We Got Skunked...

[Guest Bester]

Shani, my ever inquisitive pupper, got skunked on Saturday. I used the peroxide, baking soda and dish soap recipe on her fur. It worked but she got the spray right on the side of her face... half in her mouth.

 

Now this is a very kissy girl. Anything within tongue's reach of her is fair game. I've tried staying away from her but I swear to god she's got a Mamma magnet on her and she keeps getting me. I can't keep dodging the tongue everywhere I go. I can't keep going out smelling like skunk because I'm not fast enough to sidestep it. I walked into work today and within minutes the windows were open. An air freshener mysteriously appeared on my desk. HELP!!!

 

The vet said there's nothing that can be done to get rid of the stench in her mouth but I'm open for suggestions. I've brushed her teeth, given her turkey necks, tried the drops you put in the water but no such luck. Can anybody give me any ideas what I can do??

[Guest greybookends]

I have always heard that tomato juice gets rid of skunk. See if she will drink some. Maybe it will help. Good luck.

 

Make sure it is TOMATO juice and not vegetable or V8 juice.

Edited July 24, 2007 by greybookends

[MarcR]

I'm with greybookends. Tomato juice does work (I used it on a cat that had a close encounter of the skunky kind). See if she'll drink some or maybe try swabbing her mouth.

[Guest Winterwish]

Oh no,poor puppy! I hope the tomato juice helps.

[Guest SillyDog]

Try brushing her teeth & tongue? Also, you could give her a tic-tac or Altoid. Some dogs like peppermint. Don't give too much, though, because it could upset her tummy.

[DaisyDoodle]

I don't have the foggiest idea what actually works. But, here's what I'd try:

 

--brush her teeth, maybe w baking soda

--try to get her to eat some parsley in some form (I think fresh would be better than coked)

 

More toward desperation...

--spray yourself w bitter apple to make yourself unappealing to the dog (probably smells better than the eau de skunk)

 

 

While Cosmo never did that to me w her muzzle, she did get nailed really badly right up her head. (As I posted elsewhere today, she used to playbow to little critters--wild and domestic--and get herself into SOME trouble.) Even though she was brindle, she got such a direct hit that she had a yellow stripe up her head where she got sprayed.

[Guest BlackandBrindle]

Boomooanddoo carries a product called Pure Ayre. You can spray it in her mouth, it's all food grade ingredients, and it smells like mint. I love the stuff.

 

 

Pm her

[patricia]

Oh boy...I can relate. The Flashman and LaceyLaine got skunked last fall...Flashy got it right in the face...NOTHING I tried could get the odor out of his mouth and his eyes smelled for at least 7 months if he got wet. What a horrible experience...I did not know that they had been skunked and it was dark out and 4:00am...I opened the door to let them in and the smell almost knocked me over...then Flashman was rubbing his little face on ALL the furniture and carpet...It was something I hope I never have to deal with again. Needless to say I had to call into work sick that day to deal with this huge problem. We had Stanley Steam Cleaners come in that day to clean the carpet and furniture in the family room and they used a wonderful deodorizer but for weeks I could still smell skunk when we would come home.

[Aerosmom]

I've heard tomato juice works on their coats -- why not see if she'd eat something with tomato juice in it? Poor Shani (and you!).

[Guest Tenderhearts]

Good luck. That oily stench works into the pores and there's no getting around it other than giving it time to eventually wear off

[ahicks51]

If you skip the dish detergent, and use diluted baking soda and hydrogen peroxide- not enough to stimulate the barf reflex (Dr. Stack advises that a few mL of hydrogen peroxide down around the gums is often enough to inspire vomiting- no need to drink the stuff)- maybe that'll be enough if used as a "breath spray."

 

Mix some of it up, maybe 1/4 regular strength, and put a couple of small squirts into the mouth once an hour or so until it goes away.

[Guest Bester]

Oh boy...I can relate. The Flashman and LaceyLaine got skunked last fall...Flashy got it right in the face...NOTHING I tried could get the odor out of his mouth and his eyes smelled for at least 7 months if he got wet. What a horrible experience...I did not know that they had been skunked and it was dark out and 4:00am...I opened the door to let them in and the smell almost knocked me over...then Flashman was rubbing his little face on ALL the furniture and carpet...It was something I hope I never have to deal with again. Needless to say I had to call into work sick that day to deal with this huge problem. We had Stanley Steam Cleaners come in that day to clean the carpet and furniture in the family room and they used a wonderful deodorizer but for weeks I could still smell skunk when we would come home.

