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Ahhh, the unmistakable smells of summer: swimming pools, barbecues, freshly cut grass… and skunk.
Whether you live in the city, country, or suburbs, your odds of meeting up with a skunk increase during the warmer months. So if de-skunking your dog isn’t on your summertime wish list, here are a few things you’ll need to know about skunks.
Skunks: Not Villainous, But Give Them Plenty Of Space
Skunks are, by nature, gentle creatures who belong to the same family as weasels and badgers. They’re omnivores, meaning they forage for any food they can find, including insects, mice, lizards, bird eggs, frogs, acorns, and fallen fruit. Since skunks are nocturnal, they are more active around dusk and dawn. Most encounters between skunks and dogs happen between dusk and midnight.
Skunks usually try to mind their own business, and they only spray when they’re startled or frightened. If you or your dog encounter a skunk, the first thing the skunk will do is try to run away. If he’s cornered or feels ambushed, he’ll turn around, put his tail up and fan it out, and stomp his feet in the hopes that you’ll back off.
Skunks have a very keen sense of smell, but terrible eyesight. Spraying is the only defense they have, and they are remarkably good at it, hitting their targets with pinpoint accuracy from up to 20 feet away.
What Makes Skunk Spray So Awful?
Skunk spray is actually modified anal gland fluid, similar to the contents of your dog’s anal glands. However, skunk anal gland fluid contains a mixture of the chemicals mercaptans and disulfides – organic compounds called thiols that contain sulfur. It doesn’t take much fluid for the skunk to make his point, since thiols are so potent they can be smelled up to a half-mile away.

Skunk spray can be expelled as either a directed stream or a mist. At close range, it doesn’t just smell horrific; the chemicals are also “lachrymators”, which means they cause irritation to the eyes and mucous membranes, very similar to teargas. Dogs who get blasted in the face often drool profusely, have watering eyes, gag, and vomit. They can even suffer temporary blindness if sprayed directly in the eyes.
Interestingly, skunks never spray each other in fights over territory. Skunks only spray predators who don’t get the message to back off – and they do it sparingly, since a single spray can almost completely deplete their bodies of the fluid. It can take up to 10 days for the glands to refill, during which time the skunk is vulnerable to predators such as coyotes, wolves, owls, and badgers.
De-Skunking Your Dog
So what can you do if your dog is unlucky enough to wind up on the wrong end of a skunk?
First, know that skunking is almost never a veterinary emergency. Most veterinary clinics prefer not to treat skunked dogs in the hospital (unless they have been sprayed directly in the eyes or mouth) since the odor can linger for weeks.
Second, plan ahead. Since most skunk encounters happen at night when veterinary offices and pet stores are closed, it’s much easier to be prepared in advance to handle the situation yourself. Regular pet shampoo will not remove skunk odor, no matter how many times you use it. Instead, keep a commercial skunk odor remover recommended by your veterinarian on hand (these are the safest and most effective at removing eau de skunk). If you don’t have a commercial product handy, you can make a homemade de-skunking kit that includes the following items:
- Rubber or latex gloves
- Old clothes and towels that can be thrown away afterwards
- 3% hydrogen peroxide
- Baking soda
- Liquid dish soap containing a degreasing agent (many vets recommend Dawn)
- Pet shampoo
- Sterile eye irrigation solution
- Slicker brush

You may have noticed this list does not contain tomato juice – that’s because it doesn’t work. In order for a de-skunking solution to be effective, it must contain ingredients that combine to form an oxidative process that neutralizes the odor. In this case, the liquid dish soap breaks down the oil contained in the skunk’s spray so it can be washed out, while the baking soda and hydrogen peroxide act as oxidizing agents to change the chemical structure of the thiols into the odorless compound sulfonic acid.
Please note that this homemade solution cannot be mixed up ahead of time. Not only does it need to be used while fresh to be effective, but if stored in a closed container, the resulting pressure created inside the container could cause it to explode.
Steps For De-Skunking
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Act quickly. The longer you wait, the harder it is to remove the smell. Don’t leave your dog outside to “air out” – the chemicals in skunk spray are much more challenging to remove once dry.
