Samson was the first. One night after letting him out for a pee, he spotted an intruder. Like a rocket - he launched his 10lb frame towards the strange creature, but quickly realized the error of his ways when the animal lifted its tail and sprayed.
The next year it was Paisley's turn. She got out of the house one evening and quickly picked up on the scent of a creature I'd seen earlier in the evening. As I called her name, she crashed into the woods and shortly after came circling back to me excitedly. She was having the time of her life! She quicky bounded back into the brush and that's when it hit me. Not only the smell, because that's unmistakable, but the fact that it was probably Paisley who got sprayed. Sure enough, when we were able to finally wrangle her, our suspicions were confirmed - she too had been sprayed by a skunk.
We all know the telltale smell of a skunk. But, do you know how to deal with removing it from our dogs, clothes, or our own persons?
Thankfully, the first victim was Samson - the fact that he's small might have made him a harder target to hit, but regardless, we got off a bit light, as he didn't get hit directly. However, we did things all wrong. I rushed him into the bathroom to clean him up - yeah, don't do that. Keep them outside if you can, unless you want the pungent smell to linger in your house like an awkward friend. Next, we put him in the sink (the advantage of a small dog) and rinsed him off. That was mistake two - don't try and use water to remove the skunk oil, as it will only set in the smell and you'll be stuck with it for months
(especially after the dog gets wet), Instead here is what you should do:
There are two effective ways you can get rid of the skunk smell from your dog and neither is tomato juice. One - you can purchase a specific shampoo. These shampoos can also be sprayed safely onto clothing, bedding, carpets, etc. Two - you can also take a few basic ingredients to make a skunk spray neutralizer. You can print off the below instructions on making the paste for future use (and hopefully will never need them).
It's important to note that these ingredients should be mixed together in an open container and used immediately. Never mix the ingredients in advance because oxygen released from the solution can make a closed container explode. We prefer using this solution over the neutralizer shampoos, as they aren't as harsh on the skin or coat. Rub the solution into the fur, or hair and allow it to sit for 5 minutes before rinsing off well. Don't use product directly on clothes, or surfaces, as it may discolour them, To wash using your homemade solution - add it in during the wash cycle to dilute. As an aside - make sure you give your dog lots of yummy treats while washing them (we of course recommend our freeze-dried treats).
Having your dog sprayed by a skunk is never a fun experience, And while there are effective ways to remove the smell - the best option is to avoid it all together. Skunks have few defenses and will only spray as a last resort. If they fully deplete their scent glands it can take up to 10 days to regenerate fully - leaving them defenseless to predators. They are valuable for pest control and are scavengers, helping to keep areas clean by eating rotten and decaying matter, such as fallen fruit, deceased animals and insects. When possible - always check your yard before letting your dogs outside.
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