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It could have been the way Dr. Burch was acting or her emotional state. Dr. Mary Burch, a certified applied animal behaviorist and the director of the AKC Family Dog program, believes dogs know when something is wrong with a person’s health. Once you’ve gotten rid of the skunky smell, make sure to give your dog some TLC. Play with their favorite dog toys or throw them an extra treat or two. Or, if you want to do something extra special, treat them to a Super Chewer Box, where they’ll get a carefully curated selection of top quality toys, treats, and chews each month. Bring all of your cleaning supplies outside and de-skunk your pup before you bring them back in the house.
Need to speak with a veterinarian regarding your dog getting sprayed or another condition?
If you do, not only will you need to clean your dog, but you'll need to clean anything they come in contact with inside your home, as well. It can be a scary circumstance to find yourself in, and you might be wondering why skunks spray in the first place. As noted by Smithsonian Magazine, if approached, skunks will often try to stamp their feet to ward off unwanted attention. If that's not successful, they'll raise their tail, aim and spray at whomever is approaching. While their spray is very unpleasant, it mostly won't affect your pet (except their sense of smell). Let's explore what to do immediately after your dog gets sprayed by a skunk, and steps for removing the skunk smell.
Tips
Ensure you always read the label and follow the instructions carefully. Wet your dog and work the cleaning solution into their fur and let it soak for five minutes. Rinse your dog's fur thoroughly until there are no more suds. You may also want to try to flush your dog’s eyes with cool water or a saline rinse if they’re red and irritated.
How to Get Rid of Skunk Smell
These signs are typically seen immediately or within a couple of hours of your pet being sprayed. Symptoms like lethargy, weakness, change in urine color and pale or brown gums may take up to a few hours or even days to appear. These symptoms are rarer, but if they appear, you should take your pet to a veterinarian right away. The compounds in skunk spray are irritating and, in some cases, can result in damage to a dog’s red blood cells, potentially leading to anemia. Thoroughly towel-dry your dog, and be sure to place them in a warm, sunny room for the next couple of hours so that they don't get chilled.
Fall is skunk season: Coping with close encounters of the smelly kind - Evanston RoundTable
Fall is skunk season: Coping with close encounters of the smelly kind.
Posted: Wed, 29 Sep 2021 07:00:00 GMT [source]
How to get rid of dog smell from the air
If your dog gets sprayed, the liquid will stick to its coat, so it is important to attempt to remove it as quickly as possible. If you live in an area where skunks are regularly sighted, chances are you’re familiar with how notorious their spray is, and you know it’s not something you don’t want your dog to experience. Unfortunately, there’s always that looming risk that your dog will encounter a skunk and may get sprayed.
Whether you use a commercial skunk shampoo or a homemade solution, don’t be surprised if your dog needs more than one bath to truly dispel the smell. Though any skunk run-in is likely to, well…stink, the smell could be the least of your worries. Skunks deploy their spray to keep potential predators far away.
Skunk spray is extremely irritating to the eyes and causes redness and inflammation which can lead to conjunctivitis if it is not removed from the eye. Saline washes can be used or if you don’t have access to this, simply cooled, boiled water can be used to rinse the eyes out. If your dog’s eyes become red, it is best to take them to your vet to have them checked out.
What’s interesting is that skunks can aim their spray directly at an individual and can spray the liquid as far as 15 feet! This makes skunks very efficient in using their scent to ward off potential predators or anyone they feel threatened by. If the skunk happened to spray any outdoor furniture or belongings, Mass Audubon recommends washing with a solution of one part bleach and nine parts water, so long as it isn't used on fabric. If you're used to washing your dog inside of your home, you might be tempted to bring your pup indoors to clean them off. However, you don't want to get any of the spray or smell into your home.
Getting sprayed by a skunk is an unpleasant experience for dogs and owners alike. Most typically, however, no first aid is needed after a dog-skunk encounter. If your dog's eyes appear red or irritated, flush them with cool water or a dog-safe eye wash product.
“A good absorbent towel, followed by a thorough blow-dry, is in order.” Once your dog is dry, the wet-dog smell should dissipate. The spray produced by skunk contains chemicals called thiols. These chemicals are what make the spray smell so pungent, but they can also cause irritation if they get in your dog’s eyes.
Another common mistake is bringing your dog inside the house to be washed. The smell from a skunk’s spray can quickly spread and permeate various surfaces and materials. Bringing a skunk-sprayed dog inside the house can make the scent stick to your furniture and linger inside the house, even long after your dog has been cleaned. Once you're confident that your pet is covered in solution, rinse them thoroughly.
Now that you understand why skunks spray, here are a few steps to rid the smell from your dog. When your dog spooked the skunk, it most likely sprayed to ward them off. If the spray is not causing serious distress to your dog, you can decontaminate the oils and odor by bathing them in a specific formula. This can be a homemade remedy, or if your dog is likely to be a repeat offender, consider keeping store-bought supplies on hand.
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