My poor dog (Raven) got skunked last night. About 12:30 a.m. I let the dog out before we retired for the night. As soon as he walked out on the porch he spotted something in the yard. He hates cats and likes to chase them out of the yard. I believe he thought it was one of the cats he likes to terrorize. We live out in the country and very close to the mountains so it’s not uncommon to see a lot of wildlife out here. No matter how much I yelled “No” he was gone in a split second.
That skunk hissed and turned and the next thing I knew Raven was down on the ground. He got it right in the face and neck area. He came to the porch crawling to me gagging, eyes watering; he was a mess. The only thing I could think of was getting water in his eyes to flush them. I ran into the house and got a pitcher of warm water and a rag to wash his face. When I went back outside he was gone and wouldn’t come back to the house. About fifteen minutes later he came back and had pine needles all over him where he had tried to get it off of him. I was able to coax him onto the porch to clean his face and flush his eyes. He didn’t have to go to the vet. His eyes seem to be alright. Most of it went on his ear and neck.
It was raining outside and about 47 degrees so it was not too cold which was really good. I found a bottle of Natures Miracle that I had from another episode a few years ago with him spooking a skunk. It took us a year to get rid of that smell. The bottle was a little less than half full so I put disposable gloves on and rubbed it all over him the best I could. Then I left it on for a while so it could work. God he smelled awful. The stench outside was still real bad but I couldn’t take him indoors until I got it off of him.
He kept running and hiding from me. Here I am in my pajamas running around in the middle of the night like some madwoman with a pail of soapy water trying to give my dog a bath he didn’t want. My husband finally came in from his job at 3:30 a.m. and between the both of us he got a good bath in baking soda. I looked it up on the internet and there was a mixture of Peroxide and baking soda. I was afraid of bleaching him so I didn’t use the Peroxide because I had already used the Natures Miracle Skunk Odor Remover. The baking soda actually worked very well. He got it all over his collar so we soaked it in white vinegar.
Well it did a pretty good job but we still get a faint skunk smell when we are very close to him and the house is still lingering a faint smell of it. Tomorrow he goes to the groomers for a very short haircut and a bath in a special formula they have got to make him smell a little fresher. The smell gets into their breath and then you smell it when they pant and will stay in their urine so it still takes a long time to get rid of it usually about a year. If anyone has this problem I am including the mixture for de-skunking your pet. It’s best to keep something on hand so if you are caught in the middle of night like I have twice you have something to use. Tomato juice only covers up the smell it doesn’t get rid of the smell. It is also very messy.
Nature’s Miracle Skunk Odor Remover can be found at Pet Smart and at most pet shops, or you can order it online at:
(http://www.petco.com/product/5988/nature-s-miracle-skunk-odor-remover.aspx).
It is safe for humans and pets. You can also clean upholstery and carpet with it.
Things you’ll need for this mixture:
• 1 qt. hydrogen peroxide
• ½ cup baking soda
• 2 tsp dish washing detergent
Make a paste and lather your pet avoiding the eyes. Wear gloves and leave on for 7 to 10 minutes. Rinse the pet.
Sources:
http://www.wikihow.com
Village Groomers, Blacksburg, Virginia
