My Chihuahua just got sprayed by a skunk!

[maveric]

She was out in the garden by the side of the house when we heard a loud hiss, then my dog tearing in the house. Then the smell!
Any good skunk odor remedies?

[mainegreen]

1. Shave it. Then tomato juice.

[slj0101]

2. I second tomato juice.

Mythbusters just had an episode on skunk remedies. Next to a solution of baking soda, peroxide and dish detergent, tomato juice worked the best.

[MichiganVote]

3. tomato juice, more tomato juice, and more tomato juice

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

4. Since a chihuahua is a small dog,

you could probably fill a large tub with tomato juice and dunk the dog in it -- repeatedly. Eventually she will smell less like skunk and more like lasagna.

[Gold Metal Flake]

5. That happened to our terrier.

Years ago. Around 2 AM.

Tomato sauce baths. Ask a vet if there are any modern treatments, but get the cheap storebrand sauce and get busy. The smell will linger for a long time.

[Madrone]

6. I live in skunk heaven around here.

This is the standard! (Thankfully, my doggie has avoided the striped kitties thus far!)

Get the following, if needed:

* 1 quart (or liter) of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide, H2O2.
Use fresh (unopened) hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Hydrogen peroxide eventually turns into water (H2O).
* 1/4 cup (50 ml.) of Baking Soda
* 1 teaspoon (5 ml.) of Dawn Diswashing liquid
* 1 pair of plastic or latex gloves

* Bathe the dog outside or, if it's too dark or cold, in the bathroom with the door closed and window opened.
* Combine the ingredients in an open container (do not store in a sealed bottle--it will explode).
* Using gloves, wash your dog with lukewarm water and the mixture while the mixture is bubbling. Work the mixture well into the fur.
* Be sure to concentrate on the area that was sprayed.
* Keep mixture away from your dog's face and eyes (it's a harsh solution). (If your dog has been sprayed in the face, try Tricotine Liquid Douche Concentrate or any over-the-counter douche.)
* Let the mixture stand for 10 minutes or so before rinsing off.
* Rinse the dog with lukewarm tap water. Don't wash the mixture into your dog's eyes (use a washcloth to cover the eyes if you're rinsing the head).
* After bathing, check your dog's eyes. If they are red and watering, your dog may have taken a direct hit in the face. Skunk spray won't blind the dog, but it's very painful. Contact a vet.


Forget what you have heard about tomato juice--it doesn't work. Skunk spray is mainly composed of low molecular weight thiol compounds. ("Thiols" are compounds with the "-SH radical" attached to a carbon atom.) In industrial applications, alkaline hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is used for scrubbing similar compounds from waste gas streams.

Hydrogen peroxide and baking soda, when combined, become a "chemical engine" for churning out oxygen. That's why it has to be used immediately after mixing. The soap breaks up the oils in the skunk spray, allowing the other ingredients to do their work.

[sleepyhead]

7. I second the H2O2/baking soda//Dawn recipe.

You may need to repeat it several times. Some people recommend alternating it with Massengil vinegar/water douche. Avoid eyes and the inside of the ears.

[leftofthedial]

8. WAY BETTER THAN TOMATO JUICE

1 quart (or liter) of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide, H2O2.
1/4 cup (50 ml.) of Baking Soda
1 teaspoon (5 ml.) of Liquid Soap

put on some rubber gloves, mix it up and wash your dog with the above mixture. scrub as well as you can. Don't get it in the eyes. The more you scrub, the better. rinse thoroughly with water.

you might need to do it twice, but probably not.

WAY better than tomato juice.

definitely don't shave the poor thing.

[redwitch]

9. Skunk Off

I got mine at the vets, PetCo or another pet store might have it too. Works great, not expensive and not nearly as messy as tomato juice. Good luck! When our kitty got sprayed he couldn't stand to be with himself, it was funny and sad at the same time.

[necso]

10. I've used tomato juice

and lots of water; it seemed to work some.

...

An ex used to insist that I take the dogs hiking with me (they were accustomed to running loose on such "walks"; there are plenty of places here where almost no-one goes; and I generally favor such places).

So I broke-down sometimes (dogs change the nature of an otherwise peaceful, private experience) and took them when I went (she wasn't big on hiking; somewhat surprising, many people who live here aren't). They ran after a skunk and got sprayed as we were returning (I like to go out in the afternoon (or early morning) and return as evening (or midday) comes -- the changes in light as the sun rises and sets show things in a "different light").

I had to throw out the old blankets and sleeping-bags I kept in back of the car. Years later (when the ex and I had long-since parted), on a really hot day you could still smell the skunk.

And the very next time I took the dogs hiking (at the ex's insistence: "They'll know better now.") -- they did the same thing again.

Needless to say...

[allalone]

11. massengill diuche

I swear it works