# Sticky  Skunked!



## JunoVonNarnia

It's 10 pm. What should I do? Please advise...


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## Dunkirk

Cleaning a Dog That's Been Sprayed By A Skunk


So, your dog just had an encounter with a skunk and got sprayed for his troubles. Although your first instinct may be to let him in the house to wash him o




www.akc.org


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## Fodder

There’s generally so much conflicting info online, but I can say that the information linked above was accurate and effective... I just went through this process a couple weeks ago.

I included peroxide in the first batch of solution but not in subsequent baths (where I let the soap sit longer) out of fear of bleaching his fur.

Since it’s late, depending on if the skunk got your dog more than once or if your dog has had a chance to roll around and spread it... I would try to only concentrate on the areas sprayed. Usually head, neck, chest, shoulders. The face is hard to clean as thoroughly since you don’t want to get soap in their eyes.

Also be advised... that this will make a HUGE difference however if you’re sensitive to the smell, it won’t go completely away. When you bathe your dog in the future or after swimming, rain, etc... you may still get a whiff of the smell (while wet/damp) for up to 6+ months in my experience.

good luck!


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## Sabis mom

So the bathing of the dog is great, but anything the dog rubs against is going to smell as well. Including you. So contain the smelly beast while you get stuff together.


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## Sabis mom

@Fodder, since dogs like skunks do we have a sticky or can we make this into one?


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## Fodder

Sabis mom said:


> @Fodder, since dogs like skunks do we have a sticky or can we make this into one?


Sure can, good idea.


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## JunoVonNarnia

Just an update. There was no hydrogen peroxide in the house (it's been out of stock at most pharmacies because of the pandemic), so first bath was baking soda and dish soap outside in the garden while someone else drove to an emergency vet clinic to buy "skunk off". 

My hound Titus wouldn't let me bathe him outside, he kept running around in the circles. So into the house we went. Of course he rubbed up against my pants. Thankfully it's mostly on his chest and I gave it a good wash. 

Now he's in his crate and we are boiling vinegar to mask the smell. It's working, I think, in that mostly I smell vinegar and sometimes skunk instead of skunk all the time.

What an adventure! Lol. Juno the GSD kept sniffing poor Titus, trying to figure out what happened. 

Thank you for all your advice. It was helpful. I didn't know about baking soda. I'd only heard the tomato juice remedy. My first thought was: I don't have any tomato juice! 😂

Does skunk wash out in the laundry?


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## Fodder

Yes it should wash out of your clothes just fine. It’s essentially oil, so any detergent that can cut grease. Of course a cup of vinegar wouldn’t hurt if you’re unsure.


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## Sabis mom

So, just for future reference I had eye hooks in one of the fence posts for exactly this reason. Sometimes the bath needs to be outside. Lol.


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## Sunsilver

I also keep 2 bottles of peroxide on hand for exactly this purpose! Baking soda is also available at all times, but it has a lot more uses than peroxide.


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## drparker151

Baking soda, peroxide and dawn worked for us. About a year later on a camping trip we were taking a midnight stroll around a large pond, when all of sudden he started pulling me backwards and didn't want to continue. On closer inspection there was a skunk 30 feet up the trail, standing his ground and waiting to see if he needed to spray. I saw the good dog had a valid point and we went the other way.


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## LuvShepherds

I used vinegar. I raced to a market at 10 pm one night, and bought two gallons. This was a few dogs ago, and I still have vinegar left. Even with a good strong bath, the smell lingered for two weeks.


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## Jorski

Oh gosh....the thing I hate the most! I had one golden retriever that got sprayed 4 different times. I have so many skunk stories....
Best wishes to you and your house!


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## Gwyllgi

I remember the first time that I smelled a skunk Scent. I was studying in the USA and I was in a mini bus with other students, driving along the road.

The driver spotted a dead skunk on the road but was too late to void it, as he drove over it, the smell that came through the bus was something that I will not forget🦨

Sent from my LYA-L09 using Tapatalk


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## drparker151

when Illinois went legal for recreational weed, I started smelling skunk a lot more


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## KarmaPuppy

drparker151 said:


> when Illinois went legal for recreational weed, I started smelling skunk a lot more


we have been smelling skunk a lot more here in michigan too........


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## Sabis mom

It always surprises me how many skunks hang out in apartment buildings.


