De-Skunking Your Dog

We live in a rural area and our dog gets "skunked" at least once a year. This is how I have learned to handle it. I developed this method through trial and error, and unfortunately lots of practice.

Keep a box of baby wipes very handy! When your pooch takes a hit, grab the box of wipes and go to work. Start with a large wad of wipes and work from nose to tail, smoothing backward with the grain of the fur. Do not scrub, just wipe, and change to a fresh wad of wipes often. Yes this does seem wasteful, but how much do you enjoy "odour-de-striped-kitty" on your dog or in your house?

Our dog usually gets it in the face, chest, and front legs the worst. When we have wiped, frantically I might add, as much as possible off the dog we put him in the tub and go to work with a commercially prepared "de-skunking" shampoo. Usually by the time we're done with that the odor is very faint, and sometimes not noticeable at all.

The quicker you get to the dog with the wipes the better. If you let the dog roll in the grass in an effort to get the hideous stuff off him or herself he will only rub it in further, and then wipes won't help much.

Hope this helps someone. It sure has made life at our house much better smelling!