Skunk Advice

[EddieWalker]

We have four dogs with over an acre of fenced in yard for them to run around in. The fence is 2x4 and we thought it was small enough to keep out most critters. We have had a few racoons climb over it over the years. Last night, just before dark, we had a skunk inside the fence. I'm not sure if it came in through the corners of the gate where there is a little bit more space, or if it climbed over the fence. I'll fix the gate area just to be sure.

Nothing happened, the skunk was there, we got the dogs into the house and locked up, and then by the time I got back outside, it was gone.

Now we are wondering what we would do if one or all of them had been sprayed? I've read comments on what people have done to deal with the smell, and I also remember reading a lot of what didn't work, but I don't remember any details.

What works that we could buy and have on hand in case it ever happens?

 

[Thomas]

Some pet stores offer skunk soap/shampoo it's okay but the old tomato soup bath still works.

 

[Mace Canute]

From https://wildlife.unl.edu/pdfs/removing-skunk-odor.pdf

Chemist Paul Krebaum discovered a solution that changes the odorous thiols into odorless acids, thereby chemically neutralizing the skunk odor.

The formula is:
1 quart of 3 percent hydrogen peroxide (fresh bottle),
1/4 cup of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), and
1-2 teaspoons of liquid dish soap.

Ingredients must be mixed in an open container and used immediately. Never mix the ingredients in advance because oxygen released from the solution may cause a closed container to explode. The solution can be used on people or pets; avoid splashing the product in the eyes or mouth. Allow the solution to remain in hair for five minutes before rinsing with water. Repeat as needed. Avoid using this solution directly on clothing as it may discolor the fabric. Add the mixture to the wash during the wash cycle to dilute it.

 

[Ford850]

Mace posted the best formula. As to how it got past the fence... an average skunk can get through a 2x4 fence. Their skull and bodies are much smaller than they look with the fluffed fur.

 

[RSKY]

A few years ago I fought a small war with skunks after one sprayed under our house. We were out of the house for about two weeks. Nothing worked to take the smell off our clothes. Everything we used to wash the smell out didn't work and all of it had to be thrown away. The only thing that worked was an ozone generator running for 24-hours in each room. But you couldn't use that on a dog, staying in a room full of ozone for ten minutes will give you a splitting headache.

Sister in law cleaned their dog with the hydrogen peroxide and Dawn solution and it seemed to work. That was after buying gallons of tomato juice which did not work.

On a game camera I watched one of them run full speed and go thru a gap between the foundation and the return air vent without slowing down. I couldn't get my fist thru the gap. They can get into places you wouldn't believe.

This is the time of the year that the females bed up and have their young. If you get one under your house, in your shop, or wherever, you will soon have a half dozen or more little stinkers living with you.

If you trap them put your traps in a heavy black trash bag. If they can't see you they won't spray. You can pick the trap up and carry it away from your house as long as they don't see you. If they tear the bag off then hold a sheet up in front of you and walk up to the trap and place it over it. I have been told that if they see a hand or foot they will spray. Don't know if it is true but I walked on the sheet kicking it forward and kept my hands wrapped in it. I have moved two that way. A young lady at our church would trap them and wrap the trap in a sheet and put them in her mother's minivan to carry them away. Brave young lady and mom! I permanently got rid of all ours.

The first one I dispatched I followed advice I had been given and shot it in the head. It sprayed next to the house and we spent the second week in an apartment. Shoot them in the hindquarters and they won't spray. That is what I did with the next three. I also used a 12-guage 3" with #4 buckshot. May have been overkill but I would have used an anti-tank cannon if I had one.

RSKY

 

[RNeumann]

From https://wildlife.unl.edu/pdfs/removing-skunk-odor.pdf

We’ve tried them all and found this to work best. Our Dogs have been hit nearly a dozen times. Part of country living for us!

 

[oosik]

Our local vet sells stuff that is supposed to work well. I've always used Dawn dish wash soap, big galvy tub and lots of warm water. Suds the dog two or three times and rinse thoroughly. Watch that they don't go roll in a pile of fresh cow poop or a pile of dry dirt.

Back in the day when the neighbor and I burned our garbage - I shot three or four skunks every year. The neighbor has long gone and now I have my garbage picked up by private collectors. No more skunk problems.

Skunk odor, after shooting with the shot gun, never bothered us here. Of course, first thing I do - before coming in the house - out on the porch, strip to the bone, all my clothes into a plastic garbage bag - clothes directly into washing machine. From wash machine out onto clothes line out on the porch. NEVER IN THE CLOTHES DRYER.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

Our local vet sells stuff that is supposed to work well. I've always used Dawn dish wash soap, big galvy tub and lots of warm water. Suds the dog two or three times and rinse thoroughly. Watch that they don't go roll in a pile of fresh cow poop or a pile of dry dirt.

Back in the day when the neighbor and I burned our garbage - I shot three or four skunks every year. The neighbor has long gone and now I have my garbage picked up by private collectors. No more skunk problems.

Skunk odor, after shooting with the shot gun, never bothered us here. Of course, first thing I do - before coming in the house - out on the porch, strip to the bone, all my clothes into a plastic garbage bag - clothes directly into washing machine. From wash machine out onto clothes line out on the porch. NEVER IN THE CLOTHES DRYER.

I was about to mention that; if you begin having skunk problems, make sure that you don't have anything for them to eat near your house...and that includes bird feeders!

 

[forgeblast]

1 quart of 3 percent hydrogen peroxide (fresh bottle),
1/4 cup of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), and
1-2 teaspoons of liquid dish soap.
is what we used. the problem we ran into is we have a dog with hair (golden doodle) and until the last of the hair was grown out and trimmed she would still smell skunky. She had to spend the night in the basement and was not happy.
The live traps might be a good way to trap them and shoot them.

 

[Garandman]

We致e tried them all and found this to work best. Our Dogs have been hit nearly a dozen times. Part of country living for us!

City skunks are numerous and have beautiful coats. We learned a group of skunks is called a Surfeit and a baby is a kit.

Our knucklehead Lab got sprayed 3-4 times last summer. We always keep hydrogen peroxide and baking soda in stock now.