Dog owners know: This spells trouble!
Anyone visiting our shelter this week probably walked out and said, “Man, it stinks in there!” Believe me, it 
usually doesn’t. But this week it did. This is why:
We received a call that two basset hounds were running loose in the eastern part of the county. They were barking and causing a ruckus and the finder requested that we pick them up. As quickly as we could break free from our morning cleaning, Eric, our animal control officer, headed to the area. He wasn’t sure if the dogs would still be there as they were not contained; they were just hanging around the finder’s home.
Once he arrived, luck was on our side; the two bassets were lying in the finder’s yard, looking pretty comfortable. But it took only a second for Eric to realize they had a very unpleasant odor about them. Yep, they had been sprayed by a skunk — an odor I was all too familiar with since my dog, Gus, was sprayed this past spring. (By the way, on a happy note, both bassets were later reclaimed by their owner!)
For those of us who’ve had the pleasure of dealing with this pungent aroma, you know the process for getting rid of it is not quick or easy. There are products out there that claim to take away the odor. Or the home remedy of bathing your pet in tomato juice. This doesn’t work!
Here is what I found to work best. And believe me, I tried several solutions:
The skunk remedy recipe
In a plastic bucket, mix well the following ingredients:
– 1 quart of 3% hydrogen peroxide
– 1/4 cup of baking soda
– 1 to 2 teaspoons liquid soap
For very large pets, one quart of tepid tap water may be added to enable complete coverage.
Wash pet promptly and thoroughly; work the solution deep into the fur. Let your nose guide you! Leave the solution on for about 5 minutes or until the odor is gone. Some heavily oiled areas may require a “rinse and repeat” washing.
Skunks usually aim for the face, but try to keep the solution out of the eyes — it stings. If you have any cuts on your hands you might want to wear latex gloves for the same reason.
After treatment, thoroughly rinse your pet with tepid tap water. Pour the spent solution down the drain with running water.
**NEVER, EVER, store mixed solution in a closed bottle, sprayer, etc. The pressure will build up until the container bursts. This can cause severe injury.
Several weeks after Gus got sprayed, every time he would get wet, I could smell the faint odor of skunk! But now, months later, thank goodness he is skunk free.
So as we are bathe two wayward basset hounds repeatedly this week, if you plan to stop by, please excuse our smell!
Paws till next time — Jane
JANE BERNARD is director of the LaPorte County Small Animal Shelter. Visit the shelter at 2855 W. Ind. 2; hours are Monday, Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Tuesday and Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Or call 326-1637. To view pets available for adoption at the shelter, visit http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/IN89.html.
