Critters are a fact of life on a homestead…
And not just the domesticated ones, but the wild ones too.
That includes coyotes, rattlesnakes, badgers, raccoon, porcupines, antelope with their babies, plenty of mice, and a couple of skunks.
We also have three very curious, very territorial dogs who are extremely interested in whomever and whatever may enter our place…
I don’t really even need to go on, do I?
My frugal nature, combined with the fact that I try to limit my shopping trips to no more than two per month, prompted me to search for a home remedy for treating “skunked” dogs…
And boy oh boy, did I hit the jackpot!
I’ve used commercial skunk shampoos in the past, but this simple recipe far surpasses them! And don’t even try to suggest the old “give them a tomato juice bath” wives tale… it doesn’t work.
It’s cheap, the products are most likely already in your cabinets, and it works wonderfully.
How to Natural De-Skunk a Dog
You will need:
- 1 quart of 3% hydrogen peroxide (this is the kind you find in the first aid section of your average grocery store. It’s very cheap.)
- 1/4 cup baking soda
- 1-2 drops of liquid dish soap (optional)
- 2-3 drops lemon essential oil (optional–but adds extra deodorizing power)
- Rubber Gloves (optional, but highly recommended…)
- Bucket
Put on your gloves and gather everything you will need. Once you mix the ingredients, the solution must be used immediately, so there won’t be any time to go searching for the dog, etc!
I did this outside and tied the dog up to a post so my hands would be free. I also had a hose handy. I suppose you could do this in your bathtub if you had to, but I wouldn’t unless I was very desperate!
Mix together the peroxide, baking soda, and dish soap. Stir well and then quickly apply to the dry dog, being careful not to splash any in his eyes. Thoroughly work the solution in his coat. It should cover and permeate as much of the hair as possible.
Allow the dog to “soak” for around 5 minutes.
A chemical reaction is occurring which actually neutralizes the odor. This is why you must use it before the peroxide and soda are finished with their reaction. It can not be made ahead of time and stored.
After the waiting period, thoroughly rinse the dog with water.
You may have to repeat the process, but I only had to do it once and we were skunk free!
I hope you never have a need for this remedy on your homestead, but it might be a good idea to bookmark this post, just in case!
Thanks, I hope I do not have to use it but I know people who's dogs have got skunked. Guess it would work on people to .
Hope I never need to use this, but I know where to find the information if I (or someone I know) needs it. Love your blog!
-Brenda
Great post. 🙂 If you happen to get sprayed, make sure to wash clothes in COLD water, not hot. Hot water will send the oils into vapor and spread them all over. Cold and detergent will take the stink away.
I didn’t know that Laurie! Thanks for the tip- I will DEFINITELY keep it in mind! 🙂
What about drying the dogs. Alaskan Malamutes are difficult to get soaked to the skin due to thick double coat but drying them can take hrs w/grooming dryers and days via reg air.. Can they be towel dryed after this?
Hi Pamela! I see no reason why you couldn’t towel dry the dog after you’ve rinsed off the solution.
This is marvelous! A little on the “too late” side but good for next time!
I found a distilled vinegar/water rinse after the washing helped alot too. I even used this solution + vinegar rinse on myself after the skunky puppy crawled all over me crying about that not so nice playmate he found LOL
I see skunks almost every night while walking my Muffin. She’s a very smart cookie, and has even come face to face a few times with skunks and didn’t get sprayed. Still I worry it’s gonna happen. If this question is dumb, I’m sorry. But I remember using hydrogen peroxide to clean some doggie wounds and it bleached her brown coat. Can’t this solution take out the color and the smell? Found you on pinterest.
I have used this solution for many years on 4 differwnt dogs and they had brown fur. Didnt bleach it at all.
Oh my, this post brings back memories! A few summers ago my saint Bernard got sprayed 3 times. Big dog equals big area to spray! We had to double up on all the ingredients to get her covered….BUT it works like a charm, takes any odor right way.
