There just might not be anything worse than a dog that has had an encounter with a skunk. Those cute ‘lil critters are just soo interesting to a dog and then – BAM! Your life is ruined.
There are a lot of home remedies and just as many packaged products that claim to get rid of that dreaded smell. But which really work? We asked a couple experts in the industry what their “tried and true” methods are for de-skunking your dog. And guess what?! They all agree in one “secret” method.
Cicily “CeCe” Koplin has been a progessional groomer for over 10 years and is Lead Program Manager at Animal Behavior College. She helped develop their Grooming Instruction Program in 2009. Prior to that, she owned an award-winning gentle touch grooming shop, “A Dog’s Life.”
What is the first thing an owner should do when they find their dog has been sprayed by a skunk?
CK: Besides holding their noses, I suggest the first thing they do is to keep the dog outdoors until they’re able to purchase proper odor removing products.
What should they not do?
CK: Do not allow the dog to get wet! This will cause a reaction, which makes the skunk spray smell much more difficult to remove.
What is the best thing to wash a dog with?
CK: Again, do not douse the dog with water. Depending on the dog’s size, create a mixture of:
- a pint of hydrogen peroxide
- 1/8 cup of baking soda
- 1 teaspoon of dishwashing soap (I recommend Dawn or any other grease-cutting soap)
Make enough of the solution to coat the size of the dog and ensure to soak into the skin. Wearing gloves, apply the mixture.
- Use your fingers to work it into the coat.
- Use a paper towel or washcloth to apply the mixture to the face (apply away from the eyes).
- Allow the dog to soak in the soapy mixture for at least 15 minutes, or preferably, let the dog dry completely.
- Rinse the solution off well and apply a shampoo that is made to remove oil. You could even wash the dog in the oil-cutting dish-washing soap and rinse if off well and then apply your favorite dog shampoo.
If you’d rather buy a product, I recommend Nature’s Miracle for Skunk Odor. It’s usually available at a pet store. Make sure that you purchase enough product to cover and soak the dog to the skin. For easy application, put the product into a clean spray bottle. Again, follow the same process: don’t use water or anything else, wear gloves and saturate the body, etc. Use a paper towel or wash cloth to wash the face and steer clear of the eye area.
If the dog still has an odor, you may have missed an area. Reapply the solution or over-the-counter product.
What doesn’t work?
CK: Tomato juice. It will not remove the smell. It usually masks it, and when the dog shakes, you will have a huge mess to clean up.
Do you have any suggestions for if the dog gets the smell on the carpet or furniture?
CK: I suggest using Nature’s Miracle for Skunk odor because it also works on other surfaces.
Kimberly Gauthier is a dog nutrition blogger and owner of “Keep the Tail Wagging” blog – she lives in Washington state and her dogs have had many run-ins with skunks.
She also says that tomato juice “doesn’t work and just made a huge mess.”
In addition, she did not have much luck with the store bought products she tried.
“I don’t recall the products I tried, but from my experience trying, I’ve learned that they cost a lot and try and they didn’t work as well as the home treatment,” says Gauthier.
Gauthier agrees with Koplin that the home remedy is the best. In fact, on her blog she lists an almost identical recipe to Koplin!
So the next time your dog gets sprayed by a skunk – DON’T GET HIM WET and follow the above recipe to rid yourself of that awful stink quickly and easily.
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