WHAT TO DO IF YOUR DOG IS SPRAYED BY A SKUNK

It's that time of year again when the skunks are out nightly fattening up for the winter. Unfortunately, this means more encounters between dog and skunks. Knowing what to do and having the ingredients on hand will save you and your dog from suffering any more than necessary.

Skunk wash can easily made at home from common ingredients found in your house. I strongly recommend you buy enough ingredients for a few washings, print the following recipe and keep it all where you can get to it quickly (last time we used it was at midnight just as we thought we were going to bed).

There are two recipes. The recipe with the smaller ratio of peroxide would be preferable for dogs whose coat color may be affected adversely by the peroxide.

Recipe #1
1 quart of 3% hydrogen peroxide
1/4 cup of baking soda
1 teaspoon of liquid soap

Recipe #2
1 pint 3% hydrogen peroxide
2/3 cup baking soda
1 tablespoon liquid soap

Mix this up at the time of use (the mixture must be fresh to work properly). Pour or sponge it on dog. Knead it well into his coat. Be careful to keep the formula out if the dog's eyes, nose and mouth; you can use a sponge to carefully wipe it onto his/her face. Let it sit five minutes then rinse with plain water. Becareful not to get it in the dogs eyes. Cover them with a wash cloth if needed. If a second dose is needed mix a new batch from scratch. The mixture reacts with the chemicals in the skunk spray and oxidizes them. If the mixture is not fresh, the reaction will not work.

Do Not Store leftover shampoo.

Troy, who works at the Humane Society in Thunder Bay, Ontario, CA, sent me this tip. Fortunately, I have not had a chance to test it, so please let me know if you try it.

"I have a solution you might want to post which is THE most effective way to remove skunk smell, and also the cheapest and easiest. The solution-PEPSI!

I work at the Humane Society in Ontario, Canada, where skunks often enter the yard at night in search of dog food and whatnot. Several of my dogs have been sprayed, and this solution always works. You take a regular 2-litre bottle of Pepsi (must be Pepsi-not Coke or Diet Pepsi, etc), shake it up REALLY good, then open the cap and spray it all over your dog (not in eyes, mouth or nose).

Leave it on the dog for about 20 minutes, then wash the dog with regular dog shampoo. The fizzing action of the Pepsi reacts with the skunk spray and the smell is virtually gone (some sight odor remains, but that's inevitable).

Jenifer F. shared this tip. I haven't tried it yet.
"I have found that using Master Mechanic's All Purpose Cleaner from the True Value hardware store works like a miracle on skunk spray. It washes away the oil which carrys the scent and there is no residual scent when the dog gets damp. I use it on clients dogs too. I use it and then shampoo normally."