Removing Skunk Smell from a Dog

Skunk spray is oily and can be tough to remove from your dog's fur. Luckily there are ways to remove the odor without harming your pet. This is a guide about removing skunk smell from a dog.

Solutions: Removing Skunk Smell from a Dog

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If Your Dog Gets Skunked

To remove the stink: Mix 1 quart of 3-percent hydrogen peroxide with 1/4 cup of baking soda and 1 teaspoon of mild dishwashing detergent (make sure it doesn't contain bleach or ammonia). Rub this mixture all over your dog's coat. Prevent it from getting into your pet's eyes or ears. Then give your pooch a bath with a mild pet shampoo. Rinse well.

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Deodorizing from Skunk Smell

When your pet has a problem with skunk smell you can use a ferret deodorizing shampoo. Ferrets carry a very musky odor and this shampoo removes the smell so great. Your pet will smell so fresh. It will also work on your clothing. Wash in the washing machine with the ferret shampoo then rewash with your brand of laundry soap. I have been doing this for years and and has always worked. Good luck if you need to use it, but I hope you don't!

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Removing Skunk Smell From A Dog

Here's what I used:

3/4 cup baby shampoo
1/2 box baking soda
1 cup hydrogen peroxide
4 cups water

Sponge on the entire dog and work in well. Wait 20 minutes before rinsing. It really works. The above amount is enough for a small dog (12" at the shoulder). After this experience, I'm making sure I have an emergency kit on hand.

By mezwe

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Questions

Here are questions related to Removing Skunk Smell from a Dog.

Removing Skunk Smell From A Dog

Help! We need a home recipe for skunk smell remover "without" hydrogen peroxide. We understand it would bleach our Irish Setter's coat. Thanks!

By Sandy from Cleveland, OH

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Most Recent Answer

By Tashi-1 04/11/2012

Many years ago, my Alaskan malamute brought skunk spray into the house & I did nor realize it until she had rubbed it into the carpet. My vet (female) vet recommended a solution of douche concentrate & water - on the dog & on the carpet. I will forever be grateful to her - it neutralized the odor on the dog, walls, wood cabinets, kitchen cabinets, carpet and all the cleaning rags!

Removing Skunk Odor from Dog

Small white dog on couch with head on black pillow. My 12 pound dog was sprayed by a skunk tonight. Immediately, I put baby powder all over him. That's all I had at the moment. I figured that would soak up the skunk oil. I ran to the store and picked up baking soda, peroxide, and dish detergent (Cascade). Most websites claimed that this would be the best solution. So, I washed him in that, but he still stinks.

He was sprayed on the left side of the face and down the neck area. I was careful not to get the mixture in his ears, eyes, or mouth. I don't know what else to do he still stinks badly! Does Murphy's oil soap really work on dogs and is it safe? I know skunk spray is an oil so it's tough to get out. Help please.

By Lauren D.

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Most Recent Answer

By MelissaF 07/18/2011

Skunk Odor Neutralizer (You may have heard on BON-CC-41, same product, new name!) from BioWorld works the best! The Peroxide method will only work to an extent and not good for pets who have been sprayed around the face. Tomato Juice will only mask the odors (your nose just picks up the tomato but others will still notice the skunk). Many other commercial skunk treatments are alcohol based and can dry out your dogs skin,

Skunk Odor Neutralizer is natural and plant based. Safe to use on the dogs face (be careful around the eyes but a washcloth on the face and in the ears works great). It won't dry out your pets skin. Use dawn dish soap with the odor neutralizer for a degreaser to remove the skunk oils. Both should work great together! If the dog gets wet, the odor may return but just spray the odor neutralizer on your dog and that should help!

http://www.bioworldusa.com/household/odor-remover/skunk

A Skunk Sprayed My Dog

My daughter's dog got sprayed by a skunk. Is tomato juice really the best remedy?

By Sunshine in Cincy

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Most Recent Answer

By natashablack 07/08/2010

I feel your pain trying to figure out what works best. I have a black lab mix who loves to mess with skunks. So I've had to figure what works through trial and error. Lots of error, like tomato juice (does not work). Peroxide/bake mix, after a few washes and drying his coat it does work. But the best I've personally tried is something called DoggiCleen. In just one wash it competely removes all the skunk smell. It was awesome and afforable. I love telling others about it, cause if your pet gets sprayed, you need this. I'm a believer and will always keep doggicleen on hand. You can go to the biocidesystems.com website for more info. I love it!

