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If you have any questions about treating a dog sprayed by a skunk, contact your veterinarian. It's also possible you might have a dead skunk somewhere around your house. When skunks die, the sacs that hold the spray open and release the smell into the air. If you have a dog, chances are that sooner or later they will have an unfortunate encounter and come home smelling distinctly of skunk. Before you fill your bathtub with all the canned tomatoes in your pantry, step back and take a breath.
How can I help prevent my dog from being sprayed by a skunk?
If outdoor bathing isn’t an option, prepare the bathing area by removing items that the skunk oil might cling to, like a bath rug or shower curtains. Prevention is better than dealing with the spray on your dog, so do everything you can to skunk-proof your home and keep your dog away from skunks. If you have skunks in your garden frequently, it may be time to construct a proper fence around your property to prevent them from entering. The fence does need to be quite substantial, and at least 3 feet tall to prevent the skunk from getting over it.
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Due to the mixture containing hydrogen peroxide, it may bleach fur or clothing, so use it with caution. The first thing you need to do is escort the dog outside or have it come inside the bathroom as soon as possible. Your first instinct when you smell skunk on your dog is probably to get them into a bath immediately.
How to Get Rid of Skunk Smell
The remedy below has been an instant success for many pet parents trying to get rid of the skunk smell on their dogs. If your dog’s eyes are red or irritated, flush them immediately with cool water. You can also flush their eyes with a dog-safe veterinary eyewash product, and if you live in an area where skunks are common, it may be a good idea to keep this product on hand. At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.
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Veterinarians may recommend blood work to monitor their health if a heavy spray or multiple skunk spray exposures have occurred. Skunk bite wounds – Although it’s rare, skunks may bite when startled, cornered, or if your dog gets close enough. So, after a skunk encounter, examine your dog for bite marks, which sometimes appear in pairs showing the top and bottom teeth, says Dr. Kllein. If your dog’s symptoms are serious, your vet may direct you to bring your dog in or head to an emergency vet clinic.
If you live in an area with an abundance of wildlife, using some form of humane skunk repellant might be beneficial. According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, placing orange or lemon peels around the yard or bars of strong-smelling soap near your garden may help keep skunks at bay. If you find a bite mark, contact your vet immediately, says Dr. Pitt. “The dog should be evaluated for wound care and vaccinated against rabies,” he recommends. They can target and hit targets up to 15 feet away with their spray.
Getting sprayed in the face can often cause eye irritation or damage. Dogs with multiple skunk spray exposures or a severe reaction to skunk spray could also develop dangerous anemia. Paula Fitzsimmons is a content marketing writer and journalist who writes about pets as they intersect with topics related to health, nutrition, technology, and lifestyle. She has a strong interest in crafting content that will inspire and help pet parents make informed decisions.
Follow up with some TLC
Continue reading to learn why being skunked is such a nasty ordeal, how to care for your dog if he was sprayed by a skunk, and mistakes to avoid when trying to bathe your smelly friend. Skunks produce the spray in their anal glands as a defense mechanism against predators, and it contains sulfurous chemicals called thiols. Since skunks can spray this liquid as far as 15 feet, it’s common for dogs to get a blast of skunk spray directly in the face.
Please consult your health care provider, attorney, or product manual for professional advice. Products and services reviewed are provided by third parties; we are not responsible in any way for them, nor do we guarantee their functionality, utility, safety, or reliability. It’s guaranteed to work or your money back, and it can be used on pets, carpet, clothes and other contaminated surfaces. They might sense the changes in a person’s body chemistry that result from their presence and be reinforced by that alone. Approaching the skunk would most likely make the skunk feel more threatened and increase the chances of you and your pup being sprayed.
“Skunk secretion becomes more pungent when an animal is wet,” he warns. For eye irritation, Dr. Klein recommends gently rinsing your dog’s eyes repeatedly with lukewarm water. This is “most easily done by saturating cotton balls with water and gently squeezing the water out into the dog’s eyes,” he says. Though it can be hard to keep your cool in the aftermath of a skunk encounter, your dog is depending on you!
Skunks will often perceive a dog as a threat even if they are not being aggressive or attacking them. These tips will help get rid of the skunk smell, but remember to work quickly so the odor has less time to settle in. “Skunk spray is essentially an oil, which can be hard to break down and wash off the skin and fur of a dog,” Loftin says. As much as you might try to keep the skunk smell out of your home when your dog comes back covered in it, that's not always possible! Storing hydrogen peroxide and baking soda solution may cause the bottle to explode.
Here are some tips to help you keep your dog safe and skunky smells out of your home. With some dogs, it takes just one bath to remove the smell, while others may need several rounds. “As many as it takes for the dog to smell like a wet dog rather than a dog sprayed by a skunk. Some dogs may require more bathing than others,” says Dr. Pitt.
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