Eliminating Skunk Odor From Your Dog
The first words of advice are do not bring your dog inside after it has been skunked as it will take forever to get the smell out of your house. The skunk odor will permeate anything porous such as beds, sofas, towels, untreated wood and plasterboard. Check your pets eyes to see if the skunk got spray in them. If it did your dogs eyes will appear red. This sometimes causes temporary blindness that usually lasts from ten to fifteen minutes. Rinse your dogs eyes Index a saline solution or use eye-drops for a human or olive oil, to help relieve the eye irritation. Take your pet to the veterinarian if the dogs eyes continue to be red or irritated.
The treatment you use on your dog is far more effective if you do it before the skunks spray has had a chance to dry on your pet. The first order of business is putting on old clothes and rubber gloves, that you will not feel bad about, if you throw them away after. Do not shampoo the whole dog, just the area affected, as you do not want the odor spreading onto the rest of your pet. Before you grab the tomato juice, be aware that it will not remove the skunk odor, just mask it.
Here is a concoction that successfully works at eliminating that terrible skunk odor on your pet. In a large open bowl or container, pour in one quart of three percent hydrogen peroxide, one teaspoon of any type of liquid dishwashing soap and one-quarter cup of baking soda or sodium bicarbonate. When mixed together, the mixture foams and this is the best time to use it. Hydrogen peroxide is available in drug stores and some people feel that joy dishwashing detergent works the best. There are commercial skunk deodorizer removers available but they do not always do a good job.
While the mixture is still foaming, wet down the area of the dog that the skunk sprayed. After leaving the lather in the fur up to ten minutes, use tap water to rinse this area thoroughly. Repeat this if necessary. For dogs sprayed in the face by a skunk, very carefully apply the mixture with a cloth, making sure to keep it out of your pets eyes, nose and mouth. Make this solution only when you need it and always discard the unused solution, after you mix it together, as it will explode if covered or stored.
If the skunk sprayed your house or fence etc, there are commercial products available to remove the skunk odor. To keep skunks from wanting in your yard, make sure the garbage pails lids fit tightly, do not keep dog food outside and close any spaces that makes a comfortable place for skunks to live, such as under cement steps.
Kelly Marshall hates skunk odor. But she loves shopping at http://www.ohmydogsupplies.com to find really cool dog gear that isn't sold at the local pet store.
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