Home Remedy For Getting The Skunk Out Of The Dog

Imagine this. It is Friday evening and you have just settled into your easy chair ready to watch a movie. You have your favorite beverage close at hand and you have put dear old Fido out to do his business. Then you hear the barking, then the yipping and howling. You get up, step out on the porch and whistle. Fido races in from out of the dark and you are hit with it.  That overpowering smell of Skunk Funk. Fido has been skunked agaain! What to do now?

The oldest remedy is to use tomato juice. Just lather the dog up in it. In theory this works somewhat as skunk spray is alkaline and the acidic nature of tomato juice will work to neutralize some of the alkaline odor.

Another theory is to wash the dog with a mild acid-based detergent and then rinse him with a mixture of water and apple cider vinegar.

Both of these systems will work somewhat but neither will fully remove the odor and you might be forced to repeat the proceddure several times to fully remove the odor.

A Better System To Get Rid Of That Smell-

You will need the following Items

- A clean bucket

- One quart of 3% hydrogen peroxide

- 1/4 cup of baking soda

- one to two teaspoons of liquid detergent

(for larger dogs double or triple the ingredients used)

Keep in mind that most dogs get sprayed while they are approaching the skunk. Most likely they will be hit in the neck or face area. You have to be careful when using the mixture on their face and avoid the area around the eyes.

Working It Through- Getting Started
The sooner you deal with the deskunking the better. Over time the smell will set and become harder to remove.

Get the dog ready and then mix the ingredients. Apply to a dry dog and work it into the fur starting where it is most evident that the dog got hit. Let it stand for a full ten minutes. Rinse with warm water and repeat. Finish with a regular dog shampoo.  Allow the dog to air dry.

So Why Does This Work Better?
Hydrogen peroxide and baking soda combined become a "chemical engine" for churning out oxygen. The soap breaks up the oils in the skunk spray.