Vet offers tips for how to get rid of skunk stink from your dog

Nothing lasts forever, but for anyone who has a pet that's been sprayed by a skunk, it may seem like it.

The Homestretch's Jenny Howe learned that lesson Tuesday, when her family dog Prefontaine was sprayed at 3:30 a.m., setting Howe off on a frantic Google search for a way to diminish the stench when all the stores were closed.

Howe spoke to Dr. Dirk Dekens, owner of Montgomery Village Veterinary Clinic, about how pet owners can deal with their dogs getting sprayed by skunks.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Q: Let's just get right to it. That smell. It's horrible. What is it? Why does it just linger?

A. It lingers because it comes from the scent glands of the skunk. And if you've ever been around to see a ferret, you've probably noticed a bit of a smell as well, especially if they have not been de-scented. When they do spread on your dog or yourself, yes,  you get to be quite smelly for awhile.

Q. It is the nastiest thing and so I used the solution of peroxide, baking soda and dish soap. What do you think of that?

A. It's a great recipe to use and I actually have the formula here for people who are interested: one litre of hydrogen peroxide three per cent, a quarter of a cup of baking soda and a teaspoon of liquid soap. Mix it together. Don't keep it prepared beforehand because if you leave it in a bottle, it might explode on you.

Scrub it in really well into your doggy and, of course, if it's a longer coat dog, you could have to scrub a little bit more. But don't leave it on for too long because the concern with the peroxide is that if you have a dog with a beautiful shiny coat that it might just make him a little bit lighter colour afterwards.

Q: Is that the best solution? is there anything else you recommend?

A. It's a good solution when you're doing this at three o'clock in the morning, yes. But there are some other products out there. There's a product called Skunk Off, which is going to be prepared beforehand.

There is also a good natural product called Nature's Miracle Skunk Odor Remover. The beauty of this product is it's quite natural and you can even use it in your washer. So if there's any toys that are affected by the smell or any of the bedding that the dog's been laying on, you could just toss it in the washer with it and it will help eliminate some of the smells.

You were saying earlier that the tomato juice — that's sort of the first thing people think about. It just doesn't neutralize properly. It takes care of a bit of the smell, but it's not going to neutralize it.

Q: Aside from, you know, the annoyance of the smell, what kind of physical risks could there be if your pup gets sprayed?

A. Other than the annoying smell, there is a risk if he gets some in his or her eyes. Of course, if that happens, you want to rinse out their eyes with a good kind of eyewash as soon as possible and for a good period of time.

But typically it will be only a temporary discomfort.

Q: Is Pre going to go out and chase a skunk again? Is he going to forget that he had this awful experience?

A. I'm sorry to say but he is going to try again, until he gets that pesky skunk. My advice to you, Jenny, would be to make sure when you take your dog outside is keep him on leash even if it's 3:30 in the morning.

And if you know where the skunk lives for the time being, just take a long detour around it. They're sharing the city and the land with us as well, so you don't know if this skunk might have babies in her den right now.

Just put them on a leash, control your dog and that should avoid a lot of unpleasant experiences like you just had.

With files from The Homestretch.