Skunked

It finally happened tonight, after living for eight years with a mighty terrier, our fearless hunter. He ran up a hill in our neighborhood park and dove into some bushes. A minute after a small skunk emerged from the bushes, walking slow and easy, regal, the white stripe on her tail lit by moonlight. She walked past our Bichon, Darcy, who did not appear to notice.

Winston ran around the grass in our neighborhood park for a while, not rubbing himself on anything, just keyed up. The outside air told the story. For once he walked home on a leash. Thank God for Google. I've always thought you should use tomato juice to de-skunk a dog, but common Google wisdom is to use hydrogen peroxide, baking soda and dish soap. We tried it and he smells okay.

Here is the recipe we used to bath him:

Mix 1 qt. hydrogen peroxide, ¼ to ½ cups baking soda and 1 – 2 tsp. dish soap. (It’s important not to store this in a closed container since the mixture of these ingredients creates pressure and could burst.) Another thing to keep in mind is the bleaching effect hydrogen peroxide could have on your dog’s coat. If this is a concern, try substituting vinegar for the peroxide.
Wash your dog as soon as possible to get rid of the skunk smell. First use warm water to wet your dog and then, with rubber gloves and a washcloth, rub the skunk odor remover into the coat.

I wished I read one important piece of advice--not to let the dog in any part of your house until after bathing him. I am still airing out my laundry room.

The picture above shows our slightly rueful but intrepid pup, post de-skunking.