Proverbs 12:10

"The righteous one is caring for the soul of his domestic animal." Proverbs 12:10

Thursday, September 27, 2007

Skunk Encounters 101

Stinky situations may result in deadly disease

by Deborah Parkhill Mullis

Although skunk attacks aren't common in Union County, this year’s prolonged drought increased the number of "house calls" made by local wildlife. Case in point: our dog’s recent discovery of an uninvited guest in the vegetable garden. For his detective work, our pooch received a blast of skunk spray in the face.

Petowners take heed. According to Lt. Michelle Starnes, director of Union County Animal Services, pets that have close encounters, or fight, with wildlife - especially raccoons and foxes - are in danger of contracting rabies.

“Even if your pet has a current rabies vaccination, it's still imperative that the animal get a booster shot for rabies within 72 hours (of contact)," explained Starnes, noting that pets without current rabies vaccinations must be quarantined for six months unless the wildlife can be apprehended and tests negative for rabies.

Our dog was examined the following morning at Sun Valley Animal Hospital in Indian Trail. Although he had a current rabies vaccination and no scratches or bite wounds were found, he still received a new three-year rabies shot because he'd been sprayed in the face including his eyes and mouth.

If your dog has been sprayed by a skunk, the Emergency Veterinary Clinic in Matthews recommends using the following solution to eliminate the odor: one quart of hydrogen peroxide, one cup of baking soda, and one teaspoon of Dawn dish soap.

  • Mix the ingredients together to make a shampoo.
  • Wear rubber gloves to lather up your dog.
  • Leave the solution on for 10 minutes and then rinse it off.
It may be necessary to wash your dog more than once to get rid of the smell. We bathed our dog three times, twice with the aforementioned solution and a third time with regular dog shampoo; it worked. Be careful to keep the peroxide-based shampoo out of your pet’s eyes, and be sure to rinse it off thoroughly. If your pet has been sprayed in the eyes, a sterile eyewash solution is safe to use.
(Please see Doggie door not exactly heaven 'sent' for the whole story.)

3 comments:

  1. As a professional dog groomer,I thought I'd mention that Dawn dishwashing liquid should be used for emergency situations like this only. It can be very drying and irritating to dogs' skin. Too often I hear of dogs suffering from being bathed in this instead of a gentle shampoo. There are many wonderful natural shampoos and while most of us have always heard that oatmeal shampoos are great, they are not the best for sensitive skin. A company called EarthBath makes wonderful natural moisturizing, great smelling shampoos. You can find them online or at Pawtique on Johnston Road behind Sticky fingers; this store is a new and wonderful place for holistic pet foods,
    organic treats, raw food, and gifts. Or check out www.dog.com for good brands such as Best Shot or even their own private labeled products. Laurie Smith www.southbarkgrooming.com

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  2. Thank you, Laurie! Petowners take heed, under normal circumstances dishwashing liquid does NOT make a good dog shampoo!

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  3. I recently received a 16 ounce bottle of Pet Shampoo from Vermont Soap Organics. Its ingredients include certified organic vegetable oils and botanicals. It is a very gentle shampoo that was made specially for sensitive pets. It contains no dyes or perfumes yet it smells wonderful! www.vermontsoap.com or call 1-866-SOAP-4U2

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