You’re in the garden and a skunk sprays your dog. It’s clear that dogs and skunks don’t go together. Unfortunately, your furry friend won’t always realize this.
They like chasing small animals, and some of these animals can produce a foul smell. This could happen when you’re out on a walk or even if a skunk comes into your garden.
The critter responds to threats by spraying a foul-smelling fluid over its attacker. The worst-case scenario is that your pet comes straight back into your home before you’re aware.
In these cases, you need to address the problem directly. But, what do you do when your dog gets sprayed by a skunk? Below we’ll cover some of the best remedies for how to remove skunk smell from your dog.
What Will I Learn?
How to De-Skunk Your Dog
Knowing how to de-skunk your dog doesn’t just protect your home from getting full of nasty smells. Your dog will appreciate the help.
When your dog gets sprayed by a skunk, it’ll be upset. This means your pet might be distressed the first time you try applying a skunk bath recipe. You have to be patient and calm it down.
Once it gets used to a successful treatment, it’ll be easier the next time. Some users have reported their pets running straight to the bath after a subsequent skunking.
Choose where you want to clean your pet. If you can do it outside with a bucket, this is probably the best option. It prevents the smell from coming into the house. Otherwise, the bathtub is a good choice.
Next, you have to decide which skunk bath recipe is best. There are several options ranging from specially designed products to traditional remedies.
Let’s start with the first.
Remedy #1: Use a Dog Shampoo for Skunk Smell
There are many products out there to help treat the smell. Things you need to bear in mind with these shampoos include:
Whether the shampoo treats odor or simply masks it.
Whether it contains allergens — if your pet is sensitive to certain ingredients you’ll end up with worse problems than a bad smell.
Whether it can cause eye irritation. Some products need to be kept away from your pets’ eyes, so if they’ve been sprayed in the face, you should choose a non-irritating shampoo.
Finding the best dog shampoo for skunk smell also means finding a shampoo with a scent that isn’t off-putting to your pet. You don’t want to replace one bad odor with another.
There are many home remedies you can try. You can use these in conjunction with shampoos, which often act as a ‘finishing’ product.
Remedy #2: Craft a Homemade Skunk Bath Recipe
There are several excellent home skunk bath recipe options for when your dog gets sprayed by a skunk. Here are our top picks:
1. Vanilla Extract Bath
One of the most popular homemade bath solutions is mixing a cup of vanilla extract with one gallon of water. You should let your pet soak in this solution (you may need larger quantities for a bigger dog) for around 10 minutes.
The vanilla has a powerful and pleasant smell, making this a great home solution. You can then treat the dog with shampoo to fully remove the skunk odor — just make sure it’s a smell that goes well with vanilla!
2. Baking Soda Solution Bath
Another option when your dog gets sprayed by a skunk is to mix the following:
1 quart of hydrogen peroxide
¼ cup of baking soda
1 tsp dishwashing liquid
You can make more of this mixture if you have a large pet or an especially shaggy one. First, soak the dog thoroughly with water.
Next, apply the mixture to your pet. Work it thoroughly through all the affected areas. Leave it for around 5 minutes before washing the dog thoroughly.
You should keep this solution away from your dog’s eyes, as it may sting. Again, you can apply shampoo afterward if the smell isn’t fully gone.
3. Apple Cider Vinegar Bath
Another option is to use apple cider vinegar. This has the advantage of being a very cheap option.
Apple cider vinegar cuts through the odor effectively but carries a strong smell itself. For this reason, it’s usually best to apply shampoo after treating your dog with apple cider vinegar.
The method is similar to the baking soda solution. Mix the solution 2 parts water to 1 part apple cider vinegar. Bathe your pet in water first, then apply the solution and let it sit for 5 minutes.
Wash your pet again afterward. You can apply shampoo for a more pleasant fragrance.
4. The Traditional Remedy to Remove Skunk Smell From a Dog
The conventional wisdom is to use tomato juice when your dog gets sprayed by a skunk. While this can be effective, the methods we’ve listed above tend to have a higher success rate.
It doesn’t hurt to keep some tomato juice around, but we’d recommend also finding the best dog shampoo for skunk smell as an after-treatment. The skunk bath recipe options listed above are also just as affordable as tomato juice and usually more effective.
Remedy #3: Skunk Bath Services
There are professional services that can help when your dog gets sprayed by a skunk. These will cost more than home solutions but are a good option if:
You can’t eradicate the smell yourself
Your pet was sprayed in the face, and you’re anxious about applying products near its eyes
Your pet is especially distressed, and you’re having trouble calming it
Knowing how to de-skunk your dog is important, but don’t feel like you have to be a hero. Calling a bath service is a great alternative if you’re not confident.
Keeping Dogs Away from Skunks
Prevention is often better than cure. Ironically, skunks don’t like strong smells. You can use mint oil or sprays around your fence and yard buildings to keep them away from your yard. This minimizes the chance of having to experiment with treatment options.
Conclusion
We tried to avoid these situations, but sometimes your dog spots an opportunity and one thing leads to another.
When your dog gets sprayed by a skunk, it pays to have ingredients already to hand. And don’t worry if your first effort doesn’t succeed! Try different methods, and you’ll soon learn how to remove skunk smell from your dog.