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Skunked :~o

5K views 17 replies 9 participants last post by  LisaT 
#1 ·
Indy woke me up at 4:23 this mornining to go out, and I sleepily complied. Heard a bunch of barking, went out to call her in. Of course *after* she had trapsed(sp?) through the house I realized that she had been sprayed by a skunk. Oh my. I have never in my life smelled such a smell I swear law enforcement agencies should use that instead of pepper spray.

I got on the blackberry to look up the skunk formula - tough to concentrate under those situations. I should have thrown her out and bathed her outside, but I wasn't thinking, and she's such a sensitive girl...

The peroxide formula helped cut the stench on her, but it's still bad near the spot where she took the hit. The house smells terrible. Sure wish I would have been thinking more clealy.

When she came in, she was frothing at the mouth, and then vomited once. Turns out that there is something called. Skunk Toxic Shock Syndrome (though I don't know if that is an official name), from the ingestion of skunk spray. It can cause vomiting, diarrhea, destruction of red blood cells (some kind of Heinz body anemia), and one terrier guy also noted that it can affect the kidneys.

Just Great. This is the dog that ultimately developed a cancerous tumor at the site of a wasp sting - what are the odds that she will experience no side effects?

I am watching her carefully, I gave her some charcoal capsules right away. This is also the dog that doesn't get vaccinated, so I checked her real good for any signs of scuffle, and, though perhaps controversial, did administer a homeopathic remedy as a precaution. Will also give her an antiviral supplement the next few days, just to be sure.

Poor Indy, she just can't catch a break. Always an adventure, eh?
 
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#2 ·
Oh no, Lisa! Naturally she has a reaction!
So many of mine have been skunked but all I had to contend with was the smell.

I hope she (and you and your house!!!!!) recover just fine.

I have had great success with that natural product called "Skunk Off." They sell it at most pet stores.
 
#3 ·
Oh no, poor Indy! Never heard of the toxic shock from swallowing spray. Morgan has been sprayed so many times I've lost count, usually in the face and she's killed 3 of them that I know of. Yuck, they make her mad so she bites the thing where it's spraying from (I saw her kill the first one and parade it around) I know she's swallowed it becuase her breath is horrid for a month even though I brush her teeth.

Yuck yuck yuck. We're never without atleast half a bottle of GG Bean Skunk Clean.
 
#4 ·
Poor Indy!

Lisa, I used to live on the edge of a canyon where skunks were prolific (and an old lady fed them cat food every night
).

If the peroxide doesn't work, we in that neighborhood all used inexpensive heavy hair conditioner. Tres Semme, Garnier, Herbal Essence. Get the stuff for dry damaged colored treated hair. Apply really thick and leave on about 15-20 minutes. There is something in the heavy oils of the conditioner that breaks down the skunk oil. I've never figured out what it is. But my dogs were skunked so often, and well, with this treatment, they got salon results at an affordable price!

Hugs to Indy!
 
#5 ·
Thanks everyone!!

The house is nearly 3/4 cleared out, but the area near where I gave her a bath is terrible.

Indy is also about 3/4 clear of smell, but that stuff is really hannging on, and I so hate isolating her. I will try the conditioner tonight, and I'm going into town tomorrow, and can pick up some skunk stuff then, hopefully if they have it.

Indy is only 33 lbs and overly sensitive - so glad your dogs didn't have such a reaction. It's a bit scary when you see your dog frothing at the mouth!! Keep your fingers crossed that this is the extent of it. On another site, one fellow reported his dog got terrible mouth ulcers about 2-3 days after. I had absolutely no idea of such things.

Okay, off to see what kind of super creme rinse I have in the house!!
 
#6 ·
#7 ·
Lisa, my RIP Apache got the foaming at the mouth after getting sprayed right near his mouth.

I didn't know any of the newer stuff, so I always just kept a few large cans of tomatoe juice on hand. He got a bath outside with that. Then I found the Skunk off spray stuff that I used after his tomatoe bath. I still found that for a long time any time he got wet or damp I could still smell traces of the stupid skink.

He got skunked 3 times in 7 days. I swear the more he got hit the more he hated those critters.

I hope the smell goes away soon for you. I had to throw away the collar that Apache had on, I couldn't get the smell out of that.

Lots of Hugs to Indy.

