SKUNKS !!!!

Let me start by saying that in the nine years my two dogs have been alive, they have only had maybe four baths. They just don't smell and they are house dogs but since it has been kind of hot this summer here in Coos Bay, I decided to treat them to a bath and nail trim at the groomers on Wednesday morning. Later that same night my two dogs encountered a skunk in our yard near the house. Very dangerous to be near our house at night with my two boys. They caught the skunk and killed it. The smell was horrible and being so late at night I was panicked about what to do. My husband suggested tomato juice but I didn't have any!  I had no idea what to do but to look online for a remedy. I tried everything  that I had on hand to get rid of that horrible pungent smell but it lingered through the night and into the morning.

The internet told me to mix baking soda, peroxide and dawn dish soap and bathe them. Uh, excuse me? My dogs weigh 116 and 128 and they are not used to taking a bath. I got Petey to get in the tub but Sampson was not having anything to do with it. I poured the mixture on Petey and after putting on my rubber gloves, rubbed it through his hair as best as I could an then rinsed him off. Sprayed Sampson as best I could and went to bed.

I woke up early and went to the grange to pick up some Natures Miracle and mixed it up and sprayed on the dogs as directed and you are to let then dry before you do anything else. This was done three times and then I called the groomer and she told me to use vinegar and water so I did and all that did was make it smell worse. I tried lemon juice and that seemed to help a little but then I realized that the smell was also on their collars so I removed the collars and washed them four times in soda, peroxide and dawn and finally the smell came out of the collars.

Later in the afternoon I had had enough of that smell and took the dogs out in the back yard (luckily it was a very warm day) and I poured the Natures Miracle mixture  full strength on them and rinsed it off with the water from the garden hose. Once they dried they finally started to smell a bit better.

Next day I sprayed them with the vinegar again and took them to the vet for their booster rabies vaccine. She said she had smelled worse but when she walked in to the exam room she laid these two signs on the exam table.

 

You see when they caught the skunk they not only killed it but they had a tug of war pulling the poor thing apart and I was sure Petey got some of the skunk oil in his mouth because his breath was smelling so strong of skunk! I called her early that morning to see what I could safely use in his mouth and explained what had happened. She told me to use baking soda and brush his teeth. 

Today, 6 days later, they still have a faint smell and probably will for awhile. 

By the way, the internet says that tomato juice only works temporarily but when the fur dries the smell comes back.

All I have to say is that cute little black and white creature probably has the best defense mechanism ever . To bad you have to experience it to realize it and I certainly hope Sampson and Petey learned a lesson but if not, mama did. I will never again let my dogs out alone to potty at night. I will walk them out on a leash.