Dear Smelly Belly: As dog owners we all have our favorite “skunking” stories. Mine includes Roxanne’s facial skunking the morning my grandmother came to visit my new home for the first time. I brought my squinty-eyed dog into the basement until I could bathe her later, after my luncheon. Big mistake! By the time grandma arrived my house had lost that “lemonly-fresh” polished furniture smell. What replaced it could only be described as pungent enough to wrinkle the nose of an old Swiss woman.

Rule number one. Do not bring the dog in the house if you can avoid it. As long as the skunk oil remains on the dog fur, it will remain in the air that you breathe. Getting a proper remedy to remove the oil as soon as possible is the key to fresh air. 

Over the years I have tried several remedies. I have embarrassed myself by running into the drug store to buy an armload of pre-mixed vinegar and water douches with a raised eyebrow from the druggist to concocting something that resembled “Bloody Mary” mix (hold the celery) to pour over my dog’s head. When neither remedy removed the odor I asked myself ‘How many douches does it take to bathe a dog?’ or thought maybe that mix really needed some vodka! The answer was simple: these homemade remedies are great for masking the odor but they do not eliminate it.

The Best Solution

I don’t remember when or where I learned about the following solution but the first time I used it, it was an instant success. The recipe is as follows:

¼ cup of baking soda

1-2 teaspoons of mild dishwashing detergent like Ivory Snow ®

1 quart of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide solution

Mix in a bucket and use immediately

Work the foaming mixture well into the smelly fur

Leave on for five minutes

Rinse with warm water

Follow with dog shampoo if desired

Recently, after many years of de-skunking baths, I found the scientific explanation as to why this solution works. It has something to do with a chemical reaction between the skunk oil and the baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. I found the answer at Paul Krebaum’s “The Skunk Remedy Home Page” at http://home.earthlink.net/~skunkremedy/home/. According to Krebaum, the soap is used to break up the spray oils and then holds it for the baking soda and peroxide to work its chemical magic. For a really great description, since I can’t do it justice here, go visit this website. 

The quicker you can get the dog in the tub (remember an outside tub is better than inside tub) the better the result since the oil hasn’t saturated into the hair yet. The longer you wait to wash the dog, the longer you will have to scrub at the fur.

Use Caution

Be careful around the dog’s eyes as this is a potent formula. If your dog got it in the face, cover his eyes with your hand and use a sponge to wash around his face. You may also want to use gloves yourself.

 Don’t use a higher than 3% hydrogen peroxide solution as it may burn. Mix it fresh, use it and then discard. Pour the unused portion down the drain. If you store this in a closed container it will explode. Some people report bleached fur due to the hydrogen peroxide. The less time the solution stays on the less likely for bleaching. You decide on a bleached beauty or a wrinkled nose. The choice is yours.

Lisa Peterson, a breeder and exhibitor of Norwegian Elkhounds, is a Delegate to the American Kennel Club. Ask Lisa questions at elvemel@aol.com or P.O. Box 197, Newtown, CT 06470.