 

I was sick on Monday from work becuase of the stench. She's got a fawn mask and I noticed something on her face where there's no fawn coloring. I touched it and got myself. Before I realized what it was, I'd already touched my leg and elsewhere skunking myself in the process.

 

So far I've tried...

baking soda paste rubbed on her gums, tomatoes (she won't drink the juice but she loves raw tomatoes so I figured it wouldn't hurt), a bit of peroxide on a q-tip rubbed on her gums, turkey necks (she drools a lot eating those so maybe it would wash the smell out??).

 

But so far the only thing that I've found is even diminishing the smell just a bit is a ton of drinking water. It still smells but not quite as bad. This is so awful. I find that I'm ignoring her as much as I can, not petting her or cuddling as much as I did before... I'm feeling like such a bad mom because I don't want her near me right now.

[MarcR]

...I'm feeling like such a bad mom because I don't want her near me right now.

 

Not a bad mom... just a good mom with a working nose.

[patricia]

Oh boy...I can relate. The Flashman and LaceyLaine got skunked last fall...Flashy got it right in the face...NOTHING I tried could get the odor out of his mouth and his eyes smelled for at least 7 months if he got wet. What a horrible experience...I did not know that they had been skunked and it was dark out and 4:00am...I opened the door to let them in and the smell almost knocked me over...then Flashman was rubbing his little face on ALL the furniture and carpet...It was something I hope I never have to deal with again. Needless to say I had to call into work sick that day to deal with this huge problem. We had Stanley Steam Cleaners come in that day to clean the carpet and furniture in the family room and they used a wonderful deodorizer but for weeks I could still smell skunk when we would come home.

 

I was sick on Monday from work becuase of the stench. She's got a fawn mask and I noticed something on her face where there's no fawn coloring. I touched it and got myself. Before I realized what it was, I'd already touched my leg and elsewhere skunking myself in the process.

 

So far I've tried...

baking soda paste rubbed on her gums, tomatoes (she won't drink the juice but she loves raw tomatoes so I figured it wouldn't hurt), a bit of peroxide on a q-tip rubbed on her gums, turkey necks (she drools a lot eating those so maybe it would wash the smell out??).

 

But so far the only thing that I've found is even diminishing the smell just a bit is a ton of drinking water. It still smells but not quite as bad. This is so awful. I find that I'm ignoring her as much as I can, not petting her or cuddling as much as I did before... I'm feeling like such a bad mom because I don't want her near me right now.

Oh I know how you feel...it is horrible. We have a very large home and within seconds the odor was even in the lower level of our home...I even had to throw away Lacer's muzzle because I could not get the stink out it...grrrrr I hope things settle for you soon..but it takes time.

[ShantisMom]

Nala got it in the face and mouth last month, of course at 4am. Luckily, I was gone and my dogsitter dealt with it.

 

After drooling and rubbing all over my floor, she took her to the vet she works for when they opened and they deskunked her. I was home a week later and there was no very bad smell. There was a faint odd smell, but totally tolerable! Call your vet and see what they recommend. They may have something special for that. Give her a few yip yaps, dog breath mints.

 

We used Deskunk on the carpets in our bedroom as she rubbed it everywhere up there! It does not smell either. Last skunking, I could not get the smell out of their beds, those got thrown away.

 

Sorry, it is SO nasty! We have gotten it 2x. And apparently there is a whole colony of skunks living around the corner. Every night we barracade and pray!

 

 

[Guest practicepiano]

But so far the only thing that I've found is even diminishing the smell just a bit is a ton of drinking water. It still smells but not quite as bad. This is so awful. I find that I'm ignoring her as much as I can, not petting her or cuddling as much as I did before... I'm feeling like such a bad mom because I don't want her near me right now.

 

If she's not drinking enough to keep the process going, you might try flavoring the water with low-salt broth, if someone is home to deal with the extra potty trips.