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Put on old clothing and rubber gloves. When you’re finished, put them straight into a garbage bag and leave it outside.
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Carefully examine your dog for bite wounds if he got close enough to be bitten. Since skunks can carry rabies, report any bite wounds to your veterinarian immediately.
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Brush out your dog’s fur. Use a slicker brush to comb out as much oil as possible, then clean the brush immediately – you’ll need it again at the end.
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Mix the solution: ¼ cup baking soda, one quart hydrogen peroxide, and 2 tsp of degreasing liquid dish soap in a bucket.
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Bathe your dog with the solution – outside if possible! This will keep the “skunked wet dog” smell out of your home. Start with the areas directly sprayed first. Use a cloth soaked in the solution to gently wipe your dog’s face, carefully avoiding eyes, nostrils, mouth, and inside the ears. Lather the rest of his body all the way down to the skin. You can add a little water to get more lather. Don’t be alarmed if the solution fizzes a little.
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Leave the solution on for 3-5 minutes. Rinse, then repeat (this could take 2 or 3 times) until the odor is gone. Don’t let your dog’s fur dry between cycles.
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Use a dog-safe shampoo for the last cycle.
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Towel off your dog until he’s dry. Don’t use a hair dryer if possible, since it can further dry out your dog’s skin.
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Brush dried fur with the cleaned slicker brush.
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Monitor your dog carefully. Watch for any eye, nose or throat irritation. If you suspect damage to your dog’s eyes, contact your veterinarian immediately.
This homemade de-skunking method works well, but a commercial product recommended by your veterinarian is best; with a commercial product you’re less likely to notice skunk smell whenever your dog gets wet over the next few weeks.
Also, if your dog is black or dark brown, be aware that hydrogen peroxide can temporarily lighten your dog’s fur, as well as bleach any material the solution comes into contact with (including furniture and clothes). Be very careful not to get the solution into your dog’s eyes or mouth.
How To Avoid Getting Skunked
Of course the best way to avoid the de-skunking process is to prevent any encounters with skunks. Most skunks make their homes based on convenient access to food, so to make your yard less appealing, here are some tips:
- Keep trash containers tightly sealed.
- Remove extra or fallen fruit from trees.
- Keep bird feeders high (skunks are poor climbers).
- Block access to sheds and areas underneath porches or decks.
- Remove brush piles or dead tree stumps that might be used by skunks to make dens.
- Don’t feed your dog or cat outside. Skunks are particularly fond of dry cat food.
- Buy beneficial nematodes (check with your local garden center) and put them into your lawn. Nematodes eat grubs, which are one of skunks’ favorite foods.

Bring your pets in at dusk. If you walk your dog at night, always bring a flashlight to check for skunks. And of course, always make sure your dog is on a leash. If you suddenly find yourself face-to-face with a skunk, stand very still, then slowly back away. Since skunks have such poor eyesight, they can’t see you if you don’t move.
And most importantly, keep all your pets up to date on their rabies vaccines. Approximately 20% of the animals testing positive for rabies in the U.S. and 40% testing positive in Canada each year are skunks.
Not All Bad
Overall, skunks are shy and gentle creatures who would rather avoid conflict and peacefully amble around foraging for food. Unfortunate spraying encounters usually happen when their poor eyesight doesn’t give them a heads up that we, or our dogs, are approaching.
So skunks aren’t all bad – they’re good mousers, they take care of agricultural pests like tomato worms, and let’s face it, they’re pretty darn cute. According to many wildlife specialists, skunks are also one of earth’s most entertaining creatures, playful and fun to watch.
We’ll take their word for it…from very far away!
Have you or your dog ever had a close encounter with a skunk? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Last fall Haley was sprayed by a skunk for the first time and it was so much worse than what we ever imagined. Luckily we had all the ingredients you mentioned on hand which was super helpful. The one mistake we made was that we panicked and immediately sprayed Haley down with a hose outside (spreading the oil), rather than trying to wipe off any excess spray first.
