What is the absolute best solution for washing a dog sprayed by a skunk?

Question

Yesterday, my chocolate lab got sprayed in the face, neck and upper body by a skunk. Wow! I always heard of tomato juice, but that it takes a lot of it. I was told by the neighbor to buy skunk wash from the pet store. I bought something from Simple Solutions called Skunk Odor Eliminator. I followed the directions to a tee, used the whole bottle, but there is still a very strong odor. It also isn't helping that is is rainy out today, because that seems to bring the odor back out.

I called my vet and was given a recipe to use. I see some of you have already given it to me, or variations of. If it works, the 1st person who answered will get the 10 pts. Thanks for all the input. I have to wait 4 hours to pick the best answer.

Answer 1

Rain will bring the odor back out...even with the most effective solutions. Tomato juice doesn't work...it MAY cover it up, but that's it. Look for a product called skunk off. That works pretty well...many vets carry it (no appointment needed to get it...they just sell it to you). Otherwise, the following at-home solution works very well (but you can only mix it when you plan to use it)...Take 1 quart of 3 percent hydrogen peroxide (available from any drugstore), 1/4 cup of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate for you science types) and 1 teaspoon of liquid soap, such as Ivory. Mix and immediately apply to the stinky pet. Rinse thoroughly with tap water.

Answer 2

Hope this helps and makes sense.

We have had hundreds of dog sprays over the last 30 some odd years. They come back drenched and stinking in threes. So wives tails about covering up with tomato juice aside. We tried everything until we learned what we were fighting.

Peroxide and Baking soda to dull the skunk spray in the fur as much as possible, and any strong soft soap for a smell to help mask skunk smell. Rubbed thoroughly into fur, let set for twenty minutes and then a hosing with a shampoo. dry thoroughly and repeat a day later. next rain day they will stink. We do not have an enzyme that will eat the residual compounds a skunk throws yet, so we can only make them livable. Vinegar and other products will do more harm then good. Life is not always perfect.

Tomatoes, limes and lemons Each contain the same three acids and does nothing to the three compounds of skunk spray. It just covers it up for a while and you will still smell both. The skunk spray slowly loses power once wased or rinsed in anything that leaves an odor to compete.

Humbolt University studies so far found the following.

Of the three compounds that make up skunks defense spray, the second major class of compound in skunk spray are thioacetate derivatives of the three thiols. These compounds are not as odoriferous as the thiols, but are easily converted to the more potent thiols on water hydrolysis. This chemical conversion may be why pets who have previously been sprayed by skunks will again have a faint "skunky" odor on damp evenings. Thioacetate derivatives of (E )-2-butene-1-thiol and 3-methyl-1-butanethiol trapped in the animal s hair could be releasing the smelly thiols under the damp conditions.

So to get rid of the odor of skunk spray, it is necessary to change the thiols into compounds that have little or no odor. This can easily be done by oxidizing the thiols to sulfonic acids. Many oxidizing agents can effect this change. Hydrogen peroxide and baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) are mild enough to be used on pets although it may change their hair color. For inanimate objects sodium hypochlorite solutions (liquid laundry bleach) are cheap and effective.

Answer 3

I've tried tomato juice and it's not as effective as I would have liked, and both the tomato juice and pet store odor removers are expensive if you have more than one dog that gets sprayed.

My dog trainer uses an inexpensive ladies' douche, but it takes quite a lot if you have a large dog, and I've found that peroxide is relatively inexpensive; generally around $1.00 per quart - I always keep a couple of quarts in my barn just in case I have the need.

I've tried the first recipe below and it works well. I've included a couple of others too which I haven't tried but are similar. This year seems to be worse than most for skunks - we live on a ranch and I've seen 'way more skunks this year than before. Both of our dogs have "gotten skunked" one twice. Be sure the dog has its' rabies shots as skunks can carry the disease - that in my opinion is worse than the skunk smell.

Be sure to keep this out of your dog's eyes...

Recipe #1:

1 quart 3% Hydrogen Peroxide
1/4 cup Baking Soda
1 teaspoon liquid soap

Mix in a bucket (it will fizz).
Soak your dog's fur, but be careful not to get any in his eyes. Use a sponge to clean off his head and around his eyes. Knead solution into the fur and be sure to get every part of him with it. Rinse thoroughly

Recipe #2:
1 cup of vinegar
1 cup hydrogen peroxide
1 cup of dish soap
Lather WELL, add water until a good thick coat of lather is worked up and let sit for 10 minutes. Rinse well, followed by 1/2 cup of vinegar in 1 gallon of water to rinse and leave on.


Recipe #3:
1 pint hydrogen peroxide
2/3 cup baking soda
1 tablespoon of citrus-based liquid soap

Answer 4

Unfortunately, only time gets rid of the smell totally. Liberal amounts of tomato juice or vinegar are able to neutralize some of the smell and make it more tolerable. Vinegar is best on white dogs unless you don't mind a pink dog - the tomato juice does turn white dogs pink for awhile. We've had many a dog sprayed by skunks. In addition, we had a mama skunk and her babies live under our porch for awhile. We called the Conservation Officer and he came and trapped them. However, whenever it was damp, our house smelled like skunk for about 5 years after they were gone. Eau de Skunk is definitely one of Mother Nature's strongest odors.

Answer 5

two bottles of hydrogen peroxide
1/2 cup baking soda
1 squirt of liquid dish soap
Mix in bucket sponge on dog let sit 10-15 mintues
rinse well.
This works better than anything else I have tried including hte Skunk Off stuff
My dogs get skunked about ever couple of months.
This works pretty well but there will be some lingering smell if it is bad repeat the treatment in a day or so.
I had my doberman take a full shot in the face chest and neck. It was bad but this worked pretty well at least he could be back in the house.

Answer 6

Tomato juice is the only tried and true remedy I've heard of. Something to do with a two-pronged approach - acid-based tomato juice physically breaks down oil-based skunk spray, but also something else in tomato juice actually breaks down the actual scent molecule.

Answer 7

This solution was demonstrated on "The Mythbusters". They allowed themselves to be sprayed by a skunk, [brave men] and this mixture de-skunked both them and the washroom. In a clean bucket mix together: 3 cups hydrogen peroxide {cheap & available at any drug store}, 3/4 cup baking soda, 2 tablespoons dishwashing liquid, and a few cups warm water. Scrub and suds up your dog, let the solution sit for 10 minutes. Don't let her lick herself and be gentle around her eyes. Rinse her with clean water very well. For her breath, brush her teeth with a little bit of homemade baking soda paste. The solution may be used to clean any skunky smells around your home as well. This should help your poor dog.

Answer 8

Lemon juice! The oil from the skunk spray is dissolved by the acid. Just sponge it on and wash it off. Be careful of the poor dogs eyes. Maybe put lots of vasoline areound the to prevent run-off.

Answer 9

There is no single solution that will completely fix it. I've had the best results with the following progression:

Deskunk shampoo (follow directions)
Tomato paste left on affected areas for 10-20 min then rinse
Vinegar left on for 10 minutes
Then wash with regular shampoo

Sounds like a lot of work, and won't completely get rid of it, but it gets most of it...

Answer 10

Tomato juice acids break down the chemical bond of the skunk oils that attaches to the skin and hair.