All it takes is just one whiff to know that your beloved pooch got himself into a real pickle tussling with a skunk. With that, worries that you’ll have to throw the whole dog out might race through your mind, leaving you wondering just what to do. Thankfully, all is not lost. You can get the rancid skunky smell out of your dog’s fur – it’s just going to take a little bit of elbow grease. Ready to get started? Here’s what to do.

Put Your Dog Somewhere Safe Outside

Bringing your dog inside will undoubtedly spread their newfound parfum de polecat from end to end of your living space. But leaving them well within the skunk’s reach can only serve to make matters worse. So, what to do?

Avoid all that by putting your dog somewhere safe outside where they won’t get into any more trouble while you’re away. Or load them up in their crate and come on down to the self-service pet wash to keep the skunky smell out of your home.

But first, quickly use a damp rag to wipe any spray off their face and away from their eyes. Also, check for eye redness or tearing to make sure that your dog doesn’t need an eye wash.

After that, get a step on it in getting ready to wash away the horrid remnants of their encounter with their stinky foe. The longer you wait, the more the odor soaks into their skin, so hurry if you can.

Mix Up Your Special De-Skunking Solution

Before you reach for that tomato juice, you should know that it’s ability to neutralize skunk odors is all a myth. Instead, it just masks the smell slightly and leaves your dog smelling like a tomato garden full of skunks.

What you really need is a mixture that chemically reacts with the skunk odor to get rid of it for good. Otherwise, your pup snuggling days will end up on a long hiatus – and no one wants that.

You can try creating this mixture at home:

• 4 cups 3% hydrogen peroxide
• ¼ cup baking soda
• 1 teaspoon Dawn dish soap

Have a larger-than-life pooch? Scale the recipe up while maintaining these ratios.

If you do not have the necessary items on hand, scoot on over to the store to get them. Or go one better by getting a purpose-made deskunking solution for pets from brands like Nature’s Miracle. Also, get a good pair of rubber gloves and a soft-silicone scrub brush.

Apply the Mixture and Scrub Your Pup Thoroughly

Whatever you do, avoid rinsing your dog before starting the scrubbing process. You don’t want the water to spread the skunk spray further nor dilute your odor blasting solution even a little bit.

So, dip your scrub brush in the mixture you created – or the premade deskunking solution – and rub it all over your pup, starting wherever you see obvious spray residue. Only go up to the top of their neck to avoid getting the solution in their eyes, ears, or mouth.

Gently scrub the solution down to their skin, while working it through every last piece of fur. Once that’s done, you can give them a rinse to see if they smell sweet once again. If not, think about bringing the grooming pros to handle your dilemma.

If you no longer detect any skunk scent, congrats! Your efforts paid off. You’ll still need to wash your dog with their regular shampoo and conditioner though. After that, rinse them thoroughly and dry your pup to help them feel like new again.

Dog Smells Good, but You Definitely Don’t?

If you’re the one who ended up stinky in the end, put your clothes right in the washing machine with a ½ cup baking soda. Be sure to check the clothes for any hint of stank before putting them in the dryer. If you just toss them in and hope for the best, the hot air could lock in the unsavory scents forevermore.

Also, immediately take a shower and use a soapy washcloth to scrub the scent off of you. Without fur to trap the scent, the skunk smell should come off quite easily without any special cleaning mixtures. If that’s not the case, you may want to use an exfoliating soap product to remove the spray once and for all.

Now that you know skunks lurk about, keep a cleanup kit on hand for instant deployment as needed. Also, go above and beyond in teaching your dog a solid leave it command, just in case you spot the skunk before it gets a chance to blast its stinky spray.