Last night Oscar wasn't so lucky. He evidently found a lurker in our backyard when I let him out at 11pm.
By the time he came in it was clear there was something amiss. Quite clear.
If it had been a summer night, at that late hour I might have considered putting him in the garage for the night. But as it was well below freezing, there was nothing to do but bring him inside. I did some surface cleaning with warm water and dishwashing liquid, which helped reduce the smell a bit, then told him goodnight and went upstairs to bed. Because he's afraid of stairs, the only way Oscar gets upstairs is if I carry him. Even though he slept on his living room bed last night, I was still aware of him, as the forced air heat wafted top notes of skunk through the ducts.
Today I had to be in the city for the day, and the groomer doesn't open before I had to catch a train (and was unlikely to be able to take him anyway with her busy schedule) and would be closed when I got home. So I went to a large chain pet store this evening to see what kind of product I should buy to bathe Oscar. I got some great advice from one of the groomers. "Don't tell anyone you got this from me, but use baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and dishwashing liquid." And she recommended a rubber-tipped scrubber to help work the solution into his fur.
I had seen a recipe along those lines on the Internet but wouldn't have tried it if she hadn't suggested it: a ratio of a quart of hydrogen peroxide, a cup of baking soda, and a tablespoon of dishwashing liquid (I used about a quarter of these measurements). Mix and apply, being very careful around the eyes; leave on for 3 to 5 minutes, then rinse and wash with a pet friendly shampoo.
Lying between my feet while the hair dryer is employed
Almost dry
Oscar was pretty well behaved during the slow process. After a long session with the hair dryer, he's looking almost himself again. And smelling much, much better.
Home remedy for skunk odor here is tomato sauce, rub it in, wash out with pet shampoo.
ReplyDeleteI'll have to keep that in mind - I had the other ingredients on hand but no tomato sauce or pet shampoo. Baby shampoo seemed to work OK for the last step, but I've never had to wash a dog before!
DeleteWe have heard tomato sauce too. Nice to know there is another possibility. Poor Oscar. Too bad he doesn't like Peanuts. You could give him some to help him feel less traumatized. Come to think of it, you could give yourself some to feel less traumatized. :)
ReplyDeleteWhy is it that I always forget the peanuts?! Oscar did get some homemade treats before, during, and after that have peanut butter in them, so at least I was on the right track.
DeleteHe looks so patient and long-suffering....
ReplyDeleteBaking soda makes sense, but the peroxide surprised me. I'm glad it worked for both your sakes! :)
The groomer at the chain pet store said it helps open the scales on the fur to release the scent. Whatever the chemistry, it worked! I don't think Oscar really learned a lesson from this, though.
DeleteMissed this. No skunks here but plenty of fox poo for the whippets to roll in, I wonder if this works for that?!
ReplyDeleteHe looks as if he's enjoying the drying!
It might be worth a try. Fox poo sounds worse than skunk spray!
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