What To Do When Your Dog Is Sprayed By A Skunk

Away with the tomato juice! If your dog was sprayed by a skunk, it won’t help. This is how you get rid of the stench.

If you love nature – and who doesn’t?! – There is a definite possibility that your dog will be sprayed by a skunk at some point. Unfortunately our boy Buster got caught in a little stink last night.

We apologize for the disruption to this important emergency announcement busters System:
Do you know those little black cats with white stripes on their backs? You are NOT to be trusted!

We had just settled into our RV site and got the dogs out for an evening walk through the swamp. Buster and I were in the lead, and as we turned a corner, Buster came nose to tail with a skunk!

Should you ever have a similar encounter, we thought we’d share our eau de skunk removal tips.

In fact, it might be a good idea to put these ingredients in your dog’s suitcase: a large bottle of hydrogen peroxide, a box of baking soda, and a bottle of Dawn dishwashing liquid.

Skunks inhabit both urban and rural areas, so you can always come across one. Preparation is key to making sure a skunk doesn’t ruin your trip!

READ MORE ⇒ What to pack for your dog for an overnight trip

Recipe to remove skunk smell

In the event of skunking, mix a large bottle of hydrogen peroxide with 1/4 cup of Dawn dish soap. This breaks down the oil in the skunk spray, which is the secret to eliminating the odor quickly. Add 2 tablespoons of baking soda to the mixture to absorb the odor, and then, holding your breath, apply liberally to your dog and scrub, scrub, scrub.

Be sure to thoroughly rinse the soap from your dog’s coat before drying it.

This was one of those moments when I was particularly thankful for our Winnebago’s outdoor shower. Being able to rinse Buster off with warm water and being outside where we both had more ventilation made this experience more enjoyable for both of us.

I’m happy to report that this concoction really works! Buster is lying next to me on the sofa and smells nice. His fur is a little fluffier than usual. This is undoubtedly due to the oil-dissolving properties of the detergent. The good news for him is that we will be feeding him extra sardines this week to avoid problems with dry skin.

All in all, our first meeting with a skunk was pretty painless…though Buster might disagree.

Has your dog been sprayed by a skunk? Did you use something else that worked well to get rid of the smell?

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