Long ago, for several years, I volunteered as the “webdog” (webmaster) for the local San Francisco citywide dog owner’s group, SFDOG.
For some reason, the below was the most popular article that we had on the SFDOG website from visitors worldwide.
One of my favorite SFRAW members asked today about getting that skunk smell out of her dog’s coat who was recently sprayed with that distinct aroma “Eau De Skunk Parfum” (thankfully, not a direct hit!) and I said I’d share this information for home-remedies to get the smell out with her. I thought, since it is no longer available on the current SFDOG site, that this might be helpful to publish the original article here for others to find, if needed.
Hopefully, you will never have the need – but in the event that you do…
“Dogs often get sprayed by skunks during late night walks — the worst time to have a stinky clean-up problem on your hands! Here’s what you should do:
1) See if your dog was injured by the skunk. If your dog is bleeding or appears to have been bitten, consult an emergency vet immediately. Skunks can be carriers of rabies. If your dog has been vaccinated, it is safe from the rabies virus BUT YOU ARE NOT!
2) If your dog doesn’t appear to be injured, put on some gloves and use one of the de-skunking solutions listed below. They work best with warm water.
3) After bathing, check your dog’s eyes. If they are red and watering, your dog may have taken a direct hit in the face by the skunk spray and you should contact a vet for treatment advice.
De-skunking Remedies
Forget the old tomato juice remedy: It’s messy, expensive, and not very effective. Here are two solutions that really knock down the skunk smell. Commercial skunk removing shampoos are also available at your local pet supply store.
The goal with any of these treatments is to dissolve the oily skunk secretion so that comes off your dog and goes down the drain.
Even after using these solutions, your dog may continue to have a slight odor for several weeks, especially if their coat gets wet.
Solution #1:
1 pint of fresh, previously UNOPENED hydrogen peroxide solution
1/4 cup of baking soda
1 tablespoon of Dawn dishwashing detergent
Mix the ingredients into a gloppy solution, apply to your dog, lather, rinse, and repeat. This is a harsh solution, so KEEP IT AWAY from your dogs face and eyes.If you dog has been sprayed in the face, try Solution #2.
Solution #2:
Tricotine Liquid Douch Concentrate or any over-the-counter douch product.
sfdog.org website 2003-2009
These can be purchased at 24 hour convenience stores. They are effective and are mild enough to use on your dog’s face. Tricotine works especially well; just mix it as directed and apply to your dogs’ coat, scrub, rinse, and repeat.”
You must log in to post a comment.