Getting Rid of Skunk Smell on Dog and In House

What else beside the baking soda, peroxide, and dish soap can I use to get rid of skunk smell on my dog and the house? I have also used tomato juice/sauce and diluted vinegar. Thank you.

By A

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Most Recent Answer

By exring 09/11/2012

The only safe and effective product I have found for skunk spray on my dog and house is odorxit concentrate available on the web.

Dog Sprayed by a Skunk

My dog was just sprayed in the face by a skunk; what can I do?

By Jamie

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By muttmom 07/11/2011

Handful of bulk douche powder for each gallon of water. Pour and soak. I wouldn't put it in the dogs eyes.

Dog Was Sprayed by Skunk in the Eyes

What do I put in my dog's eyes after she got sprayed by a skunk?

By Monika L

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Most Recent Answer

By Cricketnc 08/03/2011

Call your vet!

I am not usually one that immediately says to call the vet first and foremost. And for the rest of her body there are home solutions to help get rid of the odor.

But with her eyes, she definitely needs to see the vet. Anything from home could possibly damage her eyes and therefore her eyesight.

So please take her to a vet immediately. If you can't afford it today, then call around. Most towns have at least one vet that has enough of a heart and cares more for the animals than his/her pocket, and will allow you to make payments.

Previous: Cleaning Cat Spray

Next: How Do I Remove Diesel Fuel from a Dog's Coat?

Removing Skunk Smell From A Dog

My dog got sprayed by a skunk tonight. Luckily there's a 24 hour vet close by to me and I was able to get skunk shampoo.

Removing Skunk Smell From A Dog

My dog got away from me, we live out by open fields and a river, when he came back I opened the door before i realized and he got skunked. He ran all through the house. I got the smell out of the house but not him. I tried the peroxide, baking soda and liquid soap mix but it didn't really work for me.

Please help,
Tatopickr from Ohio

RE: Removing Skunk Smell From A Dog

My 2 dogs(lab and Austrialian Shepard) were sprayed by a skunk this morning. Went to the local IGA store who called the vet and recommended the following: 1 small bottle of Dawn 12.6 oz, 1 box of baking soda 16 oz, 1 bottle of hydrogen perioxide 16 oz, mixed in 1/2 gallon of water. I bathed each dog for about 5 minutes and thoroughly rinsed them. It works great with no smell on the dogs or in the house. I washed the dogs outside. This sure beats the tomato juice mess. (08/06/2006)

By Duane Sedoris

RE: Removing Skunk Smell From A Dog

Our dogs tried to have a playdate with a skunk, but the skunk did not want to play. We have a German Shepard and a Husky mix. The douche, extra vinegar and water worked great in getting the smell out. I used six bottles on the shepard and eight on the husky. The husky still has a 'very slight' aroma but it was difficult to get his thick course hair completely saturated, especially when they both continued to try and shake it off. (08/07/2006)

By Carla

RE: Removing Skunk Smell From A Dog

My brother-in-law's guide dog got sprayed tonight. We used the soap-baking soda-peroxide-water mixture and it worked like a charm! Thanks! (08/28/2006)

By Barry

RE: Removing Skunk Smell From A Dog

It worked! I just couldn't bring myself to buy the numerous douche's it would have taken at my local grocer so I made the cocktail listed above and thank God it worked!

I appreciate all the tips! (09/10/2006)

By Em

Removing Skunk Smell From A Dog

What is the recipe for removing skunk odor from a dog?

A Skunk Sprayed My Dog

My dog just got sprayed by a skunk. My house smells horrible. I see post about cider vinegar. Is it a certain type like apple cider, etc.? Also how much? Any help would be great.

Lisa from Burlington, MA

RE: A Skunk Sprayed My Dog

I've heard that if you use something like one part distilled white vinegar to two or three parts water and you bathe the dog in it, it will completely get rid of the scent. It is the only thing that will work. Even those so-called "skunk scent remover solutions" don't work, according to an article in a hunting magazine. Try the distilled vinegar first. I think that's what it said to use.

PMZ (07/19/2006)

By Pauly-Wauly

RE: A Skunk Sprayed My Dog

I found this remedy on 5 different websites.

Skunk Smell Remover

1 quart 3% Hydrogen Peroxide*
1/4 cup Baking Soda
2 tbsp Dish Detergent. The stuff for washing dishes in the sink, not something for dishwashers.

