Hello AKC! Just now, “Pepe Le Pew” met my Chow Chow. Must I say more? He needs a bath, but he still smells bad. What actually works to get the skunk scent out of his coat? I’ve heard of several different cures, such taking a bath in tomato juice. Ohio is odious.
Message to Odiferous We all have our favorite “skunking stories” as dog owners. Mine is the day my grandmother paid her first visit to my new house and my dog gave her a face skunking. In order to bathe my dog later, after my meal, I moved her down the basement. Big error! Grandma arrived, and my house no longer had that “lemonly-fresh scent.” What took its place could only be described as strong enough to make an elderly Swiss woman’s nose wrinkle.
first guideline. If possible, avoid bringing the dog into the home. Skunk oil will continue to be present in the air you breathe as long as it is still on the dog’s coat. The key to fresh air is to find a suitable solution to remove the oil as quickly as feasible.
I’ve tried a number of cures over the years, including pouring my dog’s head with the popular Bloody Mary mix (hold the celery). While these natural solutions are excellent at covering up the stench, they do not get rid of it.
I don’t recall how or when I discovered the following solution, but the first time I applied it, it worked like a charm. The ingredients are as follows:
- Baking soda, 1/4 cup
- Ivory Snow or another mild dishwashing detergent, 1-2 tablespoons
- 3% hydrogen peroxide solution in 1 quart
- Combine in a bucket, then use right away.
- Well-integrate the foaming ingredient into the coat.
- Keep running for five minutes.
- Use warm water to rinse.
- Afterward, use dog shampoo if preferred.
As the oil hasn’t yet penetrated into the hair, the quicker you can get the dog in the tub, the better the results will be.
This is a strong formula, so use extra care near the dog’s eyes. Never use hydrogen peroxide solutions that are higher than 3% since they could burn. Use it right away after mixing it up fresh. This concoction will explode if you store it in a closed container. Be careful with those black dogs because the hydrogen peroxide could bleach their coat (imagine bleached blond). Bleaching is less likely to occur the shorter the solution is left on. However, you ultimately have to decide between a wrinkled nose and a bleached attractiveness.
What eliminates the skunk smell?
Chemically eliminating the skunk stench, chemist Paul Krebaum devised a solution that converts the pungent thiols into odorless acids. 1 quart of fresh, 3 percent hydrogen peroxide, 1/4 cup of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), and 1-2 teaspoons of liquid dish soap are the ingredients.
Check your dog’s eyes
Flush them with cool water right away if they become red or inflamed. Additionally, there are dog-safe veterinary eyewash treatments available. If you reside in a region where skunks are frequently encountered, it might be a good idea to keep some on hand.
Remove the oil from his coat as quickly as possible
So it’s time to take a bath, either outside or in a different location like a garage or barn. A tomato juice bath used to be the most popular home cure for skunk odor removal, albeit it had mixed results. We suggest a top-rated skunk shampoo created specifically for dogs because to its effectiveness. Today, there are efficient solutions on the market as well as a straightforward DIY treatment you can produce using supplies you probably already have on hand:
DIY Skunk Shampoo Recipe
- 3% hydrogen peroxide solution in a quart (found at any pharmacy or supermarket)
- Dishwashing liquid soap, 1 teaspoon
Work the solution into your dog’s coat while wearing rubber gloves and thoroughly bathing him. Since peroxide can bleach his fur, don’t keep the solution on his fur for an extended period of time. then completely rinse. The procedure might need to be done more than once.
The next best alternative if you don’t have these ingredients on hand is one of the traditional cures, like vinegar diluted with water. Even if it is less efficient, it might still be able to clean your dog and get rid of the odor.
Wash your clothes
Wash your clothes with standard laundry detergent and 1/2 cup of baking soda or discover a skunk odor remover that works in washing machines if any of the skunk smell gets on you when you’re taking a bath.
How can a dog be Deskunk without using peroxide?
