Getting Ready for Spring: Skunks

            It's the worst nightmare of every pet owner, that foul stench that sticks to everything your dog touches; the dreaded skunk spray.  

            Skunks naturally seek shelter, which means that the easiest place for them to find a home is in and around your yard; under decks, sheds and porches.   Making matters worse, skunks are scavengers, and are attracted to the scent of your delicious garbage cans and the feast inside - giving them yet another reason to visit your property. 

            Most animals in the wild will be warded off by skunks colouration and smell.  Of course, dogs have lost this instinct in their urban environment and will go after a skunk with abandon.  

          When a skunk senses danger (such as your dog chasing after them) they will emit their spray with accuracy up to 10 feet away. Not only is the smell highly offensive, it can temporarily blind another animal if it gets directly in their eyes.  

A skunk's spray in action. 

Unfortunately for pet owners in the 'Forest City' it is not a matter of if your dog will be sprayed but when.   So what can do you do once it happens?  

When it comes to a skunk spray the most important thing is actually what NOT to do. You should NOT quickly give your dog a bath.  A skunk's spray is an oil-based secretion and giving them a bath with their regular shampoo will only open the pores and allow the spray to be absorbed into their skin --  Basically ensuring that the smell will stick to your dog even worse than it would have in the first place! 

So what to do? Like most things in life, a little preparation goes a long way.  There is unfortunately no way to eliminate the smell entirely, but by using an appropriate product you will be able to minimize the effect the smell has on your pet, your home and your own body. 

Ideally you will take your dog to the groomer so your dog does not have to be de-skunked in your own home. However, dogs seem to have a knack for getting sprayed at 3 AM when everything is closed.  This is why I strongly advise all of my clients to keep a bottle of  a product called Nature’s Miracle  at home.  It works like nothing else I have seen before and is available at most major pet stores.  

If you do not have a bottle of this and you happen to be reading this at 3 AM with a skunked dog beside you, there is a good home remedy you can turn to.  Everyone has heard of using tomato juice, don't bother with this one. In my experience tomato juice mostly leaves your dog and house smelling like tomatoes and skunk. This hydrogen peroxide/baking soda/dish detergent recipe can be used instead.

Unfortunately, even after effectively washing your dog it is still very likely that you will be able to smell the skunk odour for several months, most notably when they get wet.

 So far I’ve been lucky and Wallace (my springer spaniel) hasn't been sprayed. Now if my luck only holds for another ten to twelve years we should be just fine - otherwise I've got a bottle of Nature's Miracle stashed away.

-Peter