A visit from Pepe

On Wednesday morning, DH opened Emma's dog door to let her out.  She fairly flew out the door and then DH heard her thumping around under the house.  Half a minute later she came running back in with some yellow oily-smelling stuff all over her face and chest.  She jumped on the couch and tried to rub it off.  (Thankfully, our couch ALWAYS has a pet throw over it to protect it from a hairy dog and her potentially wet or muddy paws.)

DH grabbed her and headed for the bathtub with her.  I started washing her off and giving her a bath.  The stuff was weird.  It smelled like some kind of oily petroleum product.  We couldn't figure out what it was or how/where she had gotten into it.  DH had to get to work, so he left me bathing the dog.  

I got her all washed off, dried her and left her to her own devices.  While I was fixing myself breakfast, she ran outside and came in covered in mud as she had gone spelunking under the house again.  Back into the bathtub she went and I bathed her again.  After drying her off again (and shutting her dog door), I started eating my breakfast.  

Just as I was finishing my breakfast, DH arrived back home.  (Did I mention that he had taken my truck to work that morning?)  Apparently, when your dog gets sprayed by a skunk, the up close and personal smell of said spraying doesn't smell the same as when you smell it from further away.  Basically, DH's work compatriots decreed that he stunk of skunk and sent him home to shower.

Long story short, DH and I spent the day dealing with the aftermath.  DH had to make a trip to town for skunk deodorizing dog shampoo, Febreeze, Febreeze candles, etc.  He went to both pet megastores and our vet's office in town trying to find Skunk Off, a product that I've read is the best for de-skunking a dog.  We couldn't find it, but our vet recommended this recipe:

1 quart fresh hydrogen peroxide (check the expiration date)
1/4 cup baking soda
1 teaspoon Dawn dish washing liquid
DO NOT make ingredient substitutions as doing so can harm your dog!

Mix in a clean bucket with a little warm water.  Sponge over dog and thoroughly saturate coat; let sit for at least five minute and rinse.  Repeat until smell is gone.   The sooner you do this after the animal is sprayed, the less repeating you have to do.

DH washed Emma four times.  Then we Febreezed the couch and my truck.  I did eight loads of laundry with Nature's Miracle Skunk Deodorizing Dog Shampoo (also works in the laundry) to destink our clothes, the dog's bath towels, dog bedding, and the couch throw.  We burned Febreeze candles all day. 

We've mostly gotten the stink out of the house (and my truck!), but it lingers outside, especially by our front porch and in the utility room which is under renovation and doesn't have a solid, sealed floor.  

DH went back to work and was declared sweet-smelling and fit to be around.  We didn't sell Emma to the monkey house, though we were sorely tempted.  I ordered Skunk Off from Amazon to have on hand for next time.  Emma still tangles with snakes, so we don't think she'll learn from her experience with skunks.  Silly dog.

LoneStar