The “recipe” calls for 1/4 Baking Soda. That would be 1/4 cup, tablespoon, teaspoon . . . . . . . ?
Please respond so I’ll know exactly what measurement of baking soda to use. Thank you.
the key is to coat the entire dog with baby powder first. Skunk spray is oil based so it will stick to the powder. Then use the solution on the dog. This works 100 times better.
It’s 1/4 cup. Was a typo- it’s fixed now.
Thank you!!! LOVE your website!
It’s 1/4 cup baking soda for anyone who is wondering. Works like a charm, too, used it 3 times….3 out of 4 dogs have gotten direct hits. Only dog who hasn’t gotten it yet, oddly enough, is my hunting dog LOL. And I’ve never done it anywhere else BUT my bathtub….it’s either been late fall or winter when my dogs have gotten sprayed (we’re in SD, far too cold for an outdoor bath after October usually), LOL. It takes all of 15 minutes to de-skunk them & doesn’t leave any odor behind, I give the tub a quick scrub, no big deal :).
Our family dogs are very experienced with doing the late-night Polecat Polka; I think I’m up to about 10 times now between my dogs and my parents’ dogs… This solution, when mixed according to the recipe, is a magic potion for de-skunking Fido. And Kate, thanx for the baby powder tip! I’ll try it next time, and trust me, there WILL be a next time…
Yes, to the poster who asked if peroxide will “bleach” your dog’s coat. I have read that it can, and can also bleach your clothes. Our dog got skunked at 4 a.m. Monday morning. A real treat. My spouse let the dog out and I was sound asleep. What a way to be awakened. 1 1/2 days later, the house smells less, thanks to open windows, candles, mopping the floor and air freshener. Tonight as a last ditch effort I put some baby powder on the dog’s neck where it seems to still have some skunk scent. I can’t bring myself to give the poor thing another bath. Meanwhile, its freezing out tonight, I just shut all the windows except 2 upstairs with a fan venting out. Could be worse things that happen, but this was such a pain in the butt.
Good to know cos no doubt when we move our dogs will be nosey and meet up with the local skunks, we have them around here but never had any run ins with them but i think we will when we move. thanks for sharing 🙂
Is there a proven method to keep them out of a fenced yard….my poor Border Collie just got skunked in the face on her eyes. She is at the vets office getting meds in her eyes.
You will be glad to have this recipe if you need it! I have used it before and trust me it DOES work. Just make sure you have the stuff ahead of time. lol I have everything stored in a bucket in the garage with the recipe in a page protector taped to the bucket.
I found that if you add apple cider vinegar to this recipe, it cuts the oils better. The smell is almost totally gone after one bath!
Good idea Dean– I hadn’t thought of that. Vinegar is good for everything. 😉
Thanks for the recipe. A few weeks ago our 4 dogs came home smelling BAD. After many baths in vinegar and banned to the front porch a few of them are smelling OK now. Our Australian Shepherd is holding on to the smell – so guess what she gets tomorrow… She’ll be so happy when we’re willing to pet her again.
Hope it helps Megan! That has got to be the worst smell EVER.
Vinegar instead of peroxide? You mean
How much apple cider vinager?
Thanks
Hello-
Do you know of a natural way to remove cat urine smell from carpeting? Do you think the de-skunking remedy would work?
We recently moved in to a rental home that had previously had dogs and for whatever reason, my kitties are feeling the need to mark the carpet here and there. Obviously there are many reasons why I need to remove this odor as soon as possible. I would appreciate any thoughts or advice you might have.
Thank you so much –
Tina
Let’s see– I’d definitely try the lemon oil/baking soda method and let it sit on the carpet for several days– and then use the vinegar too. You may have to repeat it a couple of times– hope that works for you!