* can use white vinegar, but it's not as effective

Mix the ingredients in a large bowl, because it will boil up like Vesuvius. We are, after all, making an oxygen generator. Wash the dog with this while it is still foaming, because it is the oxygen which reacts with the thiols in the skunk stink to neutralize the odor. If it sits around, it will loose it's efficacy because the oxygen boils off. Don't try to store it in an airtight container, because it will blow up. The brew also works for clothes, humans, and unlucky cats.

Pet Smart sells a product called Skunk Free (07/19/2006)

By KayD

RE: A Skunk Sprayed My Dog

When this happened on a camping trip, we used tomato juice lots of cans of it for a Boxer dog, but it worked. Just pour on the juice let it sit for a moment and then wash with regular shampoo for your dog. (07/20/2006)

By Michele

RE: A Skunk Sprayed My Dog

This "recipe" came from www.recipegoldmine.com and was submitted by a pharmaceutical company.

1 bottle hydrogen peroxide
1/2 bottle water
1/4 cup baking soda
1 tsp. Dog shampoo

Mix hydrogen peroxide with water. Add baking and dog shampoo. Mix and pour into a squirt bottle. Spray entire bottle onto your dog, being careful not to get it directly into his eyes and nose. Work it into his fur. Let it sit for five to ten minutes. Rinse, and your dog will have no odor. When he sits on your lap, you won't be able to smell anything.

Source: www.recipegoldmine.com, "improved skunk odor remover." (07/21/2006)

By bbartlein

RE: A Skunk Sprayed My Dog

My dog got sprayed by a skunk and tomato juice didn't work. Get dawn dish soap with degreaser and hydrogen peroxide mix together and wash dog. Beware the hydrogen peroxide will bleach black dogs. (07/21/2008)

By Sara

RE: A Skunk Sprayed My Dog

Use Dove Exfoliating Body Wash, no kidding. It will get rid of the skunk smell. Or use any Dove soap.

(10/23/2008)

By Cathy from MA

Removing Skunk Smell From A Dog

How do I get the skunk smell off my dog?

By Cali5622 from Connelly Springs, NC

RE: Removing Skunk Smell From A Dog

Yes, tomato juice works - might take more than once. (04/19/2009)

By LadyDi1947

RE: Removing Skunk Smell From A Dog

Keep some Massengil douche on hand. Just the original scent. My vet swears by this and also people I know that volunteer at animal shelters. (04/20/2009)

By runuts251

RE: Removing Skunk Smell From A Dog

We tried tomato juice, and it didn't really work. Since skunk spray is an oily substance, we thought of dish soap. So we tried plain old lemon scented dish soap, full strength, added warm water and lathered our dog up and then rinsed her off with warm water. We repeated this once or twice and that worked pretty well.

We've also used a baby shampoo (that doesn't hurt their eyes) by their face. You can also get a dog shampoo that doesn't hurt their eyes for around their head, but the dish soap seems to work better at removing the smell, so we use it on the rest of their body. (04/20/2009)

By emmamamie

RE: Removing Skunk Smell From A Dog

Personal Pet Products makes the best shampoo for removing skunk odor. It is called SOS (Skunk Odor Shampoo). I have used it on my dogs, cats and myself, after I shampooed a pet. It has a pleasant coconut oil aroma.

It worked, on me, so well, that I wasn't worried when I went to work that I smelled like a skunk. You might find it at your pet store, but will probably have to go online to order it. It isn't expensive, either. (04/20/2009)

By graymare47

RE: Removing Skunk Smell From A Dog

The recipe by chemist Paul Krembaum works the best. I wrote about our Border Collie that got skunked and we used this formula and it worked great. The recipe is here: hubpages.com

Good luck with the de-skunking. (05/22/2009)

By Dorsi

RE: Removing Skunk Smell From A Dog

First time my dog got sprayed, I tried peroxide, tomato juice, and backing soda. Nothing. Then I tried Skunk Off shampoo. A small improvement. I had to take her to the vet anyway. Recently it happened again with my other dog. I used what I saw my vet use, DoggiCLEEN Skunk Spray. It did the trick fast and effectively for a tiny fraction of my first Veterinary bill. (09/09/2009)

By Lucylove

RE: Removing Skunk Smell From A Dog

I've tried everything, but the H2O2 recipe. What I found that works amazingly well is tea tree oil shampoo. One shampoo neutralizes all scent, even close range blasts. Our Lab has gotten skunked twice in the past 2 months, and I'll never use another product. (11/01/2009)

By maryflanagan

Removing Skunk Smell From A Dog

My dog was sprayed by a skunk and we seem to have gotten the odor out of her fur with dog shampoo, but I can't get the terrible smell out of her mouth. What do I do?