Things You'll Need
1 quart 3 percent hydrogen peroxide
1/4 cup baking soda
1 tsp. liquid detergent
Can or bowl
Spoon
Water
Towel
Dogs often confront skunks, even if they've been sprayed before. Skunk spray is pungent enough to cause nausea and may temporarily blind your dog if it gets in its eyes. The odor of skunk can linger on your pet's fur for days or weeks, and if a sprayed pet comes in to the house, your entire home will reek of skunk. However, you can quickly neutralize the smell of skunk with a solution of hydrogen peroxide, baking soda and detergent.
Mix the hydrogen peroxide, baking soda and liquid detergent together in a can, bowl or other open container. This solution releases oxygen gas, so don't put it in a sealed container.
Take your dog outside and bathe it thoroughly with the hydrogen peroxide solution, making sure the solution soaks completely through its fur. If you have a large dog, you may need to make several batches. Scrub your dog for 5 minutes.
Rinse your dog thoroughly with water and dry it with a towel.
Tips
Use the solution immediately after mixing. The solution will not work if it has been stored for a long time.
Warnings
Hydrogen peroxide may bleach your dog's fur. Contact animal control if the skunk seems confused, paralyzed or unusually aggressive, because skunks occasionally carry rabies.
References
Photo Credits
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dog image by Oleg Salamaha from Fotolia.com
Writer Bio
Rebekah Richards is a professional writer with work published in the "Atlanta Journal-Constitution," "Brandeis University Law Journal" and online at tolerance.org. She graduated magna cum laude from Brandeis University with bachelor's degrees in creative writing, English/American literature and international studies. Richards earned a master's degree at Carnegie Mellon University.
