I think a Skunk just sprayed my dog

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

She went after an animal and came back smelling like the worst ass imaginable. Not quite the same as a skunk in the road, but indescribably bad. Anyone know what to do in this situation? It seems to be bothering her face quite a bit.

[Azure]

My dog does that too sometimes.

It wears off with time.

But wash it in Tomato Juice.

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

It's definitely Skunk. Ew. I tried Tomato Juice, and it helped a little. But my whole apartment smells. I'm wondering if I was the victim of "indirect fire" a little myself.

[stuck_in_chuk]

When our dog got sprayed, the smell was so potent that it didn't really smell like skunk. It smelled more like a natural gas leak (they add mercaptin to the scentless natural gas to make it easy to detect a leak, and that is present in skunk spray). It smells more skunk-like when it wears off a bit.

Most vets and pet stores will carry a skunk scent-removal formula which works better than tomato juice and doesn't stain the fur or leave them smelling like tomatoes. We got ours from the 24-hr emergency vet (back in Ontario, though). Just be prepared to smell skunk for a week or so around the house. Also, the smell tends to come back every time the dog gets wet for the next few months.

At least, that is my experience with the whole matter.

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

Originally Posted by stuck_in_chuk

When our dog got sprayed, the smell was so potent that it didn't really smell like skunk. It smelled more like a natural gas leak (they add mercaptin to the scentless natural gas to make it easy to detect a leak, and that is present in skunk spray). It smells more skunk-like when it wears off a bit.

Most vets and pet stores will carry a skunk scent-removal formula which works better than tomato juice and doesn't stain the fur or leave them smelling like tomatoes. We got ours from the 24-hr emergency vet (back in Ontario, though). Just be prepared to smell skunk for a week or so around the house. Also, the smell tends to come back every time the dog gets wet for the next few months.

At least, that is my experience with the whole matter.

Yeah, that's kind of what this smells like. I got my wife out of bed and she almost threw up.

My poor dog is completely miserable. That'll learn her, I guess.

My wife just went to the drug store to get some hydrogen peroxide. Apparently there's a mixture of peroxide, baking soda and dish soap that works pretty well.

[Azure]

Yeah, the internet is probably your friend in this situation.

[Dion]

You might want to check her eyes to see if they are irritated at all. If they are use eye drops.

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

Originally Posted by Dion

You might want to check her eyes to see if they are irritated at all. If they are use eye drops.

Good tip. I'll take a look now.

EDIT: Her eyes look OK. She definitely got a snoot-full of the stuff, though.

[KevanGuy]

Mythbusters did an episode on it but I cant remember what worked best.

[Eastern Girl]

Originally Posted by KevanGuy

Mythbusters did an episode on it but I cant remember what worked best.

A run down of that episode.

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

Originally Posted by Eastern Girl

A run down of that episode.

Well, sounds like what works best is the peroxide, baking soda and dish soap. That's next on the list.

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

The peroxide mixture definitely works. The dog doesn't really smell at all any more. The house on the other hand....

[Jude]

Originally Posted by Iowa_Flames_Fan

Well, sounds like what works best is the peroxide, baking soda and dish soap. That's next on the list.

Replacing your dog with a new one should work as well.

[Drunk Skunk]

Don't look at me, I've been at work all day.

[4X4]

Originally Posted by Iowa_Flames_Fan

The peroxide mixture definitely works. The dog doesn't really smell at all any more. The house on the other hand....

Remember that old joke where your friend would complain about a headache and then you'd punch him in the shoulder to "take his mind off his headache"? Well, apply that concept to your house. Go eat some chili.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by Iowa_Flames_Fan

The peroxide mixture definitely works. The dog doesn't really smell at all any more. The house on the other hand....

Time to open some windows me thinks

Glad to hear the mixture works.

Is the dog anymore cheerful now?

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

Originally Posted by Dion

Time to open some windows me thinks

Glad to hear the mixture works.

Is the dog anymore cheerful now?

No, she's pretty down in the dumps about the whole thing. Probably just about the worst day of her life. Consider the sequence of events:

1. Sees small critter: "FUN!"
2. Chases small critter: "FUN FUN FUN!"
3. Gets snoot-full of foul-smelling ass-juice, runs back to owner with tail between legs: TOTAL buzzkill.
4. Gets ineffective tomato-juice bath: "Can this day get worse?"
5. Is banished to the back porch: "Yes. Yes it can."
6. Gets foamy peroxide bath: "In my eyes is the sadness of a thousand orphans."
7. After 15 minutes, gets rinsed with cold water: "Just kill me. It would be kinder."
8. Is told to "stay" in the kitchen while our other dog accompanies me to my blissfully skunk-free office: "Seriously. Kill me."

The nice thing about dogs is that to-morrow will be a new day for her. That's also the bad thing about dogs, since there's no guarantee she's learned her lesson about skunks.

[redforever]

Originally Posted by Iowa_Flames_Fan

Yeah, that's kind of what this smells like. I got my wife out of bed and she almost threw up.

My poor dog is completely miserable. That'll learn her, I guess.

My wife just went to the drug store to get some hydrogen peroxide. Apparently there's a mixture of peroxide, baking soda and dish soap that works pretty well.

Don't count on it((( They either learn immediately, or like most dogs, they think they will get that skunk the next time!!!

One of our dogs was like that. At least 6 times a year, she was sprayed by a skunk, sometimes blasted right in the face so badly that her eyes swelled shut. Then she was doomed to sleep in the shop for around a week because that skunk smell permeates everything. It will get in the fabrics of your house, your clothes, it is awful.

Anyhow, try the vet stuff, better than tomato juice. And in the long run, it takes time and as someone else said, every time your dog gets wet for a couple of weeks, it will smell like skunk all over again, although each time it will be not quite as bad.

[redforever]

Originally Posted by Drunk Skunk

Don't look at me, I've been at work all day.

Now this is truly one of the funniest posts I have read on CP.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by Iowa_Flames_Fan

No, she's pretty down in the dumps about the whole thing. Probably just about the worst day of her life. Consider the sequence of events:

1. Sees small critter: "FUN!"
2. Chases small critter: "FUN FUN FUN!"
3. Gets snoot-full of foul-smelling ass-juice, runs back to owner with tail between legs: TOTAL buzzkill.
4. Gets ineffective tomato-juice bath: "Can this day get worse?"
5. Is banished to the back porch: "Yes. Yes it can."
6. Gets foamy peroxide bath: "In my eyes is the sadness of a thousand orphans."
7. After 15 minutes, gets rinsed with cold water: "Just kill me. It would be kinder."
8. Is told to "stay" in the kitchen while our other dog accompanies me to my blissfully skunk-free office: "Seriously. Kill me."

The nice thing about dogs is that to-morrow will be a new day for her. That's also the bad thing about dogs, since there's no guarantee she's learned her lesson about skunks.

I grew uo with 2 dogs and the black lab got skunked once while sitting on the back doorstep. All we heard was a bark and a loud yelp! Poor dog wasn't the same for weeks and was constantly rubbing her nose with her paws. Never chased another skunk.