I tried this when my dog got skunked a month ago. I tried everything. He STILL smells. A whole month later.. … I have washed my poor puppy till he hated the sight of the hose. The only thing on here I didn’t do was vinegar … and I will tonight! … We have been thinking about shaving him where the skunk got him.
when my cat got sprayed by a skunk directly & in her eyes- she was foaming at the mouth it was so bad. I grabbed gloves & got my husband to make salt water eye drops as listed in natural cat book. lavender oil- human grade- which I always keep cat diluted 1 drop of lavender to 65-75 drops of distilled water. rubbed her down with it with old towels a few times . it took the smell away within a 1/2 hour- works like a charm. the only problem was she got it in her & she passed a lot of gas for the next week & smelled like a skunk when she did. she recovered nicely without a vet.
Thanks for this tip… my dog is also foaming at the mouth this morning – must have got it in her mouth when she was barking 🙁
Poor girl! It’s such a nasty smell!
Just took my 2 Alaskan Malamutes for quick midnight walk. One is 20 mo old puppy, the other is 12+ yr old man. They were walking on ech side of me perfectly and we were just about done when they both bolted for SKUNK! I didn’t see it in time but when 2 weight pulling dogs decide the chase is on you let go. He caught the dang thing (he’s never caught anything before) and was in such shock that he caught it he let go. The freakin skunk didn’t even try to run it just let its scent fly turning in a circle spraying both dogs everywhere, then trotted off. Thought he got it in his eyes but nope he got it on the side of his face and started rolling on the side of his head in the wet grass. She of course had to roll over it. Like an idiot I took them through the house to throw them on our deck. They both wreak. They are now in our garage for the night (puppy is in crate big guy is free. He won’t touch anything she might) but it’s now in the house, on both dogs and garage stinks. When the sun rises I’m going to go lie down on a highway, haha. We’ll try the mixture 1st. Thanks for the extra tips about having everything ready. All windows are open in the house.
I’m most concerned about the big boys coat. He has what some have called alepecia x. He’s balding on his thighs and tail. His guard coat is almost gone and his undercoat is full all year round but the texture around his neck is very dried out. Any chance the peroxide will make this worse? Thanks for your help.
Oh no! I’m so sorry to hear about your skunk experience! Hopefully this post will help you at least get rid of the skunk smell! Our dog got skunked this year, and it was no fun at all. Good luck!
This recipe works wonderfully! I’ve used it on my own dogs as well as in my dog grooming shop. The peroxide needs to be from an unopened bottle though. For some reason . I use a washrag to soak the solution on their faces and heads as it’s more precise when trying to avoid eyes, ears, nose and mouth. Also do not get any solution on their genitals. I always keep eye drops (just the plain saline kind) nearby just in case. I’m definitely going to try the baby powder, that’s a great idea.
The goal is to get the solution down to the skin as that’s usually where the oil from the skunk has settled. I’ve used Softsoap and Dawn (the blue kind) as they seem to be the most successful in this mixture.
I’m new to your site and I really like it.
I too am a groomer Kathy. 17 years and this is the best solution ever. You are correct that it needs to be an unopened bottle of peroxide. Have used this a number of times, once on my own long hair dog that hubby let out at 3 am! I’ll be purchasing some talcum powder for my shop as well, have you ever used the baby powder? I can’t stand the smell so won’t get any.
The eyes, genitals, ears and nose are very sensitive to the peroxide as well. Dangerous for the eyes actually.
Yes, Dawn or Softsoap are the best for this solution.
I’m wondering how to get rid of skunks period. I have 2 curs, we live on 40 acres in the woods, and my dogs seem to love hunting skunks. They get sprayed at least twice a week, seriously. Then when they do murder one of the skunks they bring it home. Recently they killed one on our back porch, we literally could not use that door for days it was so bad. I love my dogs, wish they didn’t go on skunk sprees, if I bathed them every time they got sprayed I’m afraid they would be bald from scrubbing them down so often.
