How to Care for a Skunk Sprayed Dog

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Has your dog been sprayed or been near a skunk? Don't let this pup stink up your house! Try the following solution to get your dog smelling clean in no time.

Steps

1. Do not run water over your dog. This only increases the stink, and if the dog has dry, or cracked skin, the spray can get into his or her skin, and cause burning. This also can lead to skin problems later.
   
2. Mix about 3/4 of a big bottle of hydrogen peroxide with about 3-6 tablespoons of baking soda. This is for a small dog. For a medium sized dog, use twice as much, and 3 times as much for a big dog.
   
3. Scrub the solution gently all over your dog. Do not leave in solution for more than 5 minutes. If so this may cause damage to the animal's fur, the texture may be affected as well as the color. It is advisable to use disposable gloves because dry or cracked skin may cause burring. If you do this outside, your house won't stink as much, and it would be better for everyone.
   
4. If stinking persists, make some more of the solution, or call your vet for other ideas.
   
5. You can also try a very effective product recommended to me by my veterinarian “DoggiCLEEN Skunk Spray”. This simple formula gets rid of skunk odor on dogs very effectively without harsh chemicals or costly veterinarian bills.
   
6. Try to keep your dog in the backyard, if you are missing a fence or have a swimming pool, try to keep him or her in the basement (in his or her cage) or a room that you don't usually use.
   

Tips

• If your house was in close proximity to the spray (i.e. the skunk sprayed on the porch or under the foundation), an effective way to remove the odor indoors (and bring back some of your sanity) is to use one or several "air ionizers" which release ozone, but PLEASE NOTE: the EPA recognizes breathing ionized air is harmful to humans and animals, so only cleanse the house with it at times when the premises are vacated
  
• A safer solution is "Biocide Systems’ Skunk 911 Home Kit and Skunk 911 Rescue Kit". They remove the skunk odor – not mask it and are affordable, non-invasive and eco-friendly.
  
• Simply "sniffing for a skunk" is not always an accurate way of determining whether there is one in the vicinity of your house or not, since you may be dealing with one that is "undiffused" (would you navigate a minefield by saying, "There's no craters here, so it must be safe to take a step!")
  
• Skunks seek human garbage (just like those animals in "Over the Hedge"), so it would be a good idea to use garbage cans with tightly fitting lids to help prevent such tempting odors from calling to skunks and other animals.
  
• Some people report that skunks like to dig in their soft garden dirt for delicious worms and grubs, but that planting a hedge of marigolds around the perimeter discourages this behavior
  
• Put some "live traps" out or buy some Coyote pee, and put it on a cotton pad and place around the perimeter of your property. This not only keeps skunks out, but raccoons as well as possums.
  
• If you do put a trap out, you can call the county animal shelter to come pick up the trap with the skunk.
  
• Also, if the above mixture does not work well, try washing your dog in tomato juice and rinsing well.
  

Related wikiHows

• How to De Skunk Your Pet
  
• How to Get a Skunk to Leave
  
• How to Give a Small Dog a Bath
  
• How to Give Your Large Dog a Bath
  
• How to Have Fun Giving Your Dog a Flea Bath
  

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