The first thing I did the next day was to go shopping and restock on all the ingredients as well as a professional de-skunking mixture from the pet store. It would be horrible to have to make a trip to the store late at night to get what you need while the oil was drying on your dog’s fur. Great tips and advice! I sure hope it never happens again to Haley though, lol.
Ugh, so do I! I can’t believe with all the dogs and cats we had when I was growing up, not one of them ever got nailed by a skunk. Our house backed up against the woods too, so not sure how we got so lucky. Sounds like you’re well-prepared now, but here’s hoping you won’t need to de-skunk Haley again anytime soon! 🙂
Remember, peroxide has an expiration date.
Yes, excellent point! Thank you!
at my old house we had a neighborhood skunk but luckily in the 7 years I lived there none of my dogs or the neighboring animals ever got sprayed. lucky I guess lol
I had a close call with my dog Spencer once when we were out walking around the neighborhood after dark. We rounded a corner and surprised a huge skunk right in the middle of the sidewalk. He looked at us, his tail went straight up and fanned out, and he stomped his little feet. I don’t think Spencer and I ever ran so fast, ha!!
Camille Schake, poor you and Spencer, rounding a corner and finding a SKUNK! I had to laugh at the image of the two of you running like mad from FLOWER! Do you remember the super cute little Skunk in the Bambi movie? We don’t have skunks in Australia so that is the image I came up with! Ha ha . My Rotti hates frogs and Snakes so she was barking her brains out, I went out the back looking at our Goats pen, the dog over the road kept worrying them. No dog so I look down 2 six inch steps, there is the biggest Tiger Snake I have ever seen in my life. Six feet long, body as fat as a big guy’s fore arm. I’m in easy strike range forr him less than a foot away, he is just on the hot concrete throwing his coils at me to make himself look bigger. He didn’t need to, he was huge. I held my breath I think and took a very careful step backwards then another and then he turned and fled at top speed for the nearest vegetation for cover. Then I screamed for my partner and burst into tears. I am quite used to Snakes now and no longer upset by them.
No skunks in Australia? I didn’t know that…lucky you! Although I think given the choice between a skunk and a 6-ft long Tiger Snake, I’ll take the skunk every time! 🙂
And yes, Flower was adorable… but the skunk we encountered was definitely not batting his eyelashes and looking sweet. He was all business, haha!! Nothing but respect on my end!
My best friend and I were walking with my dog Annie on a bike path late one night. Something ran across the path and Annie caught it, but let it go. We thought it was a rabbit until my friend walked into the scent cone. I don’t know how I missed it, but I did. But my poor doggy got it full force. After our walk I stopped at an all night supermarket for supplies before driving home. Then I marched Annie straight into the bathroom. (My poor dog was getting a bath in the middle of the night!) At that time I didn’t know about using hydrogen peroxide, but I instead used club soda, baking soda, and tomato SAUCE (not juice). The combination lathered up quite well. I followed with shampoo, and Annie smelled good enough to be kissed and let on the furniture! My vehicle, on the other hand, took two weeks of driving with the Windows down to air out!
Oh gosh… I’m laughing at the tomato sauce! 🙂 I’m trying to imagine a smell that combines one of my most favorite things in the world (pasta sauce) with one of my worst (eau de skunk). I may never have eaten pasta again!!
Twice I’ve encountered a skunk. Both times involved when feeding the horses very early in the morning. First time, Skunk with family and I noticed each other at the same time. I think to both of us it was “oh, crap”. I stopped. Skunks stopped. I took a few slow steps back and just stood there. Skunks took off. I finished and went to work. I think I was earlier than usual and they were a little later than usual getting home. Second time, my landlord left hay in truck and I was to feed his horses after I crossed the bridge. I got half way across bridge; saw skunk on other side. Horses got fed but not in their usually place. I tossed it from the bridge onto a safe dry clean space. Everybody happy. Me, horses, skunk.
Sounds like a win-win all ’round to me!! 🙂 Those skunks may be little, but I’ll always give them a wide berth every time.
