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Close Encounter of the WRONG Kind

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Has your dog had a close encounter of the wrong kind with a skunk?

Skunks are passive animals and don’t ordinarily go looking for trouble. They don’t migrate and they tend to stay within a home range of a couple hundred acres. They hibernate in their dens during the colder months, and begin to venture out in the February - March timeframe.

When a skunk feels threatened its entire body goes on alert. First it will stamp its feet in warning; then it will lift its tail.  The openings of its musk glands will pop out.  The muscles begin to constrict and out sprays a smelly, oily, yellowish colored musk, normally into the faces of our inquisitive pets.   The skunk is capable of spraying up to eight times, and the spray can reach up to 12 feet away.

The following recipe is very effective should your dog ever have the misfortune of having a close encounter with a skunk.

1 quart 3% hydrogen peroxide
¼ cup baking soda
1 teaspoon liquid dish soap 

Mix all of the above ingredients together.  Work the solution into the dog’s coat and rinse with water.  AVOID contact with the dog’s eyes. 

This mixture should be used immediately after preparation; it can’t be pre-mixed and stored.  Overuse of the peroxide could bleach your dog’s coat.

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