Look! There is a thing!

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Something sallye said, reminded me of this. I don't know how many of you will need to use it, but maybe you have a family member or friend who lives where this can be a problem. Feel free to share.

Of the many pets I've had over the years, one was a happy-go-lucky terrier cross. Simba (named before the movie came out, thankyouverymuch) never met a person - or an animal - she didn't want to play with. She got along well with the cats around my place; I'm sure she was puzzled to be repeatedly rebuffed by those black-and-white striped ones...

She got skunked about two or three times a year. My response was to bathe her with shampoo, then shampoo mixed with baking soda, then baking soda only, rinsing in between each. Then repeat the cycle until the hot water ran out. I did try tomato juice once, but it wasn't any more effective, and it stung my hands so bad; I hate to think how it felt on her skin.

Then my brother sent me a "recipe" that he got from a chemistry magazine. The man who devised it was a chemist with a skunked dog, who was unsatisfied with the other treatments, so he went into his little workshop and starting analyzing and mixing... *g* I just wish he'd discovered this many years previously.

Anyway, keep on hand bottles of Hydrogen Peroxide (the dilute, household stuff), a box of baking soda, and liquid soap. (Dish soap is acceptable.)

In a large container (like a mixing bowl), pour several pints of H₂O₂. (You decide, depending on size of dog.) For each pint, toss in about 2-3 ounces of baking soda and 1 tablespoon of liquid soap. Mix well.

Bathe the dog with this mixture, then rinse. Follow with a bath using ordinary shampoo. Smell all gone!

NOTE: The measurements don't have to be exact. The first time I needed it, I couldn't find the "recipe". I just dumped one and a half bottles of peroxide into a large bowl, tossed in several handfuls of baking soda, and gave a strong squirt of dish soap; it worked like a charm.

WARNING: Do NOT make this ahead of time and store; it'll explode your container. Just keep the ingredients handy.

Funny story. I never punished Simba for being skunked (that was punishment enough, surely). But I would groan a long, despairing, "Oh, Si-i-imba-a-a..." and carry her to the bathtub for the long, protracted bathing scene, which she hated. I'm sure, in her doggie mind, the bath was punishment for the smell.

One night, we were sitting on the couch (we each had an end), when skunk smell came wafting through the air conditioner. I quickly looked around - had Simba gone outside without me knowing? - but she was still on the couch. I merely got up and turned off the air conditioner, so as not to pull any more smell into the house. A few minutes later I looked up from my book, and there was Simba - crouched in the middle of the floor, shivering pitifully, as she waited for the certain doom of being carried to the tub. Poor thing; it took me at least five minutes of cuddling and sweet-talking to convince her that she was safe. She finally forgave me for giving her such a scare and, with a quick lick to my cheek, contentment was restored.
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