Did your Bulldog come rushing to the door smelling like rotten eggs? If so, it probably lost a fight with a skunk. Worse, the smell will spread into your home if you don’t remove it from your pet’s body right away. Most dog owners use a peroxide solution, but you have to improvise if this chemical isn’t available right away. In this post, I will discuss how to get rid of skunk smell on dog without peroxide, so you can ‘de-skunk’ your pet immediately.
What happens when my dog got sprayed on by a skunk?
Whichever body part your dog got skunk-sprayed on, it’s guaranteed to cause irritations. However, the most common case is dogs being sprayed on the face as they try to bite or play with the animal. This leads to severe eye irritation and even ingestion of the skunk spray.
Take note that skunk spray acts like tear gas when sprayed on the eyes. It will sting your Bulldog’s peepers so badly to the point of infection if not addressed right away. Also, skunk spray can cause temporary blindness in canines as it can damage the delicate part of the cornea.
Moreover, a skunk spray can trigger severe anemia if your dog licked or got sprayed in the mouth. This aspect can be deadly, especially if you don’t spot the early signs of the condition.
Aside from that, your Bulldog will suffer from skin irritations. This breed has a short coat, so the skunk spray can easily penetrate the thin and single layer of fur easily.
Overall, being sprayed by a skunk will bring a slew of troubles for your pet. This is why you should seek immediate veterinary care if your Bulldog got sprayed by a skunk in the face.
If your pooch got lucky and was sprayed far from the face, one thing you have to deal with is the smell. Take note that the skunk smell doesn’t dissipate fast like a fart. Instead, it will linger on your dog’s body like a stubborn stain. Worse, it will get all over your home once your sprayed dog runs home for safety.
How to get rid of skunk smell on dog without peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is one of the most effective solutions to get rid of the skunk smell. But if your Bulldog has an allergy to it or it’s not readily available in your home, you can use the following instead:
🐶Option #1: Tomato juice
Tomato juice is one of the most effective alternatives to a hydrogen peroxide solution. A lot of households have this in their pantry, so it’s a handy fix whenever your Bulldog gets sprayed on by a skunk.
Here’s what you need to do when using tomato juice as a de-skunk agent:
- First, bathe your Bulldog using its regular shampoo
- After that, pat your pet dry with a clean towel
- Next, saturate the dog’s coat with tomato juice until it’s fully covered.
- Let the tomato juice soak on your Bulldog’s coat for 20 minutes.
- Rinse the tomato juice off your dog’s coat
- Wash your Bulldog with dog shampoo once again
- Depending on the result, you can repeat applying the tomato juice.
While it’s rare, you should first check if your Bulldog will have an adverse reaction to tomato juice when applied to its skin. Putting it on a small patch first and waiting for 2 to 5 minutes will let you see if the doggo will develop rashes or redness. Nonetheless, this is quite rare, and I personally haven’t heard of a dog being allergic to tomato juice topically.
🐶Option #2: De-skunk shampoo
If tomato juice didn’t work wonders on your smelly Bulldog, you need something stronger. I suggest stocking up with de-skunk shampoo if your area is notorious for spray attacks.
Unlike other dog shampoo products, de-skunk shampoos are made to get rid of strong odors. It’s even marketed as a ‘skunk solution’, which sets it apart from other grooming products.
I swear by the Thornell Skunk-Off Pet Shampoo, which you can get for a low price. This is formulated specifically for skunk sprays and is much more effective than regular dog shampoos.
Unlike other products, Skunk-Off doesn’t mask the smell. Instead, it eliminates the root cause while remaining gentle on your Bulldog’s skin. This is why Thornell Skunk-Off is the trusted brand of groomers, kennels, clinics, and other pet care facilities.
Here’s how you should apply it:
- Wet your dog’s body
- Soak the Bulldog’s coat with the Skunk-Off shampoo. You should apply more on the hit part.
- Let this soak for 15 to 20 minutes
- After that, rinse your dog well and dry.
- You can re-apply this shampoo if there’s still a foul smell lingering on your dog’s coat.
🐶Option #3: Vaginal douche
This may not be a traditional solution, but I found out that vaginal douche products like Massengill douche works in eliminating the skunk smell on dogs. You can also use other brands as Massengill has been discontinued in the U.S.
Basically, this is how you should use it:
- Dilute the vaginal douche with a proportion of 2 ounces in one gallon of water for small dogs. You can add another ounce of vaginal douche when using it on Bulldogs.
- Soak your dog’s coat with this solution, ensuring that you apply it lavishly on the sprayed area.
- Let this sit for 15 minutes before rinsing out the solution.
- After rinsing, you need to bathe your Bulldog with its usual dog shampoo
Before you use this method, I suggest that you call the veterinarian first. Some Bulldogs may have sensitivity to the ingredients of the vaginal douche you used. The vet can also advise about how many times you need to repeat the application. If the vet isn’t easily reachable, you can take a chance on local groomers.
🐶Option #4: Vinegar and water
If you don’t have tomato juice, de-skunk shampoo, or vaginal douche at home, you can reach for the ‘liquid gold’ of the kitchen: vinegar.
