Smelly Dog

Our question this week was:

My dog got out of our fence and apparently rolled in something dead. We have washed her 6 times with three different types of soap, but she still stinks horribly. What can we do?

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Becca Henry

Answer

Oh no – That sounds awful! I’d recommend what you already did – that is repeat baths with different soaps. It sounds like that didn’t work. Another thing you may try is washing your dog with the formula we commonly use when to wash dogs that have been sprayed by a skunk.

The formula that I’ve used to de-stink skunked dogs is a mixture of one quart 3 percent hydrogen peroxide, 1-cup baking soda and one teaspoon liquid soap. Mix well. Apply to your dog, rub into the hair and allow this mixture to sit on your pet for about 10 minutes then rinse with tap water. Be careful not to get the solution in your dog’s eyes.

There are also several commercial formulations specifically made to neutralize the odor of skunk spray and other odors, such as Skunk Off®. It can generally be purchased either at your family veterinarian’s office or a nearby pet store.

Good luck. By the way, depending on your sense of humor about this…you might find this article interesting… “Why Do Dogs Like to Roll in Yucky Stuff?”

Best of luck!

Dr. Debra

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