I have always heard there are two types of dogs, those that learn from their first experience with a skunk, and those that never learn. It would appear I have the latter, or I just have a very unlucky dog who just "encounters" them accidentally.
Last night right before bedtime, Roux had just such an "encounter", so my wife and I had that to deal with in the romantic glow of the outdoor floodlights at nearly midnight. It least it wasn't 20F like the last time this happened. Thankfully, I long ago assembled a "skunk kit" that made dealing with it at least quickly accomplished, albeit still unpleasant. The key to getting rid of the stench is dealing with a spraying event as quickly as possible with an appropriate concoction....forget the tomato juice, it doesn't work, and just leaves you with a skunky dog that looks like a Bloody Mary. There are commercially available de-skunking solutions, and they work reasonably well. However, I assembled my kit for less than $15 and it goes with me wherever the dogs go.....
Skunk Kit Components:
1 small bottle of Dawn dishwashing liquid
1 small box of baking soda
1 large bottle of hydrogen peroxide
1 pair dishwashing gloves (you don't want the skunk smell on you, also the peroxide can irritate some people's skin...sure does mine)
Disposable Handi-wipes
Drying towel
Plastic container with sealable lid (wash basin and storage container all in one that takes up little room)
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| Enough supplies to deal with 2 skunking events (God forbid) |
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| Fits in container with room to spare! |
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| Compact and Portable! |
Procedure:
Identify if possible the areas directly hit by the skunk spray.
As quickly as possible, lightly spray your pooch with water to get the fur wet.
In the plastic bin, empty one box of baking soda and add several healthy squirts of Dawn.
Put on your gloves and empty the peroxide into the soda/detergent mixture and mix thoroughly with the disposable wipe.
Begin washing/scrubbing your dog with the wipe soaked with the solution. Work as quickly as possible while the peroxide solution is fresh. Avoid getting solution in eyes and wash out thoroughly if occurs.
Once you are satisfied with your work, allow mixture to sit for 5 min or so. Rinse and repeat. If you are efficient you will have enough liquid to do 2-3 washes. Rinse completely and allow dog to dry, preferably confining to his kennel to prevent spreading the odor and to think about what he has done.
You may find you need to repeat the next day to further decrease the odor, but it is generally MUCH improved from Day 1. Be warned, despite doing everything right, you will always seem to get a little "renewal" of the odor every time your dog gets wet for a while, but it just reminds you it's best to be prepared!
Good luck and I hope you never need this information! September will be here before we know it...
Brown is Beautiful (even if it smells a little skunky)