Aside from adding flavor to our meals, vinegar has powerful disinfecting ingredients. It’s also safe to ingest, so there’s little to no risk of poisoning.
- Just like with the vaginal douche, you first need to dilute white vinegar since it’s very acidic. The proportion should be two parts water then one part vinegar.
- You can also add a few drops of Dawn dish soap or swap white vinegar to apple cider vinegar.
- Soak your Bulldog’s coat with the solution and let it sit for 5 minutes.
- After that, rinse your dog’s body while preventing the vinegar solution from getting into your pet’s eyes.
- Lastly, wash your Bulldog with its usual dog shampoo.
When to bring your skunk-sprayed Bulldog to the groomer?
If your dog still smells like rotten eggs despite all your efforts, the groomer is the best person to call. Professional groomers have special products that can eliminate the most stubborn smells. Most of the time, they secure a permit to purchase such chemicals that’s why it’s not available for over-the-counter purchase.
Aside from that, groomers know how to remove skunk smell fast. They are also adept with different dog coat types and the right method to use.
While this will cost an added fee, it will save you and your dog from the stink. Also, it will prevent further irritation on the part of your pet.
Tips to keep your Bulldog safe from skunks
If your area is a hub of skunks, you have to take extra precautions to keep your Bulldog safe from stinky attacks. Here are some of the tips to keep in mind:
✔️Keep your dog leashed
If you’re taking your Bulldog outdoors, you should always keep it leashed. This will stop the pooch from pursuing a skunk on the run. Aside from that, this will also keep your pet safe from incoming traffic and other feral animals.
✔️Keep your eye on the dog
If you’re in a fenced yard, you should still keep your Bulldog supervised. Skunks have sharp claws that help them climb through fences. Once you spot one inside your yard, you and your dog should retreat indoors. This means not staring at your phone the whole time.
✔️Install a motion-activated sprinkler
Another thing you can do is give skunks a taste of their own medicine. You can spray them with water using a motion-activated sprinkler. This way, you can drive the wild animal away even if you’re not around. However, you should be careful in choosing the installation location for optimal results.
Feel free to install multiple sprinklers for this purpose. However, make sure that you don’t place it in areas with regular foot traffic.
✔️Don’t let your dog have outdoor access at night.
At night, all your doors and windows should be locked. This will prevent your Bulldog from getting out and being toe-to-toe with another skunk. Besides, locking up your house will also keep you safe from burglars.
Bulldogs are indoor canines, so you should never let them sleep outdoors. Even for its last potty break at night, you should keep it leashed and supervised. You should also be alert of the surroundings as skunks tend to be more active at night.
✔️Make your backyard less appealing to skunks.
Many times, our backyards become attractive to skunks because of many things. The first culprit here is unsealed garbage cans where the animal can dumpster-dive. Also, you shouldn’t leave dirty dishes outdoors in case your family had a barbecue dinner in the yard.
✔️Train your dog to leave the skunk alone
Training your Bulldog to leave wild animals alone will keep it safe from the stinky spray. The good thing is that Bulldogs are food-driven, and they don’t have a strong prey drive. You can use both of these characteristics to call your pet back to safety.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How long will skunk smell last on a dog?
A: Usually, skunk smell can last for up to three weeks on a dog’s coat if not washed properly. Aside from the bad smell, the skunk spray will continue your Bulldog’s skin if you fail to clean it up. Remember that this foul smell will spread into your home as your dog rubs its body on various surfaces.
Q: Can breathing skunk smell make you sick?
A: Breathing skunk odors can cause breathing irritations and difficulty. Also, it can induce vomiting since the scent is truly stomach. It has a sulfuric odor, similar to that of rotting eggs. People with asthma, COPD, and similar conditions will suffer from a more intense reaction.
Q: Does it hurt when a dog got sprayed by a skunk?
A: If the spray got into your dog’s eyes, it would surely sting and hurt. Also, for short-coated canines like Bulldogs, the skunk spray can cause skin irritations. This is why you should act right away once you discover that your pooch has been bombarded by a skunk.
Q: Can skunk spray cause seizures in dogs?
A: It’s not usual for dogs to suffer from seizures when exposed to skunk sprays. However, canines with a poor immune system and underlying conditions may experience seizures. Take note that skunk spray itself won’t directly cause seizures, but it will only make underlying health problems worse.
Q: Can a dog get rabies from skunk spray?
A: Skunk sprays don’t carry the rabies virus, but their bites do. If your Bulldog isn’t vaccinated for rabies yet, you shouldn’t let it roam inside. This is especially true if your area has a prominent population of skunks. Remember that rabies infection is irreversible once it shows symptoms. This is why you should never take chances when it comes to your dog.
Conclusion
Knowing how to get rid of skunk smell on dog without peroxide should be on every pet owner’s skill set. This will save you from the stinky mess in your home. Most of all, it will save your Bulldog from the irritation and potential anemia that the skunk spray brings. But if all your efforts aren’t effective, you should never hesitate to go to a pet groomer or the veterinarian.
