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The recipe and supplies
Ideally, wash your pet outside so you do not contaminate the house; in cold weather or at night, use a warm, sheltered spot (garage, bathroom) instead. Ready-made de-skunking shampoos (peroxide-based) are also sold at pet stores or your vet, handy if you cannot mix the recipe safely. The home recipe below is simple and very effective.
- Old clothes and towels that can get dirty
- Rubber gloves
- A water source
- The deskunking solution (recipe below)
Home recipe
In a bucket, mix just before use:
- 1 L (1 quart)3% hydrogen peroxide (household or medical grade)
- 60 mL (¼ cup)Baking soda
- 5 mL (1 tsp)Dish soap
Never 30% peroxide
Use only 3% hydrogen peroxide (the kind from the pharmacy). Industrial 30% peroxide is corrosive and dangerous to skin and eyes.
Never bottle this mixture
The peroxide foams and releases oxygen: in a sealed container the pressure can make it overflow or burst. Mix in an open bucket, use it right away, and discard any leftover. Do not store it.
Also handy (from the pharmacy)
Cotton balls (to plug the ears if the head needs washing) and a lubricating eye ointment (Lacri-Lube or similar), very useful if the face was sprayed, which is common.
Expect more than one wash
It sometimes takes two or three passes to beat the smell. Clothes hit by the spray will also need several washes to smell fresh.
Before you start
Read this before you wet your pet: when it is better to come in, how to protect the eyes, and what is different for cats.
Come in instead of treating at home if...
In these situations, do not start the wash: contact us or an emergency hospital right away.
- Your pet was bitten or scratched by the skunk (or any wild animal).
- An eye took a direct hit and stays squinted, red, or painful.
- Your pet swallowed a good amount of spray, is drooling heavily, or is vomiting.
- You see whole-body signs: pale, brownish or bluish gums, dark urine, marked weakness, rapid breathing.
- Your pet is very young, old, pregnant, flat-faced (bulldog, pug), already ill, or too panicked to handle safely.
Protect the eyes first
All three ingredients irritate the eyes. If an eye took a direct hit and is irritated, flush it first with clear water (see step 1). Then, or if it was not sprayed, place a roughly 1 cm strip of sterile lubricating eye ointment (over the counter) in each eye, then keep the eyelids closed while you wash and rinse the body.
Possible bleaching
Peroxide is a bleaching agent. On a dark coat, the fur may lighten where treated, especially if the solution sits for more than 10 minutes before rinsing.
Bitten? That is an emergency
Before worrying about the smell, look for scratches or bites: a skunk can bite, and some carry rabies. Never pour the solution into an open wound: peroxide harms tissue and delays healing. Clean gently around the wound with plain water and let us treat it. If your pet was bitten or scratched, see a veterinarian right away (see the FAQ).
For cats
Many cats will not tolerate this bath. Never force a panicking cat: it is dangerous for both of you and rarely works. Because cats groom and swallow whatever is left on the coat, keep the solution away from the muzzle, keep contact time short, and rinse very thoroughly. If your cat refuses or was sprayed on the face, keep it calm in a closed room and call us: we can bathe it safely.
The wash, step by step
Put on your old clothes and rubber gloves, and keep the solution away from your own eyes (rinse with water if it splashes). Work outside if the weather allows, otherwise in a warm, sheltered spot; keep your pet on a leash or in an enclosed area so it cannot bolt. Apply the solution to a dry coat, without wetting your pet with water first.
Two people, calmly, no forcing
If you can, get help: one person holds and reassures the pet, the other washes. Speak softly, take breaks, and give rewards. If your pet panics, struggles to the point of getting hurt, is breathing hard, or seems unwell, stop: rinse off what you have already applied with plenty of water and finish later, or call us. Do not fight a terrified animal.
Eyes or mouth irritated? Rinse at once
If the eyes or mouth were hit, flush them with plenty of clear water for several minutes, without rubbing, before anything else. For the mouth, keep the muzzle pointed down so the water runs out rather than being swallowed or inhaled. Some drooling or a single vomit after mouth contact is common and harmless; call us if it persists.
Check for injuries
Look your pet over for scratches or bites, including near the eyes. These may need veterinary care, and the solution must not get into them.
Protect the eyes with ointment
Once the eye is flushed, or if it was not directly sprayed, place a roughly 1 cm strip of lubricating eye ointment in each eye and keep the eyelids closed during washing and rinsing.
Protect the ears
If the head or face were sprayed, place a cotton ball in each ear to keep the solution away from the eardrum.
Apply the solution to the sprayed areas
Soak a cloth or sponge with the solution and saturate the affected areas. Work it well into the coat. Avoid the eyes, mouth, and any open wound; around the face, wipe carefully with a cloth. Keep your pet from licking the solution while it works: swallowed peroxide can cause drooling or vomiting.
Let it work for about 10 minutes
Wait around ten minutes for the solution to neutralize the smell.
Rinse thoroughly
Rinse with plenty of clear water. Repeat the application once or twice if needed, until most of the smell is gone.
Shampoo and dry
Finish with a nice-smelling dog or cat shampoo (and conditioner if needed). Rinse, then dry your pet promptly and completely, with warm towels if it is cold out, so it does not get chilled.
After the wash
The wash is done. Three things to know for the days ahead.
Smell coming back when your pet gets wet?
That is normal. The odor can return on and off when the coat is damp (in the rain, for example), for 2 to 3 weeks, then it fades on its own.
Home and car
Do not let your pet back onto furniture, carpets, or beds until it is fully dry and odor-free again: a still-damp coat re-scents everything it touches. Treat contaminated fabrics and car seats with an enzymatic cleaner, and air the space out. Note: the peroxide recipe also bleaches fabrics and carpets.
Rare, but watch for it after a spray to the face or mouth
In uncommon cases, mainly after a heavy spray to the face or mouth, skunk spray can damage red blood cells. For 24 to 48 hours, keep an eye on your pet and call us, or an emergency hospital, right away if you notice: pale, brownish, or bluish gums, dark or reddish urine, marked tiredness or weakness, rapid or laboured breathing, or loss of appetite. Cats are more sensitive than dogs.
What about tomato juice?
You have probably heard of the famous tomato-juice bath.
Peroxide, baking soda, dish soap
The most effective method, and the one we recommend: the peroxide and baking soda chemically break the odor molecules down into odorless compounds.
Tomato juice
It does not neutralize the odor: it masks it, and your nose adapts until you think it is gone, then it returns. Clearly less effective, it has largely been replaced by the recipe above.
Your questions, our answers
The most common questions after a run-in with a skunk.
Does this tend to happen again? Do dogs learn their lesson?
Is skunk spray dangerous to my pet's health?
Don't skunks carry rabies?
How can I prevent the next run-in?
See also
More panic than danger, usually
Skunk smell is stubborn, but rarely dangerous: with the right recipe, well-protected eyes, and a little patience, your companion will smell presentable again. The two real things to watch for are a bite and, less often, a whole-body reaction after a spray to the face. At the slightest doubt, call us, and keep the vaccination up to date.
Bitten, scratched, an irritated eye, or unsure?
If your pet was bitten or scratched, if an eye stays red or painful, or if you notice pale gums, dark urine, or marked tiredness in the days that follow, our team can examine it quickly.