DIY De-Skunker
Last night, we got a surprise visit from an unwelcome guest — a skunk. As is her way, Koa greeted the newcomer with her trademark exuberance, and was rewarded with a liberal spray of skunk musk. Awesome. Koa is the only dog I have ever known to get sprayed and then go back to the skunk to continue trying to play. So, today's unplanned post is how to de-skunk your smelly dog, using everyday household items!
First things first: if your dog gets sprayed by a skunk immediately
close all doors and doggy doors into the house! The skunk spray is oily
and can easily transfer to your skin, clothes, furniture, etc. I had to
grab Koa last night to get her away from the skunk so we could shoo him out of the yard, and since I didn't have my de-skunking concoction, I rinsed my hands off with apple cider vinegar, which worked pretty well.
Before embarking on this DIY, I actually stopped by Unleashed, where I work, to pick up some skunk shampoo, but found that the directions recommend buying a deodorizing spray, applying that, and then using the shampoo. Both products together were around $25. I bought them anyway, as a back up, and gave them a sniff when I got home. I'm glad I didn't have to use them, because they contain a number of extremely strong smelling essential oils, which may work to help mask the odor, but would definitely drive my household, including Koa, kind of crazy. Luckily, I can return them unused later today.
Okay, so to make your own de-skunker, you'll need:
One quart (4 cups) of hydrogen peroxide
1/4 cup baking soda
1 tsp dish soap
Some latex or vinyl gloves (trust me on this one)
An old towel or some rags
Make sure you are wearing clothing you don't mind getting wet and stinky, and then mix the peroxide, baking soda and dish soap in a jar. Put on your gloves before handling your dog. I recommend tethering your dog before starting the washing process. Koa has never been hosed down before and she absolutely hated it, and was very eager to get as far away from me and the hose as possible.
Next, thoroughly wet your dog with the hose. You can wet a rag and dab it around the face, snout and neck to avoid spraying your dog in the face (she is already hating life enough right now). Then, give your mixture a good stir and start to apply it by pouring it over and rubbing it in with your gloves. Dip your rag into the mixture to get the face and neck area. Be sure to let it sit for a good five minutes. You can use this time to beg your dog for forgiveness.
Once the five minutes are up, hose off the dog once more, and get prepared to have lot's of baking soda and suds sprayed all over you. I even got a little in my mouth. Again, use a clean, wet rag to wipe off the face area. We don't want any of this mixture to get in eyes! Then, use more rags or towels and get the drenched dog a good rub down before letting them go to sulk and dry off.
I wasn't 100% sure if this had worked or if I was just used to the smell after the ordeal, but Evan confirmed that it cut most of the stink. She still has a faint burnt rubber smell to her, but once she dries off and forgives me a little, I will follow up with some coconut water leave-in conditioner and brush it into her coat. She still hates it, but it leaves her with a shiny coat and a subtle but delicious coconut aroma!
Before embarking on this DIY, I actually stopped by Unleashed, where I work, to pick up some skunk shampoo, but found that the directions recommend buying a deodorizing spray, applying that, and then using the shampoo. Both products together were around $25. I bought them anyway, as a back up, and gave them a sniff when I got home. I'm glad I didn't have to use them, because they contain a number of extremely strong smelling essential oils, which may work to help mask the odor, but would definitely drive my household, including Koa, kind of crazy. Luckily, I can return them unused later today.
Okay, so to make your own de-skunker, you'll need:
One quart (4 cups) of hydrogen peroxide
1/4 cup baking soda
1 tsp dish soap
Some latex or vinyl gloves (trust me on this one)
An old towel or some rags
Once the five minutes are up, hose off the dog once more, and get prepared to have lot's of baking soda and suds sprayed all over you. I even got a little in my mouth. Again, use a clean, wet rag to wipe off the face area. We don't want any of this mixture to get in eyes! Then, use more rags or towels and get the drenched dog a good rub down before letting them go to sulk and dry off.
