What Should I Do If My Dog Gets Sprayed by a Skunk?

Dogs stick their noses in lots of places they shouldn't, and it usually doesn't cause any harm to the dog. An exception to that rule is when they stick their noses too close to a skunk. This creates a problem not only for the dog, but an even bigger problem for you--the dog's guardian. You must act quickly to mitigate the damage of your dog being sprayed by a skunk.

  1. The Spray

    • A skunk warns the dog--and you, if you are in the vicinity of the attack--that it's had enough and is getting ready to act in self-defense. The skunk will make a growling or purring sound, raise its tail, stand on its hind legs and stomp its front feet. This happens just before the sulphuric spray hits the dog's face. The spray can blind your dog for up to two days if it hits the dog in the eyes.

    Quick Action

    • Once the skunk has sprayed your dog, it's important to act quickly. Once the spray has set it in, it's nearly impossible to get the smell removed from your dog's hair. The skunk's odor can linger if you do not take quick action. If you have an especially precocious dog, or live an area with lots of skunks, you may want to keep de-skunking supplies on hand--just in case you need to act in a hurry.

    Containment

    • Before beginning the process of de-skunking your dog, take some precautions to ensure your dog doesn't spread his experience. Change into old clothes before handling your dog. Most likely this apparel will need to be trashed once you have bathed your dog. If possible, keep the dog outside until you have bathed him and don't let the dog get into his bed.

    Preparation

    • Try to determine where the skunk's spray hit your dog. Try trimming or combing some of the hair in the area of your dog's body that took the direct hit. Try bathing just the area that took the direct hit first. You'll be doing several additional baths during the next few hours, including an over-all body wash.

    Bathing

    • Bathe your dog with his regular dog shampoo. This should be an overall bath and the goal at this point is to try to remove the skunk's spray before it dries. Once this bath is complete, you move onto modern--and age-old--remedies for removing the smell of skunk from a dog.

    De-Skunking

    • Remedies to de-skunk range from specially designed products available at your pet store to the folk remedy of saturating the dog's fur in tomato juice. A combination of 1 quart 3 percent hydrogen peroxide, 1/4 cup baking soda and 1 tsp. dish detergent was created by chemist Paul Krebaum and is one of the more effective means of de-skunking a dog. The combination is mixed in bucket or bowl--be prepared for some fizzing and do not cover the container. The dog is thoroughly soaked in the mixture, and the mixture is massaged through the coat. Spray, rinse and repeat if necessary. Do not get the mixture into the dog's eyes, nose or mouth. Discard unused mixture.