There’s nothing more frustrating than letting your dog out and sniffing a tinge of skunk in the air. The tension while you wait for your dog to come to the door, covered in stench, is almost too much to handle. This is particularly true because of the way that skunk scent will stick around for months in their fur and make your home difficult to handle.
However, that doesn’t have to be the case. Properly attacking the problem by immediately deodorizing your dog with the following process will help eliminate skunk scent more quickly. This simple dog grooming trick is effective and easy.
Soak Up The Oil With Paper Towels
When skunks spray your dog, they spread oil across their hair and fur. Soak up as much oil as soon as possible right away to cut down on the smell and minimize the spread. Wear disposable gloves and old clothes. Keep your dog out of the house, away from carpet, furniture and drapes. You don’t want that oil to rub off on anything you plan to keep!
Identify the location of the oil on your dog by the smell and dab gently with paper towels to soak up as much oil as possible. The most commonly hit area is the face and head, so concentrate your efforts there. It may smell *so* bad in the strongest areas that it’s actually hard to recognize as skunk.
Choose a DeSkunking Agent
Once you’ve soaked up as much oil as possible, the affected area will still smell – a lot. But an effective de-skunking agent can help. Even regular shampoo will do some good – but many repeated washings will be needed. You’ll find suggestions like dish soap or tomato juice, but they aren’t as effective as their reputation would suggest, and the tomato juice in particular makes a big mess. Hydrogen peroxide can serve in a pinch. However, if you invest in a de-skunking product like “Skunk Off” (sold online and at animal emergency vets) you actually have a chance of getting completely (or close to it) rid of the skunky smell. Skunk Off is chemically formulated to not just cover or wash off the skunk smell, but it actually neutralizes the mercaptans (the odor producing molecules) in the skunk oil. If you’ve got skunks in the neighborhood, you might consider keeping a bottle on hand.
Keeping Them Skunk-Free
The best way to avoid this problem in the future is to keep your dogs well away from skunks. Easier said than done, I know. Make sure you aren’t creating a skunk-friendly environment. Don’t leave food outside, and keep the yard clear and picked up of any items that might provide a hiding spot.
Avoid letting your dog out on their own late at night or early in the morning, when the skunks are more likely to be out and active, or take them out on a leash so you can head the other way if you see a skunk….although your dog is going to want to investigate.
If you’re looking for a way to quickly eliminate skunk smells from your dog through the use of Skunk Off or through other methods, please don’t hesitate to contact us to learn more.