Dog Sprayed by Skunk? Here’s How to Remove the Smell…
AHHH! You just let your dog in from outside and the horrendous smell of skunk overwhelmingly fills your living room. Your dog has been sprayed by a skunk.
Get Skunk Smell Off Dog Fur
After you’ve contained the situation, you’re gonna want to get the skunk spray and odor off your dog. There are a couple ways to de-skunk your dog – you can do this with Prixie Pets.
Use a Pre-Made Skunk Odor Remover
The most well known brand of skunk smell shampoo and scent remover is Skunk-Off. They have a liquid soaker and pet shampoo (see here).
These products can be used on both cats and dogs.
Make Your Own Skunk Odor Remover
You can make your own de-skunk formula with baking soda, dish detergent and hydrogen peroxide. The instructions and DIY recipe is in the middle of this article.
Getting rid of the smell is a stinky and difficult task, but here are some helpful hints:
Get Started De-Skunking Your Dog!
First and foremost contain the dog in one area such as, the bathroom, garage, or outside. This is so the cleaning process will be easier and the smell will not be throughout the entire house.
Do Not Wash Your Pet
Washing your dog or cat will spread the oil based skunk odor around! You need to de-grease your pet (read “De-greasing Your Pet’s Coat”), not wash away dirt and dander. Water will only spread this mess.
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The best solution I have found for removing skunk smell on a cat or dog is a concoction of:
hydrogen peroxide, Dawn dish soap, and baking soda.
Please don’t use tomato paste!
It’s messy, won’t remove the smell, and usually just makes your dog turn pink!
Here is a pre-made De-skunk solution for emergencies you can buy called Skunk Off.
The De-Skunk Recipe is:
1 qt of hydrogen peroxide (the fresher the better) (buy here)
2 tablespoons of Dawn dish soap (buy here)
3. about ¼ cup of baking soda. (buy here)
Application Directions
Mix the Dawn and baking soda to the consistency of a paste. Put the paste on your dog then pour the peroxide and they will react with each other.
If it seems like your dog got sprayed in the eyes and they are irritated it is best to rinse them with a saline solution. They will still be red and may water for a couple hours, after being sprayed. If the eyes still seem irritated and runny after a few hours you should call your vet.
Now put your dog in the bath tub and most importantly DO NOT wet the dog. The liquid that the skunk sprays is more of an oil base, so wetting the dog will only make the situation worse.
First, sprinkle the dog with baby powder to help absorb some of the oil. Now, you want to put the paste wherever the dog got sprayed the most, and really rub it in. Now add the peroxide.
You want it to sit on the dog for at least 10 minutes. While waiting you can bathe the entire dog in the paste and peroxide just in case of over spray.
For the bigger and/or hairier dogs, you can add a little water to the dogs coat AFTER you have put the paste and peroxide on to help rub it in. Rinse and repeat if necessary.
Getting Skunk Spray Odor Off Cats
Cats can get sprayed by skunks too. The above de-skunk solution will also work on your feline friends, though the will be more difficult to work with.
Be careful when washing your cat, and it is recommended that you have a professional cat groomer handle if you don’t feel safe.
Alternative Pet De-Skunk Solution
Another emergency at-home remedy you can try is a feminine douche. Same applies; DO NOT wet the dog down.
First, put the douche solution on the dog and let it sit for 10-20 minutes. Then you can rinse and repeat if necessary. It is best to dry your pet afterwards
These remedies will help tremendously, but please know that I have found nothing to completely remove the smell permanently. The spray gets into the pores of your dog, so you may smell it from time to time (especially when he/she gets wet) for up to 4-6 months!
Be Prepared – Have De-Skunk Kit Ready
Now, if you are someone who likes to be prepared, there are products you can buy that also work really well.
My personal favorite is Skunk Off products. They sell a shampoo and a Liquid Soaker that you use afterwards. The spray can also be used on fabric that the dog may have rubbed on!
When is Skunk Season?
FYI: Mating season for skunks starts in February or March. You will start seeing them more during that time because that is when the males start traveling in search of a female.
Still, skunks are active throughout the year, coming out in on warmer winter days searching for food.
If you have a skunk den under you porch, shed or anywhere in your yard, place moth balls in that area and it will help get rid of them.
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