There was supposed to be fun content on the blog today. There will not be content on the blog today.
I went to bed around 11:00 pm, but Gordon, knee deep in Starfield, stayed up too late. Although I let the dogs out before I went to bed and stayed out there with them, because the back yard is large and country dark, somehow they conned him into letting them out before he went to bed.
I wake up, groggy and tired, to the worst stench. I’m thinking, “Oh no, one of the dogs had a horrible accident.” Then it dawns on me that no, no accident on earth would produce this kind of odor. And then I realize that Gordon is in the bathroom with water running.
I walk into the bathroom, noting that the air purifier’s odor indicator has turned red, and it’s like a movie. Everyone freezes, the two dogs are in the tub, and Gordon, mostly naked, is holding a bottle of Dawn dish detergent.
Gordon says, “I’m sorry, babe.”
I turn right around, stumble my way across the house to the laundry room, locate the emergency bottle I had stashed there just for this occasion and come back.
Gordon asks, “What is this?”
And I have my tiny moment of triumph, because I have a bottle of Skunk Off.
I sprayed the dogs and it worked. It worked like a charm. They are still a little bit stinky, but not bad enough to not be allowed on the couch. I’m typing this as the two of them are laying on their pillows on both sides of me and I can’t smell anything.
Unfortunately, we have a whole load of towels to do and then another load of dog pillows, and I sprayed everything with Skunk Off, which is supposed to work on fabrics. After we washed the dogs, I couldn’t fall asleep. I sleep like a log but if you wake me up, getting back to sleep is really hard. So I read way too many Webcomics, eventually passed out I don’t know when, and now I am finally up drinking coffee instead of tea.
As my own boss, I approve my excuse from work for today. Please talk amongst yourselves.
Debs says
Sorry to laugh at your stinky dog problem but the bathroom visual cracked me up.
Most from the country have had a similar experience. And others who have laughed in solidarity.
Alex R. says
Well, we now finally have the answer to the question of “who let the dogs out?” It was Ilona 🙈
Sorry for your loss. Of smell. And detergent 😂
Moderator R says
They got sprayed on Gordon’s watch 😂
Alex R. says
Yup, because he didn’t know “who let the dogs out” previously. 😁
Joe says
Sorry about my excessive posting yesterday, way to much prednisone in me, and Bethesda.
Moderator R says
There’s no reason to apologise, that’s why the comment section is here 🙂 , for conversation.
jewelwing says
I very much enjoyed reading it, Joe.
Kat in NJ says
I liked reading your comments, Joe…very informative and I shared them with my gamer hubby and daughter. 😁
Calley says
I loved your comments, and prednisone and Bethesda will do that!
Tempest says
Is it terrible that this story still brought me joy? Not at your pain . . . but the visual of Gordon trying to fix the problem . . . guilty dogs in the tub . . . triumphant Ilona.
Enjoy your day off!
BDH, what are we conversing amongst ourselves about? — without ModR having to come in and give us “the talk” or delete vast swaths of comments.
Tempest says
Oh! I have an idea. This shouldn’t cause problems.
For those who read the serials, do you have a reading routine? I loved reading them with a cup of tea. I would save it for a break at work.
Claudia says
That sounds like such a great idea! I need to come up with a nice civilized routine, so that I can savour each one that much more. (As opposed to reading each one fast, then rereading it slowly, ha ha.)
Jean says
As the next part was usually available Saturday mornings here I would re read the previous one to remind myself then read the current one while having my breakfast
Sivi says
I normally catch them on a Saturday too…often when I’m at work, so it’s a sneaky read as I wait for volunteers to turn up 🙂
Claudia says
Good idea, I’ll start doing that!
Nanvy says
I look for them at breakfast, but it depends on how late I sleep. Sometimes it’s not in until later, but whenever it appears, it gets inhaled.
Mark Burlingame says
Oh dear! I hope the laundry does the job.
Haven’t had that particular problem, but we have urban skunks around. They occasionally create a stink which seeps into the house. One time it was so bad I thought one of the critters got into the crawl space. 😖
Yeah, take the day off and take a nap after drinking the coffee (usually works for me 🙄).
