Potpourri pots with cinnamon and cloves or candles with the same spice scent can minimize skunk odor. We first rinsed her with the garden hose, then brought her into the bathtub and used the commercial skunk deodorizer on her. Similarly, a dog that has swallowed a significant amount of skunk spray may sufferseizures. It can result in an explosion. TheGoodyPet.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program.As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. The immediate effects of a skunk spraying on a dog includenausea,vomiting,temporary blindnessandtearing in the eyes. It works instantly and there is no water involved. Depending on the size of the dog, or if you have multiple dogs, you may need several batches. But the shea butter did help with his facecouldn't smear it on everything in the house though~ Thanks so much for the read! Aside from the mess it created on the dogs, the smell also permeated our home, their crates, the garage, and even their collars and dog tags. To prepare a vinegar mixture for your pooch: It may sound unbelievable, but you can actually reduce the smell of skunk spray by washing a poochs fur with popular soft drink, Coca Cola works by breaking down the oils responsible for the offensive odor of a skunks spray, thereby greatly reducing their impact. It's recommended that you get rid of any rags or towels you use for drying because it's next to impossible to get the skunk odor out of them. Actually I'll stay away when this animal close to me, because of the smell, right. I remember driving though a skunk pong, it took so long to get it out of the car. Kristin Tamke from Frederick, MD on January 26, 2012: My lab was sprayed for the first time this year. Friends have had great luck using vinegar (and it has so many other uses!). Rinse off the solution with warm water and dry the dog. Linda Rogers from Minnesota on July 24, 2011: Excellent information akrichner. Let's take a look at some sure-fire methods of dealing with skunk odor and how to get rid of it both on your dog and in your home. The only skunk I have ever admired is Pepe Le Pew from the filmed cartoons. Lela from Somewhere near the heart of Texas on April 18, 2012: I read on the net that J&J Baby Powder works and sure enough, when our dog got sprayed, it worked! Let it sit for at least 5 minutes and rinse well. Additionally, it is advisable that you bath the doggie with lukewarm water and high-quality dog shampoo like theMighty Petz 2-In-1 Oatmeal Dog Shampoo and Conditioner, after rinsing off the solution. A skunks spray is composed ofseven different sulphur and Thioacetate-based compounds. Question: How do you get the skunk odor out of leather furniture? Cindy A Johnson from Sevierville, TN on July 23, 2011: Thankfully I've never had to deal with this. In the same vein, a homemade bath prepared from a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda is quite effective at completely neutralizing skunk smell on dogs. You can try the formula on them but most likely they will be saturated with the smell. By the way I couldn't take your poll because there is not tomato juice option. :-0. The solution is onlyeffective immediatelyandcant be storedfor later use. Heating apple cider vinegar on the stove is said to help rid the air of skunk smell. To my amazement, it worked! Instead, just try this simple recipe made from everyday household products: Mix all of the ingredients together, work the solution through your dogs coat be sure to wear rubber gloves and let it sit for five minutes before rinsing with warm water. Do not get the solution in your dog's eyes, ears, or mouth! It is combustible! Cleaning with the formula finally got the smell out. Is it any wonder that, if not treated properly, a dog can carry the smell for up to two years? Bird feeders attract skunks to your yard. On the other hand, if you are able to observe a skunk from afar, then you might get a chance to see that they are kind of cute. prasetio30 from malang-indonesia on July 24, 2011: This was valuable information. When your pooch gets sprayed by a skunk, your natural reaction will be to get such a doggie inside and attempt to get rid of the odor. We have a TON of them here so always a worry - even had one close to the street once that was sick - that was an awful thing! Once opened, hydrogen peroxide begins to deteriorate and becomes the equivalent of plain old water. If the dog's face was sprayed, do not use the chemical formula solution above unless you use it carefully and cautiously with a washcloth and then rinse well. Anyway the best thing I found at the time was tomato juice. I guess the skunk had just sprayed and pasted when we drove through, Yuck. If they are red or irritated, then you should immediately flush them with water or try a dog-safe eyewash. Throw out any porous foods in cupboards, fridge, and freezer if they pick up the odor. Otherwise, use a product like Tricotine Liquid Douche Concentration or an over-the-counter feminine douche product to clean the dog's face. There are tons of skunks in the area where I live and they obviously aren't very bright as we encounter one or more flattened ones a day on the road. Note that time is of the essence, when dealing with skunk spray, and you should apply these remedies, as soon as possible, to get rid of the smell. A skunks stench is the result of sulfur compounds that smell a lot like rotten eggs, and its meant to smell bad in order to ward off a predator. But tomato worked great and was fairly inexpensive and obviously safe for the dog and me too. Vote it up! Wait until the mixture begins foaming. One home remedy that is commonly applied to get rid of skunk odor on a dog is rubbing tomato on the body of the pooch. There's a great product out there called Zero Odorgreat for getting rid of skunk odor. Great hub with lots of useful information. Add a little white vinegar or lemon juice. Trust me. Anyway my dog got sprayed one day after she chased the skunk. :). However, skunk oil is composed of aninsoluble compound called thiol, and attempting to rinse it off with water will only serve tospread the oil further into the poochs fur, thereby worsening the smell. You didn't find one method particularly better than another? We had a skunk that used to live in the neighbors shed I think. Removing Plastic and Its Toxins From Your Home, How to Prepare Chickens For Winter Weather, How to Prune Trees For Growth and Production. Audrey Kirchner (author) from Washington on July 31, 2011: Cool~!! Let it