I once owned the only red husky known to man. In those days tomato juice was the only solution, but it never worked. Demon was sprayed frequently!! One morning after an encounter, two of my children went to school, only to be hooted and isolated because they reeked, even though they hadn’t been near the dog and he wasn’t allowed in the house. Everything smelled foul for weeks! Now you understand his name!!
Oh my goodness…your poor kids! 🙁 It’s amazing how that smell permeates EVERYTHING. And it’s funny how some dogs never learn their lesson… almost like they enjoy being sprayed!?
I have a large, brown, overly friendly, and not the brightest bulb on the tree horse named Gus. One evening I walked out to the barn and smelled the unmistakable scent of a skunk. I was keeping my eyes open for the source of the smell but couldn’t locate it. And then Gus came up to say hello…. Oh my! This was a while back and the only thing I knew to try was the old tomato juice method. Of course the end result was a large, reddish brown, overly friendly horse who smelled vaguely of tomatoes and skunk…
Wow, I’ve never heard of a horse getting blasted! I’ll bet Gus was just trying to make friends….poor guy! And I’m sure every time it rained after that and he got wet, you got to revisit that delectable scent combination all over again. Hopefully the next time Gus gets friendly, it’s with something benign – like a bunny!! 🙂
One thing I’ve had good success with (dogs have been sprayed a total of SEVEN times! – they never learn) – don’t use the peroxide/baking side solution near the dog’s eyes – not a good thing. Instead, buy some women’s vinegar douche and rinse around the eyes and face with that. Works well and not harmful if it gets in your dog’s eyes.
Seven times? Yikes!! I still can’t figure out why dogs don’t seem to learn that messing with skunks is not a good idea!
Yes, definitely try to keep any de-skunking solution away from the eyes, nostrils, and mouth. I’ve heard some people say that douche solution works to remove the skunk smell, while many researchers say it doesn’t work as well as commercial skunk odor remover. I haven’t been able to find any documentation that douche solution is necessarily unsafe for use on dogs, so if it works to remove the odor, there should be no harm in it. However, vinegar has been shown to cause eye irritation, so any douche solutions containing vinegar should also be kept out of the eyes, nose, and mouth.
Here’s hoping the dogs avoid any future sprayings! 🙂
Some good tips here….wish I’d had them when my dog Squeek was still with me….But, he DID only get sprayed 1 and a half times…The first time, he stuck his nose where it didn’t belong and got it full on in the face!!! I found the mixture of peroxide, etc. was good…to a point…a large part of it was that it had to just wear off with time…LOL The second time, he didn’t actually get sprayed himself…but was with another dog who DID and she tried to wipe it off on him!!! Funniest thing in the world watching her chasing him around trying to rub it off on him…That time the mixture WAS effective as he had just a bit on him….She DID get him though, the b!tch!!! lol
Good research there Camille, but I will say that after observing the local skunk population where I used to live for 8 years, they actually WILL on occasion use their spray on each other, especially in territorial fights, but it IS rare…I also discovered that the raccoons in the area had also figured out that the skunks really DIDN’T want to spray them needlessly, and used to ‘push them around’ physically quite often….Skunks are cute, though, and I had several who would come up to me and sniff and play with my shoes as I sat there, and climb up to get a better look at me…they ARE very curious!
I also discovered that raccoons also DO actually hibernate in winter, contrary to popular belief…
Even now, we are STILL discovering many things about even the most ‘common’ animals that we live with every day….
But I DO agree with the other poster who said that she would take skunks over your tiger snakes…ANY DAY!!! lol
That’s so funny, I’ve never heard of a dog trying to “share the wealth” after she got sprayed, ha!! And very interesting about the skunks spraying each other, and the “bully” raccoons…that doesn’t surprise me at all, as the local raccoons use to intimidate the heck out of us kids when I was growing up. They had no fear of us at all, but we were very respectful of them… if someone was going to be running away, it was always us doing the running! 🙂
And I’m with you, I think skunks are totally adorable – and very sociable. When I was very young, we used to have a neighborhood skunk who came up onto the deck on the back of our house to play with our cat. I used to love to watch them play, but always through the glass doors! 🙂