MB
Theresa says
Live in the city but have still had to deal with skunks spraying dogs. No Skunk Off in early ’90s. We used several 48 oz cans of tomato juice, plus half a bottle of Sunlight dish soap. Dog still smelt faintly of skunk if it was damp out for next 6 months
Judy Schultheis says
I am so sorry that happened. I do hope you can get a nap in today.
David Z Becher says
Perhaps you should recommend it to Kate, for her dog smell issues.
K says
No no, I’m sure Elara and crew already make some magical version of this to sell in batches lol
Leigh Ann Parente says
“Elara’s Herbal Skunk-Off”
I can imagine the bottle, with the label. On a tee shirt. That I would totally buy.
Kathy says
Skunk Off is a lifesaver for those of us in the country with indoor/outdoor pets.
jewelwing says
Was this not fun content? It seems like fun content to me. What is the definition of fun content, if someone (other than oneself) bathing multiple dogs in the wee hours does not qualify?
There are *a lot* of skunks where I live now, including one that’s completely white. I am very fond of the Grub Patrol, but cautious about letting my 2yo GSD mix out at night. So far the Grub Patrol has stayed out of the fenced back yard though. One night the pup was very watchful at the gate to the front yard. The next morning there were little cone-shaped holes under the big white oak out there.
Karen the Griffmom says
I have hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and Dawn still stashed in various spots in the house and garage. Lost Our Boy a year ago, and I still get hit in the feels when I see the potion ingredients.
Cynthia says
Oh no, you poor baby, I’m so sorry.
On Labor Day, you have labored instead of resting.
Ami says
Oh man. I’m so glad you had the Skunk Off! Good thinking!
William B says
It’s a Federal Holiday anyway, take the day off. Oh, and maybe consider some motion sensor solar lights for your fence. It won’t keep skunks out, but it might give you a warning before you let the dogs out. (Who, who…)
Tink says
Yeah, once you start the lyrics, you can’t get it out of your head. Someone needs to invent Earworm Off.
Bibliovore says
My solution to an unwanted earworm is the teddy bears picnic. That one fades away with no problem for me.
Patricia Schlorke says
Oh no! 🤦♀️☠️
You with your dogs, Ilona, me with my right hand. I woke up early this morning with my right hand below my pinky itching and burning. Then I noticed two very red dots. Allergic reaction to something. I did a lot of furniture moving Saturday afternoon. Then I started shifting some things around yesterday. Don’t know what caused the reaction.
Been feeling iffy all day. Glad I decided to take the day off from work.
Leslie says
If the two dots were next to each other, have you considered they might be spider bites. You said you were moving things; might have gotten bitten. If you’re feeling iffy and dots could be bites, get checked. Brown recluses are common in many parts of the USA and their venom is nasty stuff.
barbiedoll says
Porcupine quills in the face are worse then skunk but not by much
San says
Back when we lived in the country, I remember hearing about a canine officer whose dog got skunked, and he had to spend the rest of his shift in the car with his stinky sidekick. I’m not sure you’d ever get that smell out of a car. Imagine getting picked up for something in the following week, and being put in the back of that car. Although maybe they don’t use the canine car for that, because then where would the dog sit?
Bea says
😂🤣😂 Your face already told me a thousand stories. LMAO.
My family and I went to my husband’s parent’s house for dinner. Ran over a skunk on the way there, and got him again on the way home!
We need this Skunk Off!
Salena says
I’ve become obsessed with reading manhwa on Webtoon. They’re so good! Sorry about the skunk. ☹️
Calley says
Ilona introduced me to Tapas and they have taken a LOT of my money 😂
Desperately waiting for the next season of I Shall Master This Family… they always say it will be a short hiatus, they lie!
Ann says
Me too! Me too!
Salena says
I don’t know Tapas. I’ll have to check it out. Thanks!
Moderator R says
You can find the Innkeeper Chronicles on Tapas here 🙂 https://m.tapas.io/series/the-innkeeper-chronicles/info
Annie says
Today is supposed to be a holiday from work anyway! I have has way too many skunk encounters. ugh
Barb B. says
So, I did snort-laugh, even though I completely understand. Then went to the laundry room to see if Skunk-off spray has an expiration date. We’re safe for now.
