How to Remove Skunk Odor From Your Dog

Though you'll find sprays and rinses at pet stores for removing skunk stinks, you rarely have the luxury of running to the store when a skunk strikes. Battle the odor with this homemade remedy.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Rubber Gloves
• Dog Shampoo
• Eye Drops Or Olive Oil
• Tomato Juice

1. Keep your dog outside if possible. It could take weeks to remove this noxious odor from your house.

2. Check her eyes. Skunk spray can irritate them. If they are red and irritated, add eye drops designed for humans to relieve the irritation.

3. Don rubber gloves and wash the dog thoroughly with dog shampoo. Rinse and dry her.

4. Douse her with tomato juice, which diminishes the stench. Use enough to soak the fur thoroughly. It might take several cans. Allow the tomato juice to soak in for 10 to 20 minutes.

5. Rinse out the tomato juice. Reapply it if the odor lingers.

6. If the tomato juice doesn't work or if you'd rather drink it than wash your dog in it, try a mixture of hydrogen peroxide, baking soda and regular dish soap. Use about 1 qt of 3% peroxide, 1/4 cup baking soda and a drizzle of dish soap. Mix it well and add a cup of water if needed and then lather up your dog right away.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep skunks away by using garbage cans with tight-fitting lids and by bringing pet food indoors at night.

[Hollygirl321]

on 11/9/2008 i have had my dog got sprayed...it was not pretty..........

[KFK1]

on 8/17/2008 Great suggestions, overall- but PEOPLE: FEBREZE IS TOXIC! It has all sorts of chemicals in it; its for fabrics, NOT to apply directly on your dog!! Dogs, like people, absorb things easily through their skin. So, please don't use Febreze to clean your dog...there are so many other gentle and effective and safe alternatives.

[JeffWasHere]

on 8/17/2008 The tomato juice idea is a complete myth. Do no use it, unless you want your dog to smell like both skunk and tomato juice. You have to use peroxide and baking soda, or white vinegar and baking soda.

[exring]

on 12/8/2008 The peroxide mixture works pretty well as a first step to get rid of the skunk smell while you are waiting for your bottle of OdorXit to come in the mail.

[SilverDevil]

on 12/8/2008 All remedies are somewhat effective. You're nose will definitely become fatigued and you will think the smell is gone but a visitor to your house will definitely notice the smell. Skunk oil is the carrier of the odor and it sticks to everything. You have to remove the oil. Although many people read that acidic juices cannot but mask the odor, they do infact remove quite a lot of the oil. It may take three baths in juice to get most of the oil off the pet. People tend to repeat things they read on the Internet and it becomes like gossip. All the peroxide recipes are the same so I suspect most of the postings are gossip. It should be effective but probably not much more than juice or detergent. It is the detergent that acts as a surfactant to loosen the oil and let it wash off.