If your only experience of skunks is the animated antics of The Looney Tunes’ Pepe Le Pew or adorable “Flower” of Bambi fame, consider yourself very, very lucky. These backyard creatures are armed with a defense mechanism like no other: anal scent glands that spray powerfully foul-smelling sulfurous chemicals. The unbelievably gross smell of skunk easily qualifies as the worst odor on Earth, with distinctive top notes of rotten eggs, garlic, and burnt rubber. Mmm! So bad is this smell that it can repel bears; so irritating, it can make the afflicted want to climb out of their very skin (and if it hits the eye, it can cause temporary blindness).
Natural selection has made skunks expert at chemical warfare, capable of accurately hitting any potentially threatening target – be it canine, human, or ursine – from as far away as 10 feet. Your unsuspecting country dog, enjoying the refreshing night air as he absent-mindedly snuffles about on his late-evening, pre-bedtime outing, might suddenly get the shock of his little life if he crosses paths with one of these ticking stink bombs. He’ll immediately seek the safe haven of home – then proceed to rub his poor, malodorous self all over every surface of your interior in a desperate, frantic attempt to escape the torturous stench that envelops him.
Even if you think this scenario can’t happen to you, be prepared to deal with it when it does. Just forget the persistent myth about tomato juice: it does not work. (Some of us learned this the hard way after dumping entire gallon-size bottles of the red stuff on our pitiful pups, to no avail.) The only home remedy that effectively removes skunk odor is a potion so powerful, it cannot be bottled or it will combust: a mix of hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and liquid detergent that must be prepared fresh before each use.
Contain your dog in an area that’s non-porous and easy to clean, such as the tiled surfaces of the kitchen or bathroom. In a bowl, combine one quart of 3 percent hydrogen peroxide, one-quarter cup of baking soda, and one teaspoon of liquid soap. Wear rubber gloves, or the scent will stay on your hands for days (and you may forget, then rub your eyes… ouch). Bathe your dog in this solution, taking care to avoid his eyes – it’s very caustic – then rinse him thoroughly in water. If your dog got it in the eyes, see if he’ll let you gently flush his eyes with sterile saline solution (the same kind used to clean contact lenses), to reduce the irritation caused by the skunk spray.
A recent invention that’s an absolute godsend is Omega Zapp Skunk Odor Pet Shampoo by NuHemp Botanicals. This all-natural stuff contains no harsh chemicals and smells very pleasant, yet manages to thoroughly neutralize the scent of skunk. It’s especially helpful if your dog has been skunked full in the face, in and around the eyes, where you must not apply the foaming peroxide-baking soda concoction.
Darwin wrote ominously of skunk spray, “Whatever is once polluted by it is for ever useless” (we trust he didn’t mean skunked dogs), but thankfully, technology now makes it possible to keep furnishings and clothing that have come in contact with eau de moufette. The abovementioned Omega Zapp works great on laundry, and Simple Solution Natural Stain & Odor Eliminator does an impressive job on floors and rugs (it also works as an effective laundry pre-treat).