Val
 
G
#9 ·
Alot easier than mixing up a formula (particularly under stressful conditions) is to just have a bottle or two of Nature's Miracle around. I have four bottles on hand at all times. When used properly (must be immediately and without wetting the dog) it is 100% effective and is a natural enzyme.



Hope all is well for Indy of course. Skunks are no fun for anybody!
 
#10 ·
Originally Posted By: GSDadAlot easier than mixing up a formula (particularly under stressful conditions) is to just have a bottle or two of Nature's Miracle around. I have four bottles on hand at all times. When used properly (must be immediately and without wetting the dog) it is 100% effective and is a natural enzyme.



Hope all is well for Indy of course. Skunks are no fun for anybody!
I am going to 2nd this! I used it on my carpet, also, when Tasha got skunked and ran in the house.
 
#11 ·
Originally Posted By: Wisc.TigerLisa, my RIP Apache got the foaming at the mouth after getting sprayed right near his mouth.
....
He got skunked 3 times in 7 days. I swear the more he got hit the more he hated those critters.

I hope the smell goes away soon for you. I had to throw away the collar that Apache had on, I couldn't get the smell out of that.

Lots of Hugs to Indy.

Val
Thanks Val.

Okay, don't tell anyone, but Indy doesn't typically wear a collar, so at least I don't have to worry about that still stinking.

DH said that maybe Indy will have learned a lesson and will stay away from those darn skunks, but she was out looking for them the next night. I'm hoping not to compete with Apache's record!!
 
#12 ·
Thanks everyone for the suggestions.

I tried the creme rinse, and that really knocked down the smell, but areas were still pretty bad. I then got some of the Simple Solutions skunk odor product, and left some of that on her over night -- the next morning her bedding smelled horrible -- I think the product brought out some of that deep stuff. I gave her a bath this morning, and a wave of that nasty smell wafted off.

There are still two small spots that have a stronger oder. Overall, we're getting there. I had a choice between the Simple Solutions product and the one posted above, and I chose the SS one. Now I'll wonder if I didn't make the right choice!!

DH wiped down the bath area with bleach, and that seems to have cleared out the bathroom.

You all sure helped speed this process up -- thanks so much!!
 
#13 ·
Nature's Miracle is the Skunk Off product I mentioned above. Basu got skunked and we only had to give him 2 baths with that stuff and he stopped stinking. And he got it dead on, right in the face and everything. I think Chama pushed him though because she had nothing on her and she was right there with him!
 
#15 ·
My dog Oscar had a run in with a skunk last night too and he smelled just awful. I think he took a direct hit right between the ears. I remembered reading somewhere (perhaps on this board) that Coke or Pepsi would remove the smell. Since that was all I had on hand, I tried it and it worked really well. Of course, he still needs a bath today, but he doesn't smell like skunk at all now.

We're off to the groomers this afternoon - oh well, he needed a bath anyway!

Terri
 
#16 ·
Coke/Pepsi will clean the stuff that accumulates on your battery acid, so why not skunk smell? If she still has a spot this morning, I might try that too -- I've tried everything else on the stubborn areas.

Last night was the first night she got to sleep up on her bed (I did put a waterproof mattress top on it though, just in case). This morning I kept smelling skunk and I was really discouraged. Then I realized it that it was the shirt I was sleeping it. Geez, it's everywhere.
 
#17 ·
I had skunks take up residence under a house I rented (the same one on the canyon) Mom had babies right under the pilot light of the furnance in winter. THEN the babies learned how to spray each other (oh! such fun!) and that's all they did for about 3 weeks. The pest exterminator guy said all we could do was wait for them to grow enough to leave on their own, then close up the hole they entered from (they were too young to be baited/trapped).

My clothes closet was right near the furnace. All my clothes REEKED.

I had a couple suits cleaned at the cleaners and hung those in my car. That's all I wore for weeks.

I can still smell it when I think about it.


I feel your pain, Lisa. I really do.
 
#18 ·
Wow. I don't think anyone can top the family of skunks!!

Okay, I have tried everything, including pepsi...she has two spots, about the size of a quarter, that are very persistent. And when she rubs against something on that one side, there is a fresh whiff of it. But it's *a lot* better, and the house is almost good.

Lots of great solutions in this thread though!
 
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