De-skunking Your Dog

One of the emergency calls I receive on an occasional basis is for dogs that have been skunked. Unfortunately, my schedule doesn’t allow for addressing these emergencies on a timely basis. So, for your information, here is the recipe for shampooing your dog if they encounter a skunk. (And it doesn’t include tomato juice – I’m not sure where that came from!) You will need:

A small bottle of Hydrogen Peroxide
¼ cup Baking Soda
Small amount of Dawn dishwashing soap (original blue formula)

Mix the ingredients together, adding just enough Dawn to provide suds. (Using Dawn is recommended because its PH level is just right for dogs.) Whatever you do, wear gloves!!!! The smell transfers onto EVERYTHING – your clothes, towels, everything will need to be washed afterwards! After rinsing your dog, use the formula all over the dog, and leave on the dog for 10-15 minutes. Rinse, then if you wish, shampoo a second time and rinse again. It may not get rid of the smell completely, but it will dissipate the odor substantially. As you would normally, use caution around the eyes and face.

I hope, for you and your dog’s sake, that you never need this recipe. But, I hope you will find this helpful if you ever need it!

I'm Becoming A Blogger .....

Hi everyone! My name is Jan (Janice Dressler), and I've decided to start a pet blog. Because I'm a dog groomer (I own The Dapper Dog in Pleasanton, CA), most of my blogs will focus on dogs, but I may also blog on other pets, like my beloved guinea pigs! I'm hoping to be a source of information for you, and if you have any questions or topics you'd like addressed on the blog, feel free to email me at thedapperdog@hotmail.com. I hope you'll find the blog not only interesting, but informative. The love I have for animals is very deep -- each of the dogs I groom have a place in my heart. I can't think of anything I'd rather do than work with my wonderful furry clients all day!

Our pets are a wonderful departure from the 24 hour news cycle, and unconditional love at its purist form. I believe they deserve nothing less than our unconditional love and support as well. I hope to make the lives of our beloved furry friends even better, and hopefully help the loving owners as well!