Dog vs Skunk!

[George Ford]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FvGwXQuz4c

Why would he let his dog do that?! Poor dogs gonna stink for ages. (I assume, I've never seen or smelt a skunk so no idea if it's as bad as people make out or if it can be washed off?)

[Lilly]

The only thing I can figure is the owner is a very rural person and figures the only way his dog will actually learn to leave skunks alone is for her to experience being sprayed. The guy may have a point...but it's a tough and smelly lesson.

[MissMelsWell]

let's hope they don't fall for the old wives remedy of washing the dog in tomato soup to kill the smell. It doesn't work. As a child my dog, mostly white colored, tangled with a skunk at my grandparents farm. Dad washed her in soup... we endured an 8 hour car ride home with a pink dog that smelled like Eau Du Campbell's Skunk! It was one of my more vivid childhood memories. I'm not sure I'll ever forget it.

[Lilly]

Here's how to de-skunk a dog (and it will only work to lower the smell).

1) Do this outside. Wear old clothes. Do not get the mixture near the dog's eyes/nose/mouth.

2) Mix in an open container (do not attempt to save the mixture in a closed container): 1/4 cup of baking soda with 2 teaspoons of a dish washing product (such as Dawn) along with 2 pints of hydrogen peroxide.

3) Wet the dog and apply the mixture with a sponge while wearing rubber gloves. The mixture will foam. Leave it on the dog about 4 to 5 minutes. Rinse and repeat the process about 3 or 4 times.

4) Again, do not attempt to save any of the mixture (it deactivates).

5) The dog will still smell somewhat, only time can completely do the trick.

[+and-then]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FvGwXQuz4c

Why would he let his dog do that?! Poor dogs gonna stink for ages. (I assume, I've never seen or smelt a skunk so no idea if it's as bad as people make out or if it can be washed off?)

Bulveye it's a very unique, overpowering smell that irritates the sinuses and can make a person's gag reflex kick in. That poor dog was probably miserable for hours. Think of how sensitive a dog's sense of smell is....

[George Ford]

Hmmm, I want to smell a skunk now. You say it's a unique smell. Is there anything at all that it is similar to?

[MissMelsWell]

Trust me, you DON'T want to smell a skunk! Really, trust me.

[Taun]

Hmmm, I want to smell a skunk now. You say it's a unique smell. Is there anything at all that it is similar to?

A skunks smell is unlike anything I can think of... Imagine the most cloying, offensive smell you can - and you aren't even close...

While I have never been sprayed (fortunately)- we have many skunks here and they frequently misjudge how fast they can cross a road... Few skunks die happy apparently... And the smell lingers - long after the late skunks body...

Edit: From Answers.Com

The Smell of Skunks

The smell of skunks has been compared to burnt rubber.

I describe the skunk smell as a VERY bitter smell. It was not what I had expected when my dog came to me, sprayed. It is NOT gross like a rotten egg, or something that smells more sour like. It is better, and indeed you will never forget the smell of a skunk. It also stays quite long, is very strong, and indeed a very unique smell which I think you will not find on anything else.

Here is more input:

• When they spray: putrid. The worst lingering smell you will ever experience.
  

• Skunks don't really smell like anything else. They are pretty unique in that sense.
  

• Interesting animals, skunks are. They're really quite mild mannered, and if you don't startle them or make them angry, they're happy to leave you alone. All they want from humans is the scraps of food that we carelessly leave laying around. They normally eat just about anything from frogs to bird eggs to whatever they can find in your garbage can. However, nature has given them a very effective means of self defense in the spray that they direct at an enemy. The spray is a chemical concoction manufactured by special glands in the skunks body. One of the ingredients is actually sulfuric acid, a very strong acid used for making car batteries and other industrial uses. To describe the smell of skunk spray is tough, as there's nothing in our daily lives that resembles it. It can, in very very small amounts, smell something like burned rubber. But, in larger quantities it is just indescribable. Once you smell it, you'll never forget it. It's very strong, and makes your eyes water and breathing difficult. It's very, very unpleasant to be sprayed by a skunk, which two of my dogs will swear to. Hopefully, you'll get a chance to find the answer for your question from a distance. And, remember, skunks are known to be carriers of rabies. If you're ever bitten by one, see a doctor immediately. Otherwise, they're really gentle critters who mind their own business. The only time I take action is if they decide to set up housekeeping under my porch. In that case, spreading mothballs around under the porch seems to chase them away. Mothballs smell to skunks like they smell to us.
  

Also in short here are 3 things they smell like is garlic, rotten eggs, burnt rubber.

Try taking a whiff of all three, a fun experiment to do at home.

(This new format takes a bit of getting use to...)

Edited May 1, 2012 by Taun

[Lilly]

Basically, skunks stink to "high, high heaven". Be grateful if you've never smelled one!