skunk smell

[Deleted]

My crazy dog got sprayed by a skunk What can I do to make the smell fade away??
tnborn

[bbird]

First tomato juice, then wash that out. Then take peroxide and baking soda. Using both works well, only using one of them doesn't.

This has been tested on.....my dh, and worked.

[Deleted]

Thanks for the advice.
tnborn

[Deleted]

mljjranch said:

This has been tested on.....my dh, and worked.

You know I've got to ask...

/VM

[bbird]

I wish I had a great funny story to tell, but I don't.

He is a trapper, and we had a skunk last week. Just handling it, even though he wasn't sprayed left him smelling...err..not too fresh. ;D. No amount of washing would get the smell off his hands, even though he was wearing gloves. There was a slight help with the tomato juice, but all of the smell went away after the peroxide/b.soda wash.

He didn't skin it until two nights later, so again he had to handle the skunk. He tried the peroxide/b.soda first but it didn't do anything. So that's how we found out you had to use all ingredients.

[Deleted]

Darn! I was sure there was some side-splitting, action-packed adventure story to go along with it ;D

/VM

[Deleted]

here is the recipe my vet hands out. It works pretty well.

1/4 cup baking soda
1 pt hyrdrogen peroxide
1 teaspoon dish soap (dawn)

Mix together, rub into dog or cat's coat, leave on for 5 minutes, then rinse. Repeat if necessary.

[ardie]

You have my deepest sympathy. Our doggie thought it was a friendly kitty. Oy vey!

[juju]

Mine is about the same as Marchwinds

What you need
1. Next go to a drug store and get the following, if needed:
1 quart (or liter) of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide, H2O2.
Use fresh (unopened) hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Hydrogen peroxide
eventually turns into water (H2O).
1/4 cup (50 ml.) of Baking Soda
1 teaspoon (5 ml.) of Liquid Soap
1 pair of plastic or latex gloves

To Use
Bathe the dog outside or, if it's too dark or cold, in the bathroom
with the door closed and window opened.
Combine the ingredients in an open container (do not store in a sealed
bottle--it will explode).
Using gloves, wash your dog with lukewarm water and the mixture while
the mixture is bubbling. Work the mixture well into the fur.
Be sure to concentrate on the area that was sprayed.
Keep mixture away from your dog's face and eyes (it's a harsh
solution). (If your dog has been sprayed in the face, try Tricotine
Liquid Douche Concentrate or any over-the-counter douche.)
Let the mixture stand for 10 minutes or so before rinsing off.
Rinse the dog with lukewarm tap water. Don't wash the mixture into
your dog's eyes (use a washcloth to cover the eyes if you're rinsing
the head).
After bathing, check your dog's eyes. If they are red and watering,
your dog may have taken a direct hit in the face. Skunk spray won't
blind the dog, but it's very painful. Contact a vet.

How it works
First a quote from Dr. Caceci of Texas A&M University:
Forget what you have heard about tomato juice--it doesn't work. Skunk
spray is mainly composed of low molecular weight thiol compounds.
("Thiols" are compounds with the "-SH radical" attached to a carbon
atom.) In industrial applications, alkaline hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)
is used for scrubbing similar compounds from waste gas streams.
Hydrogen peroxide and baking soda, when combined, become a "chemical
engine" for churning out oxygen. That's why it has to be used
immediately after mixing. The soap breaks up the oils in the skunk
spray, allowing the other ingredients to do their work.