Skunk vs. Pet--How Can You Get Rid of Skunk Smell?

Skunked? Learn How to Get Rid of the Smell!

               Nothing on earth smells quite as bad as skunk odor.  Skunks can direct the spray from their scent glands up to fifteen feet.  That terrible smell comes from thiols or sulfur containing compounds in the oily liquid. Aside from smelling bad and being difficult to remove, skunk spray can also cause severe irritation to the eyes and mucus membranes.  Skunks are active at night during warmer weather.

So, what can you do if your dog or cat is sprayed by a skunk?  Well, your first instinct may be to run away or to just pack up and move, but these thoughts are impractical. Below are some tips on dealing with skunk odor.

First, try to keep your pet outside. Anything your pet touches will become “skunky” so to keep that smell out of your home, don’t bring your pet indoors if possible.

Do check your pet’s eyes and flush them with water or saline solution if he has been hit in the face with skunk spray.  Skunk spray can cause temporary blindness.

Don’t just hose your pet with water. Skunk spray is oily and some of the compounds become more active when mixed with water.  You will need an odor reducing product or mixture to get rid of the worst of the smell (more below).

Gather materials.  You’ll want to wear rubber gloves and you may need buckets or a hose if you don’t have a tub, skin or shower in a garage or outdoor space.  Grab a bottle of regular pet shampoo if you have one.

You can use a commercial product like Nature’s Miracle Skunk Remover or Skunk Off brand, but, if you don’t have one of these handy, you can make a skunk remover with hydrogen peroxide, baking soda and dish soap.  CAUTION: DO NOT STORE THIS MIXTURE IN A CLOSED CONTAINER.  Make it and use it immediately then discard any left over. It can explode if stored.

 Recipe here: 1 quart of 3% hydrogen peroxide (don’t use higher concentrations)

                        ¼ cup baking soda

                         1 teaspoon dish soap or liquid hand soap

Pour this mixture over your pet’s fur, work it into the coat with your gloved hands and rinse off.  Peroxide can bleach the fur, so don’t leave on too long and take care not to get this peroxide solution into the eyes.  The process may need to be repeated a few times and, unfortunately, the skunk odor may not completely disappear but it should make it bearable.  Next, shampoo your pet and towel dry.

The old tomato juice remedy is not very effective so skip this one, but, if you don’t have the ingredients above, a solution of equal parts white vinegar and water has some odor neutralizing ability.

Hopefully, your dog or cat is spared the trauma of being sprayed by a skunk, but, if it does happen, these tips can help to remove the worst of that awful smell so she can enter the house again. If your pet has been skunked before, or if you have a lot of skunks in your neighborhood, you may want to keep a bottle of commercial skunk remover or the ingredients for the homemade skunk remover handy (remember, don’t store it premixed) along with some rubber gloves and shampoo just in case your pet has a run in with a skunk.  Have a happy, skunk-free July!

This blog brought to you by the Patton Veterinary Hospital serving Red Lion, York and the surrounding communities.

https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/de-skunking-your-dog