I tried this and it works! What a life saver
I have a Newfoundland that I have used the recipe on for years and it is the only thing that works. I leave it on for at least 10 minutes though and for those asking, yes it does bleach the coat – my black Newf looked like she had been to the salon for red highlights. It is imperative to completely saturate the coat and get to the skin. I have never had to use anything else afterward but for those who are not seeing such great results, make sure to really work it into the fur, especially the furry breeds with thick fur on the underside of the neck and the chest. Also, if you have bathed the skunked dog prior to trying this recipe, oils from the skunk have been absorbed into the coat and skin and will require even more diligence when making sure the entire coat and skin are saturated. We had four dogs get it at once and we didn’t bother measuring – just threw all ingredients into buckets and saturated every dog….key being “saturated”.
hopefully I won’t have to try your remedy ,but I do know another sure way to get rid of skunk have used this treatment many years working with dogs & cats! massengill douche. works really well ! but when you think about itit’s vinegar & herbs
We’ve had great luck with a similar, but simpler formula. We pour peroxide all over the culprit, then lather him up with baby shampoo–it doesn’t hurt his eyes. Let it sit a minute or two, and rinse. Reapplication has never been necessary. If you have horses or cattle, you probably have a lot of peroxide. We buy 8-10 bottles at a time, and when it’s on sale it’s about a buck.
We found this recipe a couple of years back and it works great. Our dog is an indoor/outdoor dog,. During one of his early morning adventure he was sprayed in his face, we bathed him with this immediately and he sleep inside that same night. We have had the opprotunity to test this twice and it works better than you can imagine
My vet recommended cleansing the eyes with basic contact solution before and after using this solution.
Great article! So glad to have found this. A friend of mine was telling me about a de-skunking recipe for dogs that had baking soda in it, and another “common ingredient” but she couldn’t remember what the other stuff was. Had to be hydrogen peroxide! Now I can share with her and tuck this away, just in case. Hope I never need it! Thank you!
Yup– hydrogen peroxide is magic in this recipe. 😉
It worked! I read through the comments first and used baby powder prior to the bath and also added about 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar to the mix. The only place I still smell a bit of skunk is just around his whiskers but I was trying to keep it out of his mouth. The de-skunk shampoo I bought first did nothing. This is the way to go!
I use a similar recipe as a stain remover for clothing. DH works commercial construction, and it works on grease and grime. I do mix it up in batches, and seems to work just as well. Will keep this in mind for potential skunk situations tho, since it is a recipe I am familiar with! Oh, and one important note, Dawn Original, not the concentrated version, is what all the animal rescue groups use, as well as what was recommended for the stain fighting recipe.
Great article, Hope I never need to use this.
Thank you for posting an all natural solution. In the past with all of our farm dogs tall to small I have used club soda and cheap shampoo. Wet the dog down thoroughly with club soda. then shampoo carefully around their eyes and mouth and then rinse off the shampoo strictly with more club soda. I keep at least 4-6 bottles of club soda on hand just for this purpose. Seems to neutralize the smell very well.
Thank you for a good idea
Thank you for interesting article.
I have bathed my dog twice and most of the skunk smell in coming from inside one of her ears. Can I use this on her ears?
I tried this and it works! What a life saver
That’s awesome!
I was told this recipe after the third time my dog got skunked. What a miracle! (Tomato juice just decorates your walls!) I use more dishsoap though. This recipe works for any natural stink – clothes, stinky sneakers or shoe inserts, and my favorite, the dog’s collar. Let sit in a bucket overnight. Scrub the filth off the collar in the morning. Looks and smells like new! You can add some solution to a full washing machine load, swish, let sit for an hour, and run, and it’s as if you added bleach, but less toxic.
I’ve used this for years on clothing stains, to keep arm pit stains from happening, blood stains, etc…. I only use the hydrogen peroxide and dish soap for the above listed. But I have added the baking soda for several dog and people skunk situations. I like the idea of essential oil too!