Help, my puppy was sprayed by a skunk

[Presbyrino]

Not necessarily a puppy (but it will always be my puppy), but my dog was sprayed by a skunk for the first time. I gave her a peroxide + baking soda bath, and a tomatoe juice bath, but the smell is still on her.

For those who have experienced this before, what have you tried with success and how long did it take for the smell to wear off?

Although this is not a picture of her, she is a boxer and she looks just like this dog and she has a sad face now like this dog:

[Edited on 3-22-2006 by Presbyrino]

 

[LadyFlynt]

tomato juice was going to be my suggestion...maybe a milk bath?

 

[SteppingHeavenward]

poor thing!

I used to work as a dog groomer, and (fortunately!) never had to deal with this.
of course, repeated tomato juice baths was my first thought, also.

You should be able to get an odor neutralizer from a pet store, which may work.

Since my mom and I were both stumped, I decided to call the vet clinic, and they gave me their mixture... claiming that it works, of course. Perhaps their ingredient measurements differ from what you used?

1 qt 3% hydrogen peroxide (drug store)
1/4 c baking soda
1 t liquid soap

rub in with gloves - be sure not to get in the eyes.
rinse very well.

I think you could repeat this... but I'm guessing that it is pretty hard on the skin, and may cause quite a bit of dryness. You may want to use a conditioner later on if it looks like she is drying out.

And, of course, there is the groomer option... a bit pricey, but call around - someone may be able to promise no odor, or you money back!

When I was younger, our Great Pyranese got into a bit of a wrestling match with a porcupine... rewarding him with a face full of quills. I'm not sure which would be my choice - skunk or porcupine!

 

[ANT]

That stinks! ... literally ... (no pun intended) ... OK (maybe a little one).

I love dogs! I hope you can get the smell out quickly!

 

[VictorBravo]

That used to happen to my farm dogs from time to time. We gave up on trying to wash it out. It became tolerable for them to be around after about a week. In the meantime, they stayed out of the house and cars.

Vic

 

[Pergamum]

When you bath her in that bath of stuff, don't wash it off right away. The bath elements must remain on the dog's coat for a short time for the stink to go away. Where I grew up in Missouri has a lot of skunks.

 

[Presbyrino]

Thanks everyone for the advice. The smell has gone down considerably. I used the formula mentioned above, plus a special shampoo from the pet store for skunk sprays. I think the mistake I made initially is to rinse off the
mixture right away. Once again, thanks!