If the Smell is in the Air – Be Aware!

Everyone hates it. It smells up our properties and our cars. The aroma, if you can call it that, is enough to give us headaches, in more ways than one. Our animals chase them and sometimes they come back smelling worse than the creature he or she was chasing. What is that creature you ask?

It is the well­ known, dreaded, smelly skunk.  Skunks are a unique animal that, as we know, defends itself by spraying their predators with a liquid that has a putrid smell. Why do our animals chase these smelly creatures? No one knows for sure, but, when our animals do chase them, they usually return to us smelling like the skunk and for some reason, the animal seems happy about it. Skunks are mainly active at twilight hours, dawn, or during nights with a full moon.

They do not automatically spray their predators. There are warning signs such as hissing, stamping their feet or raising their tails. A skunk can spray up to 3 metres accurately. That is about 10 feet. When your dog or cat gets sprayed with that unforgettable aroma of a skunk, there are home remedies you can do to get the smell off your animal, as well as out of your clothes. The tales of bathing or soaking your clothes in tomato juice to get rid of the smell is simply that, a tale. There is no founding fact that tomato juice actually works; but, you can use everyday household items to solve the problem. Well, the smell problem, anyway.

Here is what is the best procedure and a home remedy that works.

  •  use a pair of rubber gloves and old clothes
  • check the animal for bites or scratches
  • contact vet if injuries are found
  • time is of the essence as the longer the spray stays on the animal, the more difficult it will be to get rid of
  • apply eye lubricant to protect animal’s eyes
  • if bathing indoors, open window for ventilation

Recipe – in a plastic container combine:

➔      1 quart hydrogen peroxide

➔      1/4 cup baking soda

➔      1/­2 tsp liquid soap

➔      Add lukewarm water if needed for larger dogs

Mix well and immediately apply to dry coat of the dog/cat.  It is very important for this to work that you do not get your pet wet ahead of time – apply the recipe directly to affected areas. Massage deeply through the entire coat.  Avoid getting solution in the pet’s eyes, ears, or mouth. Let the solution remain on the coat for at least 5 minutes or longer. Rinse well with lukewarm water and repeat if necessary. Dry your pet well. Do not worry, the peroxide will not turn your black dog platinum blonde, but, it may discolor your clothes.

There are other remedies that you can buy such as Skunk Off spray or shampoo that breaks up the oils in the skunk spray.

Author: Diane Black