My Granddaughter Melissa and her dog Emmi are spending this weekend with me.
Now, you wouldn't think this sweet innocent looking pooch (who is a Yorkshire Terrier/Maltese mix) would be chasing a skunk and of all things in my back yard. It's not like I live in the country (I'm talking over 250,000 people live here)
For some reason, this huge skunk has taken up residence under my patio. I have done my best to seal up all the entrances, but this very agile skunk somehow flattens himself into a black and white pancake and can get into the smallest of openings.
As soon as Emmi spotted the skunk, she ran across the yard like she was on fire. The skunk seeing the gravity of the situation ran as fast as it could, but Emmi being much faster was gaining on it in record time. She was shocked when the skunk suddenly stopped in it's tracks, but in her infinite doggie wisdom, kept on going thinking in her Terrier way that she was going to get the prize.
Emmi was ready to pounce when suddenly a cloud of the most potent skunk perfume spewed out and hit her with all it's force, smack dab, in her beautiful little face. Boy, oh boy, was that ever a show stopper!! Needless to say the skunk was enjoying his great escape, leaving Emmi smelling so horrible that she couldn't even stand being around herself.
Melissa raced to the store and bought two large cans of tomato juice. Instructions being that you pour one all over the victim, rub it into the affected area, rinse well and shampoo, then repeat the process. Amazingly, this works really well. I wish I could have done the same thing with my sunroom. Unfortunately, we had to live with the odor masked (not very well) with a spray bottle of fabreze.
Here are some tips that my wonderful readers gave me:
Arlene
I had a toy poodle do that a few years ago. You are right, the tomato juice works well for the puppy but she cornered the skunk UNDER my house. (Raised foundation construction) My daughter and I took everything fabric out of the house - clothes, linens, mattresses, everything! Wiped down everything with lysol, then Fabrezed. Still the smell hung around. Finally my uncle - after laughing until he cried - told me to scatter coffee grounds under the house where the skunk sprayed. Worked like a charm! I also installed a fence!!! No more skunks under the house!
Ardie
Having had horses, dogs, cats etc for many years; I rely on this recipe, tested by Texas A & M, to deodorize pets and surfaces.
It's never failed!
Ingredients:
* 1 16 ounce bottle hydrogen peroxide
* 1/4 cup baking soda (up to)
* 1/4 cup shampoo (if using on a pet) OR 1/4 cup good liquid dish soap (i.e. Dawn, Joy if using on surfaces)
9 comments:
LOL Mom! For living in the city, you've had lots of critters make their homes under that porch... I remember when Emmi had a 'stand-down' with a baby opossum... And MANY other critters! Emmi has always been a critter chaser and I doubt this 'run-in' with the skunk will stop her from 'the chase'! Poor Melissa... It was wash, rinse and repeat with the tomato juice and then shampoo! 'Fun' :)
Oh, and P.S. ~ Cute picture of Emmi! I miss her! :)
Poor Emmi went through the ringer with this and you are so right she will continue chasing the critters.
I had a toy poodle do that a few years ago. You are right, the tomato juice works well for the puppy but she cornered the skunk UNDER my house. (Raised foundation construction) My daughter and I took everything fabric out of the house - clothes, linens, mattresses, everything! Wiped down everything with lysol, then Fabrezed. Still the smell hung around. Finally my uncle - after laughing until he cried - told me to scatter coffee grounds under the house where the skunk sprayed. Worked like a charm! I also installed a fence!!! No more skunks under the house!
Oh, Arlene, what a huge job you and your daughter had to do. Another great use of coffee grounds, I have to remember that. Your poor poodle must have come running out from under the house happy to get away from that skunk.
I do live way out in the country and can also state that the tomato juice rinse works wonders.
I will remember the coffee grounds tip too. My house is also on a raised foundation and I wish I knew that remedy last Summer.
Hi Coltpixy,
I'll bet you get a lot of critters in the country. My in-laws lived in the country and their garbage cans were raided by the raccoons almost on a daily basis.
Having had horses, dogs, cats etc for many years; I rely on this recipe, tested by Texas A & M, to deodorize pets and surfaces.
It's never failed!
Ingredients:
* 1 16 ounce bottle hydrogen peroxide
* 1/4 cup baking soda (up to)
* 1/4 cup shampoo (if using on a pet) OR 1/4 cup good liquid dish soap (i.e. Dawn, Joy if using on surfaces)
Ardie
Thank you so much Ardie. I added your recipe to my post.
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