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## JunoVonNarnia

Ok, skunk smell is almost gone. I boiled vinegar in a pot to purify the air, now we leave bowls of vinegar out at night just to get out the last of the smell. I also put 2 cups vinegar into my humidifier (I do this regularly to cope with dog smell). 

Titus still smells if I bury my face in his neck for some love. I love how he smells. (Anyone else love how their dog smells? I started to love his smell when we switched to raw).

There's a patch of skunk spray on the vinyl fence... any suggestions? 

PS the _other_ skunk smell doesn't linger as much...


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## drparker151

JunoVonNarnia said:


> Ok, skunk smell is almost gone. I boiled vinegar in a pot to purify the air, now we leave bowls of vinegar out at night just to get out the last of the smell. I also put 2 cups vinegar into my humidifier (I do this regularly to cope with dog smell).
> 
> Titus still smells if I bury my face in his neck for some love. I love how he smells. (Anyone else love how their dog smells? I started to love his smell when we switched to raw).
> 
> There's a patch of skunk spray on the vinyl fence... any suggestions?
> 
> PS the _other_ skunk smell doesn't linger as much...


As a kid we kept a few baby skunks as pets after their mom got killed. They are great when descented, don't make much noise and use a litter box. They are fearless. The scent gland is a ductless glad near the butt, we removed them and I got a bit of baby skunk scent on my hand. It stains the skin and nothing would get rid of it, the slight bit of scent lasted for weeks.


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## WNGD

Tomato juice is an old wives tale and basically useless.

All you need is a solution of

1 quart of 3-percent hydrogen peroxide (available at any pharmacy)
1/4 cup baking soda.
1 teaspoon of any liquid dishwashing soap.
Avoid the eye and rise thoroughly. May take multiple washings in a row and yes, you will still get a whiff of skunk for weeks when they get wet.

My dogs have been sprayed occasionally over the years, some learn after one incident to avoid them, some never learn same as porcupines. We were walking down a lane a few years ago and saw a skunk about 75 yards away. We didn't even go any closer and it chased us for those who 75 yards back, must have been kits near by.

But my current pup came face to butt with one night this Spring, no more than a foot apart but neither was interested. I watched it by flashlight calming saunter off up the hill for minutes. It's the reason I always have to carry a flashlight the last several years.

What you need is a good neighborhood Horned Owl to thin out the numbers


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## Sabis mom

Tomato juice. We used it on several dogs when I was a kid. I think with dish soap. It works. Big issue is you need lots and it's neither cheap nor efficient. It stains things, you need to let it sit on the dog and you need to repeat several times.
Stupid Lab that we had got skunked and before anyone could stop him he had busted through the screen door and rubbed against anything he could find. The whole house reeked of skunk. Mom and Dad were furious, we got a new couch and a whole mess of bedding and towels got bleached. Whether they were white or not! Lol. Dog was not around long. Skunked a couple more times, quilled 5 or 6 and tangled with a couple *****. He was simply not the brightest bulb. Lol. 
Keeping skunks away. Lighting does nicely at night, and I found hitting them with the hose set to jet does nicely as well. They are smart. They figure it out quickly.
Of course you can only keep them out of your yard. On walks? Avoid. They run from nothing.
Vinyl fencing. Not sure but a vinegar spray should work.


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## KarmaPuppy

this is all good info for sure! I always thought tomato juice did it. thankfully i have never had the 'joy' of having a dog being sprayed yet. I have heard horror stories about it from other people (dogs sprinting into the house and rubbing themselves on everything and anything to get the smell off).

living in the city we don't encounter any skunks surprisingly.. haven't seen many raccoons either.. Stray cats, yes.. But they have learned to walk around our yard and not come through it thanks to Karma and Bubba


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## Sabis mom

As to your other question, I love dog smell. Sabi smelled like a warm blanket. 
I love horse smell to. 
The things that take me to my happy place. 
Never understood people who complain about dog smell.


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## WNGD

Google is your friend:
In the case of *skunk* spray, when this happens, the smell of *tomato juice* is easily detected and it appears that the *skunk* odor is gone. While bathing an animal with *tomato juice* might wash off some of the chemical components causing the odor, it *does* nothing to chemically alter or neutralize the odor.