LuckyLassie says
+1
Bea says
Grendal may need more than one bottle of skunk off, lol.
My in laws had a St. Bernard mix that ate everything the boys gave it. Nails, socks, coins, toilet paper; one day he ate a whole roast that was on the counter prepped waiting for the oven to hit 350. My mom in law walked in the kitchen looking at the roastless platter that had absolutely no trace of a roast , no blood, no salt, garlic, pepper nothing. Till this day she can’t believe, all in under two minutes, he didn’t knock the platter off the counter!
My reading routine; hot tea/coffee and a book, anywhere but mainly in the sunroom.
Amelie says
This happened to my family twice 😩 We learned the hard way we could not trust our beloved yet idiot bichon frisé off leash at night (our property didn’t have a fence) so he always had a leash on him for the last potty at night. And because it happened so late we had nothing to scrub him with so he got to spend the night in the garage.
First thing in the morning my mom rushed to the pet store to buy the miracle deskunking shampoo (probably the same brand you used) and as she asked “Do you have…” only for the store employee to finish her question “the skunk removal shampoo?” My mom was horrified and asked “Do I smell like a skunk???” Store employee said she didn’t but that dogs getting sprayed by skunks at that time of year was super common. It worked like a charm and we had some leftover for the second incident. The dog still had skunk on his muzzle/breath for a few weeks after but it got the stench off his hair incredibly well.
Sorry you had to go through this as well, it’s awful but at least you already had the shampoo on hand! It makes for a funny memory… months later! Glad the dogs are okay.
kommiesmom says
We had this problem w/ one of my parents’ farm dogs many years ago when tomato juice was the best available remedy. NO tomato juice in the house at all.
But my mom had a large can of stewed tomatoes and kids to catch the pup.
We got it applied, but the dog left as soon as we tried to rinse her off.
Poppy wore the chunks for almost a week. Her litter mates wouldn’t get close enough to her to steal and eat them. *Quite* the fashion statement.
Poppy never had the problem again, but my mom always had tomato juice…
Valerye Bull says
Yikes! Sorry you all had to go through that. I approve your non-working day, too.
Janet says
It’s Labor Day you are supposed to be off today. Relax and enjoy
kIm Hurt says
I will say that’s not your happy face. Pets can be wonderful and terrible.
njb says
Omg! At least you had a remedy for the smell. I’m impressed that you had the wherewithal to blog. Hoping a good nights sleep comes your way and maybe a nap, too!
njb says
And you brought a fun memory rising to the surface. I was camping in Smoky Mountain national park some time in the late 70s. At that time there were a multitude of almost tame skunks that marched thru the camp grounds at any time of day. Broad daylight, I see this little guy ambling between my tent and the guy behind me. He starts singing “dead skunk in the middle of the road”. Well the not dead skunk perked up its ears and turned to head directly toward the singer. Guy in the tent says “no, no, I didn’t mean it!” Then falls silent to see what happens. Our little camping friend nosed his site then moved on. Had to laugh!!
Brandi says
Oh no! I love how the husband and the dogs all look guilty 😆. I have been in that same situation myself. May your coffee be strong and your sense of smell recover!
Jenn Poniatowski says
“Sorry, babe”…. Best response under these circumstances 😎
Beth says
Poor baby! Hope things get better soon.
LuckyLassie says
Sorry this happened to you all.
This is a great example of type 2 fun.
Type 1 fun is funny during the event.
Type 2 fun is funny to talk about later.
Type 3 is funny only to those who were not involved.
Good job being prepared with the Skunk Off!
Calley says
Oooo – I like that, stealing it for future reference!
I think Type 2 would be a great character check – if someone can’t laugh with you about it after then maybe they aren’t your people.
Rosie says
BDH Day off also approved.
<<>>
Good job on the secret stash of skunk off. 🦨
Nancy says
It should be a day off. Hope you sleep well tonight!
Jennlor says
😂😂😂💀💀💀💀
Mary says
Had not heard of Skunk off good to know. Also so sad that your coworker will have to cover your workload today as he is cause of your sleepless night.
MissB2U says
I think you handled the whole thing beautifully. Enjoy your coffee.
Wendy says
Skunked! that sucks! good luck!
Crystal says
one of our dogs has a skunk family who visits her at least once a year. so far she’s not been sprayed but we smell the remnants of their visit for weeks after.
Nancy H says
We live in a skunky town. Many years ago our daughter woke us up banging on our bedroom door crying. I thought someone died she was so upset. Her dog Flash killed a skunk and brought it in the house. The smell lingered in the hall for weeks. Which is why we don’t have doggie door
Kelly says
😭🫠🤭 you deserve a day off after that!
Jean says
Every once in awhile, the “black and white squirrels” ambling through my neighborhood decide to “bless” my house with their territory markings. I wish this *honor* was bestowed on the trees in the nearby forest preserve….🦨
Hope everyone gets a better night’s sleep tonight!
Di says
I hate getting my sleep schedule interrupted! I’m a grouch and it usually takes a few days to get back to normal because I have to take naps.
Glad you had the skunk off! Yet another reason I’m glad I only have cats. The one who goes outdoors has to be in by dinnertime. Raccoons, skunks, opossums, & nutria all thrive here. Oh the joys of living in or near the countryside!
Liane says
I love your tired/po’d/what I call the (you’re) dead look.
Kudos for having skunk off, you rockstar, you. You deserve a day off.
Barbara Swanson says
I love your picture! I soooo relate.
RT Boyce says
I actually laughed out loud and then had to read this to my husband.
Sorry you had to go through that. But such a funny story.
BionicBill says
From my dad a vet use tomato juice work very very well.
Sandy F says
I am familiar with that vacant look. I’ve had it after trying to fall asleep and failing having stayed up until 2 or 3 in the morning because I couldn’t stop reading. Sometimes y’all’s fault sometimes someone else’s. Skunk smell is horrible. I have ridden home with skunked dogs before. Waco to Houston. No such thing as Skunk Off yet.
Take a day, take a couple of days to recover.
Leanne Ridley says
My empathies. Going past a dead skunk on the road is bad enough for me, having to de-skunk dogs?? Eccchhh
Stephanie McBee says
Dogs getting skunked is the worst wake up ever! Get a nap in today. Hugs
Mary Kate Birge says
Oh my! This has happened several times to my sister and bro-in-law with their dogs! They have never heard of Skunk Off! They have used tomato juice and it has not been very effective. I think I will buy them both several bottles of it for Christmas. Thank you for the info. And I am sorry for your trouble!
Ellen M Solensky says
So, not tomato juice?
Jeanette Hurt says
mouth wash is a great deskunker.
Kiri Guyaz says
MiraZyme is also good for removing everything from mildew from your tent to eau du skunque from your dog, if you ever need other options….!😁
Catlover says
Gold star for being prepared! I took a screen shot of a googly eyed frog with a large cup of coffee because I liked this “Ah, nothing like the smell of freshly brewed magical psychotic rage stabilizer in the morning.” Thought it might fit today. 🤔
Bec D'Cunha says
may the coffee do the job so the life function occurs today and may the early bed tonight be uninterrupted and glorious.
Catrina says
I can understand. I didn’t know about the skunk off. Thanks for that tip. I have caught two of those buggers in my garage. Glad you were able to take the day off.
Kechara says
I don’t let the dogs out after dark usually and the yard is fenced but i do walk them at night. Often I find myself wondering if there’s a skunk in the neighbourhood or if it’s just one of the neighbours smoking weed
Jing says
Luckily, the skunk off work
And as today is a holiday, your free to laze around 😽
Have a good break and rest well.
Libby says
I feel like I’d love to hear Gordon’s recount of what happened.
Still Can’t Remember My Name says
+1
Janice says
I have been in Gordon’s place more times than I care to remember. I have found that the best skunk smell remover is plain old white vinegar and water….and if you need a hysterical visual – think of a 60+ year old woman in Walgreens checking out with a cart full of douche. That doesn’t raise too many eyebrows. I have never tried Skunk-Off but I plan on keeping a bottle handy with your recommendation.