Your dog’s skunk odor can be eliminated with your favorite pantry item. Mix 2 parts water and 1 part apple cider vinegar in a simple manner. Rub the mixture into your dog’s fur after wetting its coat. Sit for five minutes, during which you may consider how much you adore skunks. Thoroughly rinse. Be careful to avoid the eyes, as you would with the previous skunk remedy.
Does Dawn make dogs smell less like skunks?
One of every pet owner’s biggest nightmares is realizing that their dog has been skunked. Every pet owner should be aware of what to do if their pet becomes a bit too fascinated about the striped animal because the aroma of the striped animal can linger for weeks on the dog, inside the house, and even on humans.
Your initial reaction after seeing your dog be hit by a car could be to take them inside so they can get into the tub as quickly as possible. However, resist the desire because doing so would just make your dog and home smell bad.
Thiol, a molecule that can not dissolve in water, is the substance that produces the distinctive skunk spray. While it might be your first inclination to grab the hose after bringing your dog inside, resist the urge. Spraying your dog with water or another water-based item (such tomato juice) will only disseminate the skunk oil further into their fur rather than getting rid of the odor.
What should you do initially if you can’t bring your dog inside and you shouldn’t just turn on the hose? The solution is to “neutralize the scents in order to deactivate the skunk odour. While you make a straightforward combination consisting of: Have your dog wait outside.
- hydrogen peroxide in a quart
- Baking soda, 1/4 cup
- 12 teaspoons of dishwashing liquid (blue Dawn dish soap)
In order to get rid of any extra oil from the skunk spray, pat your dog’s coat dry with a paper towel. DO NOT massage your dog’s coat as doing so will just encourage the oil to absorb more deeply into their skin. Apply the mixture evenly to your dog’s coat after the solution has ceased bubbling and wait until the stench goes away. Then, thoroughly rinse your dog.
The next step is to simply bathe your dog. Even though the odor ought to be gone, there will still be an oily residue that can only be taken off with shampoo. At this time, wash your dog as usual, being particularly aware of any places that seem oily or slimy. If the situation is severe, it can take more than one washing to completely remove the residue from your dog.
There are numerous methods available online that claim to eliminate the skunk smell, but you should be aware that only hydrogen peroxide and baking soda are capable of doing so. The tomato juice is a typical home treatment. While some of the oils will be cut through by the juice’s acidity, the majority of the stench will still be present (and will also leave your light-colored dog looking pink). Others swear by vinegar since it covers up odors while doing little to eliminate them.
Does Dawn dish soap eliminate the skunk odor?
We are pleased to provide a remedy for the skunk smell in addition to a tomato juice bath and the passage of time. The home treatment is simple to use and will eliminate the skunk smell with common household materials. While we cannot guarantee complete odor eradication, we have found this to be a successful solution. The solution has received excellent customer reviews.
The following items are used in the recipe:
- 3% hydrogen peroxide in a quart
- liquid soap, 1 teaspoon (we have found dawn dish soap to work the best)
The skunk spray’s oils are broken up by the soap, allowing the other chemicals to serve as neutralizers. To safeguard the pet’s eyes, follow standard bathing methods. Lather, wet the hair, and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes. After application, the pet should be washed with tap water to remove the solution. Avoid looking at or mouth.
How long does a dog smell like a skunk?
The aroma left behind by a skunk spraying your dog may linger for up to three weeks. It’s critical to respond quickly in the event that your dog and a skunk have an unpleasant encounter since the thiol in the liquid bonds to proteins in your dog’s skin and fur and is tough to remove from their coat after it dries.
Does vinegar eliminate skunk odor?
Depending on its potency, skunk stench can linger for days or even weeks. Here are some pointers for getting rid of skunk odor inside.
- In order to oxidize the odor and reduce its persistence, open every window in your home and let in as much sunlight as you can. Run the fan on your central air conditioning or heating system as well to move the air around.
