Skunk...

It’s one of those I glued a bird to my head type of days….

*This is a save for when it happens post or in the Pinterest world, “Pin now read later”*

What’s worse than your dog getting sprayed by a skunk?  Two dogs getting sprayed and killing the skunk, that’s what worse.  Oh and having it be at night (of course).  Wrestling two extremely smelly dogs both over 50 lbs. in a bathtub is not at the top of anyone’s to do list.  Well… not by choice that is, I can guarantee that.  So what do you do when that happens?  What are your best options?  What are some ways to deskunk your dog? 

I’m sure you’ve heard tomato juice or ketchup to get the smell out.  But who seriously has enough tomato juice or ketchup in their house to bathe medium to large size dog.  I’m Italian and even I don’t have that much tomato products in my house. 

The Humane Society recommends 1 quart of 3 percent hydrogen peroxide plus ¼ cup baking soda and 1 teaspoon liquid dishwashing soap.  Do not make this mixture ahead of time and do not leave this mixture in a bottle as it can explode.  Rub the mixture throughout the fur but be careful not to leave it on too long because hydrogen peroxide is a natural bleaching agent so it can bleach the fur.  Next wash your dog with pet shampoo and rinse thoroughly. 

Wiki How’s website had a couple different options.  Their first option was the same as what the Humane Society had posted on their website.  Their next method was to pour mouthwash over wherever the smell is the strongest.  Followed by rubbing it in and scrub a dud dud for roughly 15 minutes.  Next they advise to shampoo your dog all over and to rinse.

Hazel Christiansen, a longtime professional groomer and the former president of the American Grooming Shop Association in Idaho recommends dousing a skunked dog with a cup of vanilla extract mixed with a gallon of water.  Let the dog soak for 10 minutes and then apply shampoo and rinse.

Another long time recommendation has been to use vinegar.  Mix 2 parts water with 1 part apple cider vinegar.  Wet your dog’s coat with water and then work the vinegar solution thorough the fur, let it sit for 5 minutes.  Rinse and follow with a regular bath. 

Purdue Veterinary School has a couple of recommendations.  The first is to wash your dog with pet shampoo.  After the dog has been suds up in shampoo to douse them in tomato juice, making sure to saturate the coat and let it soak in for 10 to 20 minutes.  Then rinse off the juice and wash again with regular shampoo.  They recommend following these steps over and over until the smell is gone.  Their next option is to contact your local veterinarian or groomer.  Your veterinarian or groomer may have a product called “Skunk Off”.  Here at Preferred Pet Care Inc. we carry “Skunk Off” and have had the pleasure (If only there was sarcasm font) of using it.  Another recommendation is Massengill where you would saturate your pet with one gallon of water (for small dogs- increase the amount for larger dogs).  Pour the mixture over the dog until they’re thoroughly soaked and wait 15 minutes and then rinse.  Then follow with a regular bath for your dog.  Their last recommendation was the same as the Humane Society’s concoction. 

So what’s the best solution?  Well obviously the best solution is don’t get skunked.  But when your dog decides they want to make a new friend with a smelly animal keep these tricks in mind.  There are no magical de-skunking tricks.  Skunks have a strong oily odor, which unfortunately can linger for quite some time.  It’s not surprising if a dog gets sprayed by a skunk for the smell to reappear when the dog gets wet.  What we have found to work is the hydrogen peroxide concoction followed by following up with your local groomer or veterinary to use the “Skunk Off” shampoo and/or a degreasing shampoo.  Hopefully you’ll never have to use any of these remedies, but if you come across this issue you’ll be prepared.  

Frequently Asked Questions

We decided to address some of our frequently asked questions.

What is Preferred Pet Care Inc’s capacity? 

It’s actually a trick question because we have 88 rooms, however can accommodate more than 88 dogs for boarding.  Some of our rooms are a little bit larger so if you have a two or three dog family (from the same family and same household) that do not need to be separated for any reason we can certainly have them stay in one of our king suites.  On the flip side if we have two small dogs boarding with us (from the same family and same household) that don’t need to be separated for any reason we can certainly keep them in one room.  We speak with the customer, as well as get to know the dogs and place them in the best room we see fit for their needs/requests. 