sit on the dog for at least 5 minutes before rinsing well. I'll definitely keep this home remedy in my files along with how to get out dog urine or wine in carpet! Question: We have 4 boxers that got sprayed. It is also important to note that dogs that get sprayed by skunks may be bitten, and if the pooch hasnt gotten the necessary vaccination, it is at a risk of contracting life-threateningrabies. Substances known to neutralize skunk odor on a dog include tomato juice, lemon juice, vinegar and popular soft drink, coke! Thoroughly stir and mix the resulting solution. Audrey Kirchner (author) from Washington on July 24, 2011: Writer20 - I actually almost put my dogs INTO the garage where we had a fairly new car - I'm SO glad I did not. Some people even keep them as pets,despite their stinky reputations, and claim not liking skunks is nothing short of a deal-breaker. Instead, that spray that you likely encounter every now and then is the result of a skunk that felt threatened by a predator, whether it be your too-curious dog or a fast-approaching vehicle. Didn't work out very well, Lilly got sprayed but good. Pamela Oglesby from Sunny Florida on July 23, 2011: Great advice if your dog gets sprayed. Thanks for the vote up as always and thanks for the read~. Thank you to Fabreeze!! Spray white vinegar liberally, in the air and on surfaces. The combination of the ingredients causes a foaming action that actually loosens the skunk oil from the dog's coat. Additionally, skunk spray typically contains harmful toxins, that when ingested by a pooch, can explode red blood cells, thereby resulting inanemia, and also causedamage to vital body organs. For severe skunk odor damage, call your insurance company as you may qualify for homeowner's help from a professional cleaning company. Work into a lather and leave on for 5-10 minutes. Two fresh 500ml bottles of 3% hydrogen peroxide, Protective equipment for you rubber gloves, goggles and apron, Protective ointment for the dogs eyes and ears, A mixing container, preferably a bath and a bowl. My Dog Ate A Chicken Bone: What To Do Next? MT - Definitely not something I had ever anticipated but when the dogs were gone overnight, I feared definitely THE WORST anyhow. HubPages is a registered trademark of The Arena Platform, Inc. Other product and company names shown may be trademarks of their respective owners. Wet your dog thoroughly with water then pour on ACV or the ACV solution. I'm bookmarking this for easy reference should the dreaded day come when i need it. Skunks only spray to warn or when they have no other way to defend themselves. They were gone overnight, which was worrisome enough. Here are some tips to stop your dog from running away: These Are The Fruits That Are Safe (And Not Safe) For Your Dog To Eat, These Clever Food Hacks Get Kids To Eat Healthy, The 5 Ways You Know Youre Too Old For Roommates, lemon juice also doesnt work to get rid of the smell, Hero Dog Saves Boy And His Mother From A Poisonous Rattlesnake. Our neighbour's two Goldens sit on their porch and watch the baby skunks play, but our Lab wants to get into the act. Midnight theme, Two Old Fashioned Ways To Remove Skunk Odor, Using Apple Cider Vinegar Mix to Remove Skunk Odor, Using Hydrogen Peroxide and Baking Soda Mixture For Removal of Skunk Odor, Obstacles to Homesteading- and how to get around them, How to Free Range Chickens Pros and Cons . Next up is a bath and youll want to do it ASAP in order to remove the odor from your dogs coat. If the dog was close enough for the oils to be extremely concentrated in the spray, you may have to repeat a second time. Answer: It takes a LONG while. Susan - It is by far the worst thing I've ever endured with one of my dogs and cleaning up~! It was bad enough having to get it out of the house let alone the garage and the cars! Great informative article! Wipe down surfaces as appropriate with bleach and water solution. Vinegar is the best I think - we burned some Yankee candles as well in a coconut scent, but the smell kind of made me sick after a while! It is that powerful. I used the baking soda receipe, had to use if a few times, but it worked!! Wet your dog thoroughly with water then apply the mixture. Warning: Do not use a covered container or attempt to store this formula or you risk combustion. Since our episode of the dogs versus the skunk, we always have the ingredients for the de-skunking formula on hand. Just put the powder directly on the sprayed area of the dog. Check the dog's eyes for redness or watering. haha just really well done. I think dogs are just naturally inquisitive and don't think twice about going after something that moves! But I have to say that the use of baking soda is also very good, and cheap! Mix a can of coke with a bucket of water and some detergent. If your dog gets sprayed by a skunk, you should examine such a pooch to closely observe its reaction to getting sprayed, before deciding on the appropriate course of action. Ha - sounds like quite the show - but hopefully without the SMELL in the future. Some dog owners say a tomato juice bath neutralizes skunk smell, but others say that they don't work at all. Everything you need to get rid of the smell is probably already in your home! When it comes to keeping yourself in the clear, take a flashlight with you outdoors for nighttime activities, like taking the garbage out, so you can be on the lookout. it takes a long time to stop getting reminders about these experiences. Apply and the mixture to your dry dog. The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers to this website may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Esmeowl12 - I knew the moment I smelled the skunk smell and the fact that my dogs were missing overnight (has never happened before or since) that I was in big trouble. Once the spraying has occurred, there are some effective treatments as noted above for both your home and your dog. The smell? Luckily Magz stayed outside the whole time and I was able to get rid of the smell treating her in the backyard. Glad to know that the tomato juice works - I've never tried it and never have that on hand but maybe (if there ever is a need, hoping NOT), will have to give that a whirl~! When I am walking our dogs late at night, we always run into skunks raiding garbage cans in the neighbourhood. Fortunately she didn't get sprayed that bad and I used Nature's Skunk Odor Remover and it worked well but I have bookmarked your hub for your formula that you have listed above.