*De-skunking - Village Veterinary Practice*

*How does tomato juice make skunk smell go away*? *Tomato juice does* not *make skunk odor go away*. More specifically, *tomato juice does* not react chemically with the *skunk odor* to destroy it. Instead, it simply has a strong enough *smell* on its own to partially mask the *skunk smell*.Aug 29, 2013

*How does tomato juice make skunk smell go away? | Science ...*

The Stinking Truth of Skunk Spray and Tomato Juice
ome of the suggestions you'll find when searching for ways to rid yourself of the odiferous skunk spray aren't terribly appealing. Then again, if you've ever gotten a whiff of a skunk's primary weapon (reminiscent of rotten eggs to the nth degree), you may consider any home remedy thrown your way.

Many of the common recommendations, like bathing in a tub full of tomato juice, do little more than mask the unpleasant smell. The most effective antidotes are those that neutralize the spray's main ingredients by changing them into different, nonsmelly compounds.








If a skunk sprays me, do I have to bathe in tomato juice?


Many people believe skunk spray and tomato juice cancel each other out. Learn why skunk spray and tomato juice really don't have anything in common.




animals.howstuffworks.com






*Is it true that tomato sauce will get rid of the smell of a skunk ...*
scienceline.org › 2006/07 › ask-cosier-skunk

Jul 26, 2006 - Nothing is quite as jarring as the smell of a _skunk_, especially if you're the one who's been sprayed. But contrary to folklore, bathing in _tomato sauce_ or _juice_ won't wash away the stench. _Tomato juice_ simply masks the _skunk_ smell. It _does_ not eliminate it.


*Tomato juice does not remove skunk smell, but this does ...*
bangordailynews.com › link › tomato-juice-does-not-re...

Sep 28, 2016 - _Tomato juice does_ not remove _skunk_ smell, but this _does_ ... Tomato products _do work_, but it takes time, and it's much better on the face and ...



*Does Tomato Juice Really Neutralize Skunk Odor? | Britannica*
www.britannica.com › ... › Entertainment & Pop Culture

In short, the _tomato juice_ masks the smell of skunkish thiol, and if one remains in a house redolent of _tomato juice_ and _skunk_ scent long enough, the scent will ...


*Tomato juice is a myth. Here's what you need to do if your pet ...*
www.latimes.com › style › pets › la-hm-pets-what-to-d...

Aug 26, 2017 - “They don't _work_ very well,” Ryder said of the cans of cocktail _juice_. “And then you end up with a dog that smells like _skunks_ and _tomato_ soup.


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## Sabis mom

WNGD said:


> Google is your friend


Lol. I guess the problem is that I was created before Google. 
As I said, I've used tomato juice. It simply isn't the most efficient method.


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## WNGD

This thread put out the bad joo joo and I never should have replied to it previously 

11:00 tonight, hot humid, perfect skunk (and skunk babies) weather, last walk of the day for my boys.
Went down through the woods. past my only 2 neighbors. Both dogs (6 yrs and 7 months stepped off the path to do their business, pup comes back out trying to roll in the grass, I knew what that was.....BAM.....the unmistakable smell of skunk. 

I HATE SKUNKS!

I started carrying a flashlight at night years ago just to keep an eye out for them (and coyotes), crap!

Luckily I keep hydrogen peroxide on hand, mixed up this and threw him in the bathtub:
*Mix together:*

1 quart of 3-percent hydrogen peroxide (available at any pharmacy)
1/4 cup baking soda.
1 teaspoon liquid dishwashing soap.
Write it down or Google natural skunk remedy, it works, just keep away from the eyes and rinse well. The smell is still detectable for a few days and every time they get wet for a few weeks but the smell is 95% gone. Have to see what the front porch smells like in the AM where he had to sit while I got his magic bath ready. I don't think he got it full in the face, maybe just legs or chest because it wasn't too too bad.

My older dogs got skunked twice before he learned his lesson, hopefully only once for the young guy

Did I mention I HATE skunks? Where's my Great Horned Owl when I need him?


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## Sunsilver

WNGD, one thing I found when my dog got skunked was those big GSD ears hold a lot of the stink! Make sure you sponge them out with a sponge or cloth dampened with the hydrogen peroxide mix! I also did her whole face with a sponge, then rinsed carefully. She smelled SO much better after this second spot treatment!!


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## JunoVonNarnia

@WNGD I am both sorry for you and amused at your expense in a sympathetic sort of way  I hope the porch smells good. I still have a skunk stain on the plastic fence, but at least it no longer smells.


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## WNGD

Much better this morning but of course the stink lingers if you get in close. Or my nose has been burned out ....


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