This Homemade De-Skunking Shampoo Actually Worked

My dog is one of a few to be doused by skunk spray in New York Mills this week.

And, my baby Shea got it good!

She ran into the basement right after her encounter, and just before I realized what had actually happened.

''Something's on fire!'', I literally said outloud to myself, before jumping out of the chair I was sitting in, having been smacked in the face with a wreched, overwhelming stench.

The dog had now begun half-rubbing, half-rolling herself on the seat of an old, beat-up armchair in the basement. I'd compare it to what I image I look like when I have an itch in the middle of my back and am using a wall-corner to try and scratch it.

Of course, it quickly became obvious what had happened as the smell began to smother the cellar.

I've always heard that tomato juice is the only thing that works. It was quarter-to-midnight, everything, including Walmart, now closes early in Covid-quarantine-country. And, who wants to shampoo a white puppy with red tomato juice?

A quick google search caught my eye as I remembered a neighbor telling me that his dog had been blasted by a skunk a night or two before. The concoction he recommened was one of the first to pop-up in my search: Quart of hydogen peroxide, 1/4 cup of baking soda and a teaspoon of liquid dish soap.

Perfect! I have all three at home.

Two things you should know that are pointed out in the article I found at HumaneSociety.org. It says not to leave the homemade mix on your dog for ''too long'', because the peroxide can bleach the fur. It does not say how long is too long.

And, this warning about trying to pre-mix the solution and store it for future use:

Caution: Do NOT store this mixture or make it ahead of time, as the mixture could explode if left in a bottle.

I mixed the 'recipe' and thought it didn't look right. I felt like I should add some water.....it didn't say to, but I felt like I should. One-cup, two-cups, then three. Looked about right, so I grabbed the bucket and the dog.

I gave her a good wash outside, then realized I should probably bring her into the bathtub in the house because I could only draw cold water from the outside spigot, and Shea doesn't really like cold water (plus it was chilly out, anyway).

Moved the operation to the bathtub/shower and gave her a medium rinsing with warm shower water. Gave her another coating and washing with 'the mix' (used the same batch for the duration of this). Rinsed her with warm water again, then used cups of water to get her fully rinsed. Unfortunately, Shea smelled better, but even a little bit of skunk-odor is way too much skunk-odor.

Using what I still had left from the same batch of peroxide, baking soda and dish soap, I thoroughly shampooed and rinsed two more times.

I'd say she was 98% odor-free. There was a very, very faint smell I was still picking up around her neck area - probably where she took the brunt of it - otherwise, I think this homemade de-skunking shampoo worked pretty well.

By the following morning, there was a lingering stink in the basement, in the driveway area of my house and on my car. So, I'm pretty sure that's where 'the encounter' occurred, and explains the lingering odor. But, by the time I returned home for lunch that day I did not smell skunk on the dog.

I should mention that after sharing the incident on Keeler in the Morning the ensuing morning, several listeners called-in and strongly recommened 'Nature's Miracle Skunk Odor Remover.' Had Shea still smelled when I went back home for lunch, I would have  purchased it. But it wasn't necessary.

If you think this is something you might have to go through someday with your dog, you might wanna have a store-bought shampoon on hand at home so you can quickly start the cleanup process. But, if in a pinch and in need of a quick remedy, the Hydogen Peroxidem-baking soda-dish soap-combo does work.

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