De-Skunk a Dog

Did your dog get sprayed by a skunk? You have a few options to getting him/her back into your house.

The first is commercial sprays and shampoos that you can by at your local store. These are said to work the best, but you may not be able to get to a store in time.

The next option is tomato juice. Bathing your dog in tomato juice and then giving them a bath with dog shampoo will get rid of the smell. Note of caution- using the tomato juice could dry your dog's hair red. There are varying reviews on how well this works.

Another option:

Fill an empty plastic container with a gallon of water, add 1 qt. of hydrogen peroxide, 1/4 cup of baking soda, and 2 tsp. of liquid dish soap. Wearing gloves apply this mixture to your dog's fur using a washcloth. Note- keep mixture away from dog's eyes. Leave the mixture on for 10 minutes and then rinse with water. Hydrogen peroxide neutralizes the smelly sulfur compounds in the skunk's spray.

Here are a few other options that may or may not work, but could be your only option if it is all you have around the house.

-Vinegar and water or apple cider vinegar and water
-Sprite or 7-up and then washing your dog with dog shampoo
-Downy fabric softener
-Mouthwash

The spray from a skunk is actually an oil. So when washing your dog wear old clothes you can throw away when done as the oil is hard to get out of clothes. Also keep your dog off its dog bed and other objects in your house, as those will then become smelly.