I would like to formally thank my dog Zumi for allowing me the opportunity to do an unscientific and independent experiment on the effectiveness of skunk odour remover products available on the market today.
I think we all have a pretty good idea of what happened.
In any case, there are a host of old wives tales and home remedies to remove skunk odour on dogs. The tomato juice cocktail is one that comes to mind first. Well, having gone through this once before with my former canine companion Alex many years ago and using the tomato juice recipe at the time, I can say that past experience says . . . don't do it. You will only end up with a dog that smells like skunk and tomato juice or ketchup that has turned sour. Don't bother with the vinegar and water solution and also skip lemon juice and don't even consider a chemical concoction like Febreze on your pets!
Another home remedy is baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. Now this does work. The measurements are quarter cup baking soda, one tablespoon hand dishwashing liquid, preferably Dawn as it has excellent grease and oil removing properties and skunk stink is made up of oil, which is why it is so hard to get out of everything, and one quart of three per cent hydrogen peroxide. Mix this all together and massage into your dog's coat, leave on for about 10 minutes and don't allow your dog to shake or rub it off, then rinse off and repeat if necessary.
I chose not to go the route of the home remedy simply because Zumi took a direct hit in the face, around her eyes, up her nose and in her mouth. So off to the pet store we went. All of the skunk shampoos were vetoed, not because they would not work but because they were very soapy and this would most certainly cause further eye irritation to Zumi. I finally found a product called Skunk Odour Remover by the company Earth Friendly Products. It is all natural, no chemicals at all, is biodegradable, low sudzing and has a lovely natural floral scent. It also guarantees to instantly remove odours caused by skunks - sold!
I followed the directions, which were to simply squirt or sponge the product directly onto the affected area, massage thoroughly into the fur and then leave on. After about 15 minutes the odour had decreased dramatically so I hosed Zumi off, dried her and gave her a second treatment, which is recommended for extra-smelly dogs. After the second treatment there was barely a trace of skunk smell.
This product can also be used on hard surfaces, furniture and clothing that has come in contact with the skunk smell. It was only $12 and it worked!
It did help that I did not hose her off right after she got sprayed as all that does is spread the oily skunk stink around. I did treat her as soon as I could. The longer a dog is left untreated the harder it is to remove the odour because oil likes to seep into pores when it is left on the skin. The end result is a clean, flowery smelly dog that I would love to say has learned her lesson with the black and white smelly bandit, but I know she hasn't. All I can do is keep her as safe as I can while still allowing her to be a dog and get exercise when we are walking in the forest, and make sure to have a bottle of Skunk Odour Remover under my kitchen sink.