Do you ever book up?

YES!  We absolutely do book up for boarding.  Every year we book up earlier and earlier for major holidays and summertime.  A good rule of thumb is whenever schools have off we are busy.  IT IS NEVER TOO EARLY TO BOOK BOARDING!  If you’re concerned about booking and having to cancel last minute make sure to ask us about boarding insurance. 

Is Preferred Pet Care Inc. ever closed?

Both yes and no.  We are staffed 365 days a year.  However, our front office is closed 6 days out of the year.  Our front office is only closed on six major holidays, this allows our staff to be on a rotating schedule for holidays so that all of our staff isn’t working every holiday.  Therefore this allows for some of our staff to be off on a holiday, and giving them some much needed time to spend with their family and friends.

What about in bad weather?  Does Preferred Pet Care close then? 

In inclement weather we still make sure that our boarding guests are taken care of.  Majority of the staff and most of the managers all live relatively close to the facility.  We may make adjustments (such as with our hours) but we still honor our commitment of acting in the best interest of the dogs.

 

So then what happens on a holiday?

On a holiday when our front office is closed we essentially operate like any normal day.  We maintain our same hours of taking care of the dogs and it’s the exact same routine, just with the front office closed.  

What do you do in bad weather, when it’s raining or snowing?

Well regardless of the weather the dogs do still need to relieve themselves.  What we will do in inclement weather is we will take shorter bathroom breaks outside.  All of our yards have some type of covering whether it’s one of our large tents, umbrellas or one of our trees. 

What about if my dog loves the cold weather?

Some of our guests love the cold weather, and some of our guests despise it.  Depending on the weather, staffing, and the dogs that we have with us we may have numerous play groups going.  It’s not uncommon for us to have 2 or even 3 playgroups going.  In the winter and summer we often will have an inside playgroup and an outside playgroup.

My dog is always thirsty when he/she comes home.  Do they have access to water?

Of course!  When the dogs are in the playgroup we always have at least 3 large water dishes that we refresh often.  If they’re an overnight guest we always have their water dish filled, unless you have requested us to take their water dish out overnight or at certain times.  Many times what we’ve seen is that dogs are just like children.  Sometimes they are so overly excited about playing with their friends that they forget to stop and take a break. 

What would Preferred Pet Care Inc. do if the power went out?

Well thankfully we have a full service generator.  Our generator runs routine maintenance and kicks on once a week.  So rest easy we will never have to worry about losing power.

What do the dogs play on?  What’s outside?

All of our yards have artificial turf.  In December 2014 we just upgraded 3 of our 5 play yards to a new top of the line specially made dog artificial turf.  It’s softer, and thicker than our previous turf.  Our new turf is K9 Grass.  It has flow-through backing so that liquids go through easier, a short dense blade structure and antimicrobial protection.  Since installation of our new K9 Grass the dogs have been thrilled with it. 

What do you do if a dog were to get sick while in your care?

Well if a dog were to come down with something while they were boarding with us we would of course reach out to the owner.  We would additionally contact the emergency contact.  If we were unable to reach them we would of course act in the best interest of the dog.  We would waste no time seeking veterinary care if it was an emergency.  At Preferred Pet Care Inc. the number one priority is the dogs, and our saying here is, “The dogs come first”.  We treat all of our pups here as if they were our own.  Additionally we have an isolation room.  If a dog were to come down with something we can separate them from the general population.  The room has a separate ventilation system with negative pressure so that the air is not recirculated. 

How do you guys remember all the dogs that come for daycare, boarding, and grooming?

Simple, all of the dogs just like people all have their own personality.  Even dogs that are the same breed look slightly different or have different personalities.  The staff develops a relationship with the dogs, even if you merely board once a year.  If your dog is a group dog (meaning they play with other dogs while they’re here) we write a blurb on how they interacted with the other dogs.  If it’s a new dog boarding with us, or during our busy season many of our boarding guests will have one of our breakaway collars placed on them which would include their name, room number, and any special instructions/notes (such as if they receive medication or have any allergies).