How to Remove Skunk Odor from Your Dog
Yikes! Your dog just got skunked.
How do you rid your dog of skunk odor?
How to Remove Skunk Odor from Your Dog. My dog just got skunked!!!! For the second time — when will she learn?! Thankfully this method from the The Humane Society of the United States worked wonders!!
Skunks live all over the place, and if your dog gets curious about one, they may end up with a face full of stink. If your pooch gets sprayed, there are ways you can rid them of the scent without having to buy up every can of tomato juice in the area.
Over-the-counter products (such as Nature’s Miracle Skunk Odor Remover) are a quick fix, but if you don’t have that on hand, you can prep the solution below.
Step 1: Keep Fido outside
You’ll probably want to keep your dog outside while you get it together so they don’t carry the smell indoors. Check their eyes; if they’re irritated or red, immediately flush them with cool water.
Step 2: Mix the Ingredients
Mix together:
1 quart of 3-percent hydrogen peroxide (available at any pharmacy)
1/4 cup baking soda
1 teaspoon liquid dishwashing soap
Wearing rubber gloves, wash your dog with this solution immediately after they’ve been sprayed. DO NOT get the solution in their eyes. (If you don’t have peroxide, baking soda, and liquid soap on hand, use vinegar diluted with water.)
Caution: Do NOT store this mixture or make it ahead of time, as the mixture could explode if left in a bottle. (I didn’t know this and was saving some extra liquid for “next time”)
Step 3: Clean and rinse
Rub the mixture through their fur, but don’t leave it on too long (peroxide can bleach fur). Rinse them thoroughly.
Step 4: Shampoo
Next, wash your dog with pet shampoo and rinse thoroughly. By now, they should be de-skunked and smelling sweet. Thoroughly towel-dry your dog, and be sure to place them in a warm, sunny room for the next couple of hours so that they don’t get chilled.
Owner cleanup
If your dog rubbed some of the stink onto you, you can rid your clothes of the smell by using regular laundry detergent mixed with a half-cup of baking soda.
Everyone knows that tomato juice is handy for deskunking a dog, but it’s not the only old-time remedy that works to get rid of skunk odor from your dog. Some other ingredients to keep on hand in quantity in case of emergency include vanilla extract, apple cider vinegar, and hydrogen peroxide.
Some other methods, which are not a effective, but can do in a pinch if you have the ingredients on hand.
How to Remove Skunk Odor from Your Dog. Try dousing a skunked dog with about a cup of vanilla extract mixed in a gallon of water to get rid of skunk odor, says Hazel Christiansen, a longtime professional groomer and former president of the American Grooming Shop Association, in Lewiston, Idaho. Let the dog soak in the solution for about 10 minutes before applying dog shampoo and rinsing.
How to Remove Skunk Odor from Your Dog For the vinegar remedy, mix 2 parts water with 1 part apple cider vinegar, and set the solution aside (the total amount you’ll need to mix depends on the size of your dog). Thoroughly wet your smelly dog’s coat with water. Now, work the vinegar solution through the fur. Let the solution sit for about 5 minutes; then rinse thoroughly. Work carefully and be sure the solution doesn’t drip into your dog’s eyes (it would sting).
Source: The Humane Society of the United States