Skunked
One of my dogs was skunked a week and a half ago. I have had him groomed and know that it will take time for the skunk smell to go away completely. The problem is he is now afraid to go outside when it is dark, when he does he stays by the back door. I was just wondering if this is generally normal behavior after an experience like this since I have never had a pet that has encountered a skunk. Does anyone have any advice?
Dawn
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Smart dog! Mine seem to prefer to try to find the smelly beast and have another go at it.
Your dog will probably settle down and get his nerve back after a while. In the meantime, try going out with him for a few minutes. Just walk around nonchalantly as though you’re doing a bit of after-dark gardening. Don’t make a big fuss about it. Just walk around normally. If your dog sees you moving around in the dark without concern, his own anxiety should diminish.
Good luck,
Tempest
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Yep..he’ll get his nerve back soon! And….if the smell still doesn’t go away, try rubbing him down with tomato juice. Works for humans too!
Beachbaby
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One of my dogs got sprayed this past summer and she came in the house before I realized it. So the whole house smelled like it. It was bad. I tried tomatoe juice and that didn’t work. We searched it on the internet and found some stuff that helped a little, but I can’t remember exactly what it was. The major smell went away after a week or so, but everytime she got wet you could still smell it for months after that. I would follow everyone elses advice , I think that he will aventually get his nerve back. Good luck with it. Let us all know how it goes.
boxerlover
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It worked on my Boston Terrier…must be a very strong skunk!
Beachbaby
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It must have been, she got it right in the face and it made her eyes swell up and bother her for days. It seemed like nothing I tried worked very well. and like I said I could smell it on her for months after that on her face, whenever she got wet. I hope it never happens again, but we live in the country and in the middle of a woods so I am sure it will.
boxerlover
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I’ve never had much luck with tomato juice and skunk smell. The most effective treatment I’ve tried is to first wash the animal thoroughly with dishwashing detergent to cut the grease of the skunk spray and eliminate it from the coat, then rinse the dog in white vinegar and work it well into the coat. The dog must be very, very thoroughly rinsed with clear water after the vinegar rinse, because vinegar will irritate the skin if left on (the same is true of tomato juice). Also, extra care must be taken to avoid getting any of these substances into a dog’s eyes or ears. If a dog gets a direct skunk spray in the face, the best thing to do is shampoo thoroughly several times with a tearless baby shampoo.
Nothing I’ve tried eliminates skunk spray completely. That just takes time. The dog will continue to smell skunky, particularly if (s)he gets wet, for quite a long time. It does dissipate eventually, though.
Tempest