- White vinegar should be boiled for an hour on the stove while being replaced as it evaporates. Although the house will initially smell like vinegar, the skunk odor should go. Keep an eye on your stove at all times.
- For a couple of days, leave bowls of vinegar in each room. Make sure curious kids and furry friends cannot access them. Pouring the vinegar into inexpensive plastic containers with lids that have holes can also be done. The smell will be absorbed and neutralized by the vinegar.
- Put any contaminated bedding, clothes, or other washable materials in a washer that is on the hottest setting. Along with your regular detergent, add 1/2 cup baking soda to the load. Repeat the wash cycle after laundering. In order to avoid having the fragrance of your laundry infused into your clothing, always air dry your wash, preferably outside.
- Choose a thorough steam cleaning for soft surfaces like couches, carpets, mattresses, curtains, and other items that can’t be washed.
- A 1:9 solution of bleach and water will neutralize the odor on hard surfaces. To make sure the bleach doesn’t damage or discolor the surface, try a tiny area first.
When you’re through, make sure to replace the HVAC system’s air filters, or the odors can persist.
Can tomato juice get rid of skunk odor?
Pets must either have the chemical components of the spray chemically changed or removed from their coats in order to get rid of the skunk smell. Skunk odor cannot be totally eliminated physically, not even after numerous baths; therefore, the chemicals must be changed chemically. There are several commercially available treatments to get rid of the smell, but if it’s too late and the pet stores have closed, you can use a homemade solution made of 1 quart of 3% hydrogen peroxide, 1/4 cup baking soda, and 1 teaspoon liquid soap. The skunk spray’s oils are broken up by the soap, enabling the other chemicals to function. Water should be used to rinse off the solution. Use a sponge to apply the solution to the animal’s face, being careful not to get it in its eyes or mouth.
It is a common misconception that giving an animal a tomato juice bath would get rid of or mask the smell of skunks. Olfactory tiredness, a phenomena, is thought to be the reason tomato juice works. Any odor that is subjected to for a long time will make your nose less sensitive to it, and you won’t be able to smell it anymore. When this occurs in the instance of skunk spray, the tomato juice fragrance may immediately be noticed, and it looks that the skunk stench has vanished. While bathing an animal in tomato juice may remove some of the chemical components contributing to the stench, it has no effect on changing or neutralizing the odor’s chemistry.
Can tomato sauce get rid of skunk odor?
Contrary to online rumors and urban legends, tomato products like sauce and juice do not get rid of skunk odour. These items might assist in masking odors, but they don’t oxidize or eliminate the thiols or thioacetates that are responsible for them. The same applies to beer and oats.
How can I deodorize my dog without using vinegar and peroxide?
An efficient skunk spray neutralizer is a common peroxide/dish detergent/baking soda mixture. It is common because it is effective. However, peroxide causes vomiting and is harmful to tissue. There are less caustic solutions, but they might need to be applied more than once to get rid of the skunk scent on dogs.
Which type of vinegar gets rid of skunk smell?
Everyone is aware of tomato juice’s usefulness for deskunking dogs, but it’s not the only traditional cure for canine skunk stench. Other items to have on hand in large quantities in case of emergency are hydrogen peroxide, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla extract.
According to Lewiston, Idaho-based professional groomer and former president of the American Grooming Shop Association Hazel Christiansen, you can try soaking a skunked dog in a mixture of about a cup of vanilla essence and a gallon of water to get rid of the skunk smell. Prior to using dog shampoo and rinsing, let the dog to soak in the solution for around 10 minutes.
To prepare the vinegar remedy, combine 2 parts water and 1 part apple cider vinegar; then, depending on the size of your dog, adjust the mixture to taste. Wet the coat of your stinky dog completely with water. Work the vinegar mixture through the fur at this point. After letting the solution sit for about 5 minutes, thoroughly rinse. Be cautious when applying the solution so as not to get any in your dog’s eyes (it would sting).
