout the U.S., providing spaces that are effective, efficient, and improve the lives of their everyday users. She is a member of the Interior Design Coalition of Indiana (IDCI) and is working toward her license with the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ). Seesman can be reached at taras@mdarchitects.com.

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The pee line: How to plan for and respond to leg lifters in your practice

Due to its chemical makeup, dog urine poses a significant threat to surfaces, such as floor tiles

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