Skunked! Don't Panic...Be Prepared!

Yesterday morning Bandit and I had our first encounter with a skunk.

As some of you know, Bandit just underwent surgery to her ACL and meniscus three days prior to the incident. I took her out on a leash at 4:00am and she was about two feet away from me while doing #2 when a skunk (unprovoked) came around the side of the house and sprayed. I immediately picked up Bandit and ran up onto the deck and proceeded to freak out while I called the vet to see what I should do because she had the stitches in her leg!

Since it was 4:00am, no stores around me were open for at least another two hours. I want to share with you what the vet told me to do so that you can hopefully be better prepared than myself and have these items all in one spot ready to use instantly, no matter what time of day.

First, if your pet has stitches (probably a rare occurrence) cover the area with a trash bag. If the stitches get damp, it's ok, but try not to submerge in water.

You'll need these items to make a wash to use on your pet:

- 1/2 cup baking soda

- 1 tbsp dishwasher soap

- 1 quart (4 cups) hydrogen peroxide

**Important** Do not leave these items pre-mixed in a bottle! They will cause a chemical reaction and will explode.

Mix all ingredients and wash the affected area, do not wet with water beforehand and try not to spread it all over the body if only the neck, for example, was affected. Truth be told, you'll most likely need to do this multiple times before the smell is gone. I also ran Bandit's collar through the dishwasher and was able to get rid of the smell that way.

Hopefully you find this helpful! It's always better to be prepared :)