Removing Skunk Smell from Your Dog

From LoveToKnow Dogs

If your dog has ever encountered a skunk, you'll appreciate this tip from dog expert Wendy Nan Rees.

Be ready for skunk encounters.

A Surprise Visitor

The other day, I was on the phone with Ruthie who is the executive producer of my radio show. Ruthie lives way out in the country in Waseca, Minnesota, and she told me I may have to go get my other phone to call 911 if something happens. This was because she had just seen a skunk run by her, and she was now concerned because of two things. One being rabies (because most skunks are not out during the day), and the other is being sprayed by this mysterious skunk.

I asked if she was sure she saw this skunk. Ruthie said, “Yes Wendy, I think I know what a skunk looks like. But it did not look like they do in the pictures. This one has a yellow stripe down his back and is missing some hair.” So I said okay, and then the phone went dead. What I didn’t realize was that Ruthie was looking for where the skunk gone, and her phone was too far from the power base for the signal to reach it.

At that point, I really did panic. However, I did not call 911. I calmly called Ruthie back to tell her what to do. I had hoped the skunk did not want to see her as much as she did not want to see him. It was not until she was safely back away from the area where she saw the skunk and was laughing (because I am panicking) that she told me what she saw. Ruthie got close enough to him to see that he may have mange, and she thought that he may need some nurturing, a home cooked meal and some of my special eggs! At this point I said, “Oh No Ruthie. This is not a good idea. We do not want to kill him because we love animals, but don’t make him a pet.”

Dangers of Skunks

Seeing a wild skunk during day is a rare sighting because these animal are known to be nocturnal, but there is the rare occasional that a skunk will come out during the day to get food. However, the animal may also be hurt or sick, and this is when you want to keep your dog, and of course yourself, far away from him! Skunks do only have two defenses. The first is to spray a very nasty scent, and that is one smell that will stay with you and your dog for days. The other defense they have is biting. If they have rabies, being bit can lead to a series of rabies shots that are not pleasant. Humans get a series of shots injected into the abdomen until the series is finished.

As for bathing to eliminate skunk odor, people used to say bathe the dog in tomato juice, but today they have come a long way. One of the best tricks is to use simple peppermint mouthwash or white vinegar to bathe your dog. This usually will do the trick to take the skunk odor away. You can now buy a commercial product to take the skunk odor away, but why buy it when you can make your own and save the money?

Recipe to Remove Skunk Smell from Your Dog

Here is a home made recipe for dealing with skunk odor:

One quart 3-percent hydrogen peroxide
1/2 cup baking soda
1/2 teaspoon peppermint oil
1 teaspoon dish soap

Dilute with an equal part of water, and then run into the coat. Then rinse off very well.

Note: Keep in mind that, while peroxide will help remove the skunk odor, it will also lighten your dog's coat color. It should be worked through the coat quickly, avoiding the eye area, and rinsed very well.

Also, you should not use this mixture if your dog has any kind of skin rash because the peroxide will cause more irritation to his skin.

The most important lesson I learned here is to know what to do in an emergency. If you know you live in an area where you share your lives with wildlife, you too must know what to do and who to call. Be sure to have the phone numbers of the wildlife game warden on your list of emergency numbers, and when you’re on the phone with someone all the way in California, try not to scare her half to death next time. Everything worked out fine for Ruthie, and the skunk is fine. She is now trying to figure out how to keep him safe and comfortable.