How to Deskunk Your Dog or Cat: Tips and Deskunking Recipes

While groomers can eliminate skunk odor with special shampoos, the groomer isn’t open 24 hours, seven days a week. So instead, try this home remedy to deskunk your dog.

Your dog is out for a walk or playing out in the yard when he encounters a skunk. And before you know it, he’s barking, running toward the skunk and then you smell it – that strong, pungent, unmistakable odor.

Dogs, cats and other curious pets are commonly in a frightened skunk’s line of fire, but there is one home remedy that can be successful in removing skunk odor from a pet’s fur. Dr. Michael Levine, DVM, offered the following recipe for owners of dogs, cats and other pets who have been sprayed by a skunk.

Deskunk Your Dog:

How do you deskunk your dog? A few simple ingredients like hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, dish soap and vinegar can help you get the awful pungent smell of skunk out of your pet’s fur. The goal is to not only mask the smell of skunk spray but to also completely clean the odor away so it does not linger. Follow our simple deskunking recipe.

DIY Deskunk Recipe Ingredients:

One pint of hydrogen peroxide
½ cup of baking soda
Two tablespoons of dish soap
A bottle of vinegar

Directions to deskunk your dog:

Mix the hydrogen peroxide, baking soda and dish soap in a large bowl and stir until the baking soda is completely dissolved.
Next, use a spray bottle or sponge to generously apply the mixture onto the pet’s fur. Work the mixture through the fur and onto the skin below, massaging the solution into the affected area for ten minutes. Be cautious when applying this solution to the face, as the mixture should not come in contact with the eyes.
After ten minutes has passed, thoroughly rinse the solution from the animal’s fur and skin. Once the solution is completely rinsed away (there should be no soap bubbles remaining in the water as it flows off the body), towel the pet’s fur.
If the odor is still relatively strong and skunky, repeat the above-mentioned steps. If the odor is largely eliminated, then continue on to the next step.
Once the solution of hydrogen peroxide, dish soap and baking soda has been rinsed away, use a sponge or spray bottle to apply generous amounts of vinegar to the pet’s damp fur and skin. Again, saturate the fur and massage the solution into the fur and skin.
After letting the solution sit for twenty minutes, thoroughly rinse the pet with fresh water. Often, the pet is left smelling vaguely of vinegar. To leave your pet smelling fresh and clean, follow with a gentle pet shampoo and conditioner.

If the temperature and weather allows, performing steps one through three outdoors can help to keep your home free of the pungent skunk smell.

**Pet owners are cautioned that these skunk odor removal techniques can result in slight discoloration to the animal’s fur.

What to do if your pet gets sprayed by a skunk in the eyes?

What to do if your pet gets sprayed by a skunk in the eyes? “Unfortunately, many pets who are sprayed by a skunk suffer eye irritation. The dog or cat’s head and face tends to get sprayed in many cases, and this can lead to serious redness and inflammation,” Dr. Levine explained. In the event that a pet suffers a direct shot of skunk spray to the eyes, owners will need to seek immediate veterinary attention. If the vet’s office is more than five or ten minutes away, it’s recommended that owners first flush their pet’s eyes at home. Flush the eyes for several minutes with fresh, lukewarm water or a plain saline wound wash solution. Follow with soothing eye drops designed to eliminate irritation and redness.

Dr. Levine concluded, “In cases where a dog has a run-in with a skunk, eye irritation and eye infections can occasionally occur, as can skin rashes, but generally speaking, most pets will not suffer any long term effects from an encounter with a skunk.”

How to Deskunk a Cat?

How to deskunk a cat? You can make a deskunking recipe safe for cats by mixing one pint of hydrogen peroxide, ½ cup baking soda, two tablespoons dish soap and a bottle of apple cider vinegar. Simply add the peroxide, baking soda and dish soap to a spray water bottle and saturate your cat’s fur with the mixture and rub in and let sit for 10 minutes. Rinse with warm water. Follow by saturating your cat’s fur with vinegar and let sit for 20 minutes. Thoroughly rinse out with water. Finish with pet safe shampoo. Repeat steps until smell is gone.

Maybe your feline friend is the one who fell victim to the smelly skunk spray odor. Cat’s are territorial and very curious pets. When you include their innate ability to hunt, this can lead to accidently getting sprayed by a skunk who is trying to defend itself.

Deskunking a cat can prove to be a little more challenging than deskunking a dog simply because cats are not often fans of taking a bath. Plus, they don’t need to take baths as often because they groom themselves pretty adequately. But one exception for giving your cat a bath should definitely be when they get sprayed by a skunk!

Cat Deskunking Recipe:

One pint of hydrogen peroxide
½ cup of baking soda
Two tablespoons of dish soap
A bottle of apple cider vinegar

Tip: If your cat really hates baths you can try using a waterless pet shampoo to at least remove some of the skunk odor.

Pet owners should also take measures to keep skunks away from the home and yard. Covering trash cans and keeping your trash in the shed or garage can help reduce the frequency of visits from those little black and white creatures.

We hope these tips help you in the unfortunate event that you need to deskunk your dog or cat.

Do you have any pet deskunking remedies that worked well to deskunk your dog or cat? Please share in the comments!

How to Deskunk Your Dog or Cat: Tips and Deskunking Recipes - Pet Coupon Savings (2024)