So your pet just got skunked. My condolences. You can hardly blame the skunk, though. More than likely, your pet did something to provoke it, and the skunk was only defending itself.
Still, it’s left you with quiet a stench to clean up. Luckily, this isn’t the first time somebody’s pet has been skunked, and there are now countless household remedies for the problem. (Though, to be fair, quiet a few of those remedies either do little to alieviate the smell, or simply don’t work at all.)
More than likely, you’ve heard that tomato juice will do the trick. Just pour it over your cat or dog, scrub vigorously, and then wash the stench and tomato juice away. Unfortunately, this approach doesn’t always work and tomato juice is expensive. Still, if your pet got sprayed in the face, this is the best choice you have. Most other approaches use harsh chemicals that could cause permanent damage to your pet’s eyes.
An alternative to the unreliable tomato juice approach is to use a masking agent. Apply a little vinegar, lemon juice, or vanilla extract to your pet’s face, and the smell will get lost among the other strong scents. Unfortunately, vinegar et al are easily washed out, while skunk stink can endure countless rinses. For this reason, you’ll have to reapply the masking agent regularly to keep the smell at bay.
If you’re lucky, the skunk got your pet by its body – not its face. If that’s the case, then you can safely use the following recipe. Again, it uses some harsh chemicals, so be sure to avoid contact with your pet’s eyes, nose, and mouth. Afterward, thoroughly wash your pet.
Combine –
1 quart of 3% hydrogen peroxide
1/4 cup of baking soda
1 teaspoon of liquid detergent
The mixture should bubble and foam, like a shampoo. Be inspired. Use it like it is a shampoo, then rinse and repeat until the smell is gone. If after three washes the smell still hasn’t lifted, then wait a week and try again. Too many baths at once could irritate your pet’s skin.
***Note that the chemicals are volatile and will lose their potency after several minutes. Be sure to mix them right before using them. And whatever you do, do not place them in a sealed container. That could lead to an explosion.
For those of you that are interested in the chemistry of this formula, it works like this: the hydrogen peroxide and the baking soda react with each other and form an oxidizing agent. (This agent is fragile and will deteriorate rapidly. This is why you must use the concoction immediately upon mixing.) The oxidizing agent, in turn, loosens the odor from your pet’s fur, and the detergent binds to the odor. When you rinse your pet, the detergent/odor is washed away.
On a closing note, I would like to add that the scent doesn’t actually harm your pet. If it doesn’t immediately go away after using the above the techniques, do not fret. Your pet will recover with time.