Donna A says
I am sad for you but also very envious. Whenever there’s a blog with some bits of wildlife pest-ness I get the green eyed monster.
I know skunks smell and raccoons break stuff and bears are dangerous but it’s just so unfair! They’re all so cute and interesting. And the US has opossums and chipmunks too. Not to mention wolves and coyotes and mountain lions. I mean geez. Way to hog all the big mammals.
I see urban foxes regularly, a few semi-feral cat’s and that’s about it.
Even if I left London I wouldn’t get such diversity since we hunted our island out centuries ago. Badgers and deer are biggest I think. Rats, mice and weasels (weasels are adorable in fairness). Rabbits and hares (hares freak me out). But nothing with manual dexterity.
And we are sadly lacking in reptiles too. Whenever I do see snakes or lizards they don’t hang about, always rushing off before I can say hello. The closest I got was a sweet amphibian we mistakenly thought was a lizard but was actually a hibernating newt, poor sod. Had to pop her back under her log sharpish. We’ve got lovely frogs and toads mind you. And crustaceans. Always willing to calmly sit with a person.
But still.
Some mammals that don’t look like your neighbours mangy dog begging for a biscuit would be nice (looking at you Basil).
Moderator R says
I so feel you! I really miss the *true* wilderness since I moved here. Everything has the human print. The deer at Richmond park are really awesome though!
Donna A says
We are blessed with lots of parks in London and we do have great wildlife in the UK generally, especially birds and micro-animals, we just lack a bit of the mammalian diversity Europe and the US have.
jewelwing says
What about hedgehogs? Not much cuter than that.
Lisa says
Opening your porch door because you think it’s the cat out there and having a huge bear twice the size of you right there like he’s going to knock is a bit too much excitement. He was being pretty quiet about demolishing the birdfeeder.
Donna A says
My worry is I’d try and creep closer rather than backing away due to pure idiocy 😉
Ray says
You sound like Bertie Gregory (National Geographic “Adventures of…).
Recommend you volunteer as an intern on his show 😆
Miriam says
Unfortunately we have weasels here but they eat the cars hoses.
Judy Schultheis says
I have never in my life smelled a skunk – and I’m a country kid, it’s NOT for lack of opportunity. When other people are gagging and retching and complaining of the stench, the air tastes funny – slightly metallic – to me.
No, I don’t consider this a good thing. I’ve never smelled a gas leak, either. I tend to be a bit obsessive about checking my stove.
Ariel says
Tell your boss that you had a family emergency and needed some time off. I have heard that they are pretty understanding. Take care everyone!
TeejSD says
Ohhhhh NOOOOOO! Sorry to hear of you guys odiferous misadventure! Yay Skunk Off! Heh, heh my dad got sprayed by a skunk 1 time while out hunting pheasants with his buddies. They made him ride back to town in the back of the pickup…and it was HIS truck. Stepmama left those clothes out on the deck for a looong time 😉
Stacey says
you still look lovely, darling! I’m glad you had the anti-stinl spray handy. that’s the worst smell ever.
Lisa says
In grade school in the 70s, we lived in a huge 1790 Federal style new england house. I was upstairs. It’s 9 p.m. I hear the front door open. Instant skunk smell all over the entire universe. I go downstairs, our idiotic white cat has skunk spray literally dripping off her and my idiot brother has let her in. I love my cats beyond all reason, but why did you let her in I ask. I felt sorry for her. You could have felt sorry for her outside! Of course we didn’t have anything to get the smell off and had to wait until morning to go buy some tomato juice. It did work on the cat, but the house smelled for weeks.
Christine H says
Gold stars for the foresight of Skunk Off.
More stars for the laughter you gave us, since it was not Our dogs! That is the Best Don’t Mess with Me photo of the century.
Mary Cruickshank-Peed says
My pitty will occasionally wake me up in the middle of the night. Usually it’s because she got in the cat food which really upsets her stomach and she really needs to go out. