Help! My Dog was sprayed by a Skunk!
A familiar panic call heard by veterinarians includes the words “my dog was sprayed by a skunk!” Unfortunately, dogs do not recognize the danger of cornering one of these normally placid animals, and therefore bear the full brunt of the built in defense mechanism of the skunk. Now the problem becomes that of the pet’s owner; how to eliminate that awful smell from their beloved pet.
The smelly truth about skunks.
Skunks, by nature, are docile animals that want nothing more than to be left alone. Nocturnal habits keep them out of the way of humans, for the most part. They feed upon many of the insects that plague humans, so they can actually be beneficial additions. Skunks are generally not aggressive. They will attempt to warn off potential threats by first hissing, arching their back and stomping their front feet on the ground. If this initial warning doesn’t chase off the threat, they will then arch their tail toward the enemy; sometimes, leaning well forward as their back feet leave the ground. The next step will be the ultimate defense, a spray of oily, vile and yellowish liquid that not will smell worse than anything else imaginable, but also tends to persist for long periods of time. This spray is a complex mixture of chemicals that includes sulfuric acid, and is called mercaptan. Because of the distinctive odor of mercaptan, it is added in small amounts to otherwise odorless natural gas to alert people of its dangers. So strong is the skunk’s spray that it can actually blind its target for a few days if hit in the eyes. For a dog that is sprayed, the smell could possibly remain on the fur for a couple of years if not treated properly.
How to remove the odor.
So your pet comes home; tail between his legs and smelling so bad that your eyes water and the inside of your nose burns. Something must be done and quickly, but what? For many years, it has been believed that bathing the dog in tomato juice can effectively remove the smell; however, this remedy rarely works. Since the spray is chemically based, it must be chemically remedied. There is no one sure fire method of getting rid of the odor, but there are several treatments to try that can neutralize or absorb the odor.
The first step is to bathe the dog with a neutral shampoo, preferably in an outdoor setting to keep the home from smelling. It is advisable for the pet owner to wear old clothes and gloves to keep the oily substance from transferring. The best home remedy is one that was concocted by a chemist; mixing 1 quart of hydrogen peroxide (3%), ¼ cup of baking soda and 1 teaspoon of dish soap in an open container. It is normal for this mixture to begin to fizz. Rub this mixture into the damp fur of your pet, avoiding the face. When the entire coat has been treated, rinse the dog with plain, warm water. Discard any leftover mix; do not attempt to store and keep any remaining as it could explode as the ingredients counteract against each other. One other option is to contact your veterinarian for recommendations on commercial odor removing products.
Avoidance with the skunk would be the preferred way of dealing with this situation, but when the owner discovers their dog was sprayed by a skunk anyway, it must be dealt with quickly for the best results in getting rid of the smell. Although it may be a while before your dog smells like a dog again, these remedies should help to hasten the process.