Skunked

...or at least we THINK she was skunked. My husband brought Nala home from the park last night smelling pretty foul. He said she was chasing something which could have been a skunk. However, if it was a skunk and it sprayed her, she did not react at all - no yelp or shying away or anything.

It smelled more plant-like to me than skunk-like, but we took her in back and washed her. (Don't forget that Nala is terrified of baths...) And then we washed her again. And then we washed her with every tomato product we could find in the house. It seemed to be helping. It also seemed to be mostly on the front of her, which would hold up the skunk theory.

We let her air dry and brought her in directly to her crate, with an old towel in place of her bed. After the 2-hour ordeal, I needed a break. I showered and watched TV for a while. Then I went in our room.....she still smells. :-&

So, I e-mailed our department secretary and told her I wouldn't be in tomorrow morning (Monday). I guess I am going to try to get her in to a groomer and see if a professional can de-smellify her.

Anyone know what questions I should ask in search of a good groomer?

I need to buy her a new collar as well. Hers was just too smelly.

 

I think for finding a good groomer you just have to get lucky. I don't know any questions to ask. I went through 3 groomers in VA, one I really liked alot and Luther seemed to like alot, I liked to way she cut him and he was always "normal" when he came back and she was really cheap, but it was a 1/2 hour drive and I would have to leave him there between 8-8:30 am and pick him up between 4:30-5 which was difficult with my work schedule. Later on I read in the newspaper she got in trouble for animal abuse! So I was glad I stopped going there. The next place I went to he came back acting really scared, so I went there only once, and the didn'T trim him like I like, not to be to graphic, but bc of his long hair I like it shaved around his butt and his wee and stomach, all they did was cut the wee hairs. The next place and what I might suggest for you is the vet. He acted ok after he came back, he was already familiar with the people who work there, they had flexible pick up and drop of hours. But I think that would be best unless someone(a friend) actually suggests a groomer. Because everyone has different tastes and I don't really know if a groomer would have something to fight the skunk smell, maybe doggie perfume. Whereas with the vet, I would think someone has brought in a dog the has been sprayed and maybe has something, but call and ask first if or what they have because I know you like the hollistic natural stuff and I wouldn't want Nala to get a shot of something that was not good for her. But also when I have tried to make an appointment before it can be a week or a month wait! so check on that too, but then again if you say it is an emergency maybe they could squeeze you in?
Another note, once my dog got into something really stinky, never knew what it was, long story, anyway, but I washed her with dog shampoo human shampoo and then 2X with dish detergent (probabaly not so good for her, but) The dish detergent really seemed to work, because whatever it was was oily and dish soaps are made to cut through grease and grime, it really helped and it also got the collar clean.
But I hope you find a solution!

 

O.K. I found one of these skunk odor remover solutions in my book.

Mix one pint of 3 percent hydrogen peroxide, 2/3 cup of baking soda, and one teaspoon of liquid soap or citrus-based dog shampoo with one gallon of water. Use immediately. Wear gloves and sponge mixture onto dog. Leave it on the dog about five minutes, rinse and repeat if needed.

NOTE: This solution may slightly bleach dark coats. A vinegar douche, (Massengil) also has been known to work.

 

Ok. When Molly and Axel got sprayed we were told that Tomato juice would only intensify the smell!!!!
A mixture of vinegar and water with some milk would take the smell right out!

Skunks have an acid in their spray. Milk is a base. SO adding a little milk to it will help break the molecules down. The vinegar will help to neutralize the smell and of course water to help remove all the gunk and delute the solution.


I would try that before taking her to the groomer. One think you have to remember about grooming. Dogs that are nervous can fear bite. Even if they never have before. SO she may nip a groomer, and then you'll have a problem on your hands. Not to meantion they charge extra for tranquilizers, muzzling, and having to handle a "reckless" dog. So extra cost and the stress put on a dog that has bathing problems doesn't sound like a good idea to me.

I think I would try it as a last resort only.

 

She didn't smell too bad this morning and I had to take my son to the doctor (before she got skunked last night, she scratched his eye while playing and it was still bothering him), so I hoped for the best and let her and Bonnie stay in the family room. I don't think the house smells, so I think she's okay.

I looked up the Whole Dog Journal article on skunks and they highly recommended Nature's Miracle Skunk Odor Remover. And get this - it goes on DRY fur, you rub it in, and when it dries the smell is gone. GAH!! Two hours of washing her and now her white fur is died orange from the tomato juice, and all we had to do was put this stuff on her, if we had it.

So, everyone who lives where there are skunks - GO BUY THIS NOW and have it on hand, just in case. Skunks only seem to spray when the pet stores are closed...

Ummmm. Anyone know how to get tomato-orange fur back to white? *sigh*

 

Here is a recipe I have had to use several times unfortunately. Living in the country like we do dogs and skunks go hand in hand. To keep this mixture out of your dogs eyes put vaseline around her eyes it's harmless and very effective.
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. Use a sponge to clean off her head and around her eyes. Knead the solution into the fur and be sure to get every part of him with it. Rinse thoroughly.
Also the peroxide may lighten her fur a bit...It did with Bluebelle and Izzy.

 

Jamiya: Again try using hydrogen peroxide on the fur to take out tomato stain. We did this in the Vet's office to take out blood stains from white fur after surgery.

 

Loves_da_pits
I just realized I posted basically the same info as you...LOL Sorry :lol:

 

Gina: You didn't mention the vinegar douche. :lol: I thought that was interesting when I saw it. I like to know who the first person was that tried this on skunk spray and found out it worked. :mrgreen:

 

The theory behind putting a deskunking solution on dry is that if the hair molecules absorb water first, they will not be as receptive to the solution- they will already be filled with water. So, if this is true, get the shampoo or whatever, on there first, then rinse.

I've heard so many homemade solutions that it makes my head spin. All that have been mentioned here are ones I've heard a lot of people swear by. I also hear many people unsatisfied with tomato juice. As a groomer, I use skunk shampoo and baking soda- I'm a little leery of using home-made stuff on other people's dogs, although in grooming school we were taught about the peroxide/ baking soda mixture.

I read of a groomer who swears by Massengill douche, but gets funny looks at the drugstore when she goes in to stock up her supply!

Whether there is anything that works 100% on a dog that's been directly sprayed, I'm dubious. Especially when they get wet again, you WILL have skunk odor. Some animals take a year or so before it's completely out!- although these dogs are probably not being bathed much.

 

Well I took her to the Barkery and Bath this afternoon. They washed her many, many times with several different things. It's mostly gone, although not all the way. I'm sure it will come back when she is wet. I am fairly confident that it won't get all over the house now, though. They did manage to get the orange out. Poor girl was there for almost two hours and they were working on her the whole time. I felt sorry for the poor men washing her, although she was a good girl (for the most part).

My sister wrote to me and also recommended the peroxide stuff, so I now have a quart bottle of hydrogen peroxide on hand, just in case. The tomato juice actually did help quite significantly. Well, it wasn't juice, but the stuff we used that dyed her orange was also the most effective at reducing the smell. I am worried that the peroxide would lighten her, since she is mostly black. My sister used it on her Golden with good results, but then again Goldens aren't black!

I'm still not certain it was skunk, but whatever it was it sure was nasty! :-&