How to De-skunk the Dog????

Updated on July 29, 2010
S.K. asks from Denton, TX
11 answers

My dog was sprayed by a skunk a week ago and she STILL stinks!!!!! I have tried everything......Tecnu, baking-soda/peroxide bath, tomato juice. It all works for a little while, then she starts smelling again!! I don't even want to let her inside because the smell makes me wanna puke!! Like I said, it has been 7 days!! HELP!!!

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D.A.

answers from Dallas on

I second the douche advice...the vinegar kind...and also set out bowls of vinegar throughout the house and eventually it will dissapate.

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B.C.

answers from Norfolk on

I found this method - you might as well give it a try:

"You will need two large bottles of Hydrogen Peroxide, two tablespoons of any type of dish liquid, and two pairs of rubber gloves. For smaller dogs you can use one bottle of Hydrogen Peroxide and one Tablespoon of dish liquid, however, you still need two pairs of gloves. Mix the solution in an easy to pour container. I cross tie my dog to the railings on the deck, using two collars and two leashes, one to each side. This keeps them in one spot so it is easier to apply the mixture without chasing them all over the place. It is much the same as tying off a horse for brushing and saddling, just make sure the leashes are tied short enough to prevent tangling, and long enough for your pet to be comfortable.
Put on your rubber gloves and start applying the mixture like you were shampooing your hair. Be careful and avoid the face, eyes, mouth, nose and any open wounds your pet may have. Not only will this cause irritation, it could hurt your dog, Avoid anywhere you would not want peroxide on your body, that is a pretty safe rule of thumb for application purposes. Lather the mixture well on his/her coat.
Take off your rubber gloves and dispose of them properly, preferably in a garbage can outside. Let this solution stay on your dog for about 20 minutes. When the time is up, put on a new pair of gloves and hose off your
dog, make sure you get all of the solution off of their fur so it does not stain your carpets or upholstery. Towel dry or air-dry your dog. The towel will pretty much be shot, so you might as well use an old one, you will most likely need to throw it away afterwards. Dispose of your gloves as listed above.

This solution actually works great for light colored dogs; it makes them look brand new when you're finished. It could however change the color of some darker colored dogs. If you are unsure, you could do a spot test on an unnoticeable area of fur to see if there are any undesirable color changes. Using hydrogen peroxide is a lot like dying your hair and similar precautions should be used.
So if you have dogs like mine who just can't seem to stop chasing skunks and getting sprayed, you might want to pick up a few spare bottles of hydrogen peroxide and keep them in your medicine cabinet just in case. It is an inexpensive and quick solution to a really smelly problem."

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E.M.

answers from Johnstown on

Go to Sally Beauty Supply and get a bottle of Curl & Lock or Lock & Curl (not sure which way it is) shampoo. It takes the smell out of fresh perms and makes skunk-sprayed critters smell wonderful!

V.W.

answers from Jacksonville on

Are you sure the dog doesn't have a "stash" of something out in the yard that she is getting back into? I had one once that, as soon as you got her cleaned up, she would go back out, wander around the yard to pee, then come back in stinking all over again. Turned out she had a partially decomposed squirrel carcass in the azaelea bushes that she would get out and play with. Once that was discovered... problem solved.

Other than that... vinegar usually works great to get rid of offensive odors.

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R.K.

answers from Boston on

our vet actually sells a great shampoo for this I don't know the name but it is specifically for skunk. I feel your pain our dogs got sprayed earlier in the summer and we also had a skunk spray right near our house and it made the house stink for a week or so. Another thing is put some vinegar in bowls around your home. I felt as though the smell got stuck in everything in our house and the vinegar helped a lot.

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D.P.

answers from Pittsburgh on

Went through this TWICE in the last year. I bought & tried every & all remedies and the best thing that worked was Dawn dish soap, peroxide and baking soda mixed in water. LOTS of all. Then rinse, rinse, rinse & repeat if you need to. Nature's Miracle helped too. Good luck. I wouldn't wish a dog skunking on my worst enemy.

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K.A.

answers from Dallas on

Our dog got sprayed several years ago, and we used tomato juice, etc, but he still stank. We went to Pet Smart and got a shampoo called De-Skunk, and that worked pretty good. He still smelled some when he was damp, but at least we could tolerate him in the house.

L.A.

answers from Austin on

I asked a friend that works for a wildlife rescue.. she says you have done a good job, consider Over the counter Douche.

Vinegar straight.

Dish soap, peroxide and baking soda all mixed together.

She said you may want to take your dog to the vet to make sure he did not get it in his eyes. The spray of a skunk can cause blindness..

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D.K.

answers from State College on

I feel your pain ours got sprayed last fall right before bed. Nothing like washing the dog when you just want to be sleeping. I used her regular shampoo just to get the dirt off and then I used nature's miracle, since it was her face, I just wiped it on carefully and let it sit for about 5 minutes and then rinsed. That pretty much got rid of the smell. I think they make shampoos designed for skunk too, but am not sure. I would double check there isn't anything she is getting back into and good luck.

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L.K.

answers from Kansas City on

The baking soda/worked for one of my dogs that I was able to really scrub. The other one who got sprayed also had a scratch under his eye so I was afraid to really scrub in the solution. Every time he got wet, for the next 6 months he stunk! I read somewhere that since the skunk stuff is like an oil it may take up to 2 years to get rid of. Sorry.

All I can say is been there, done that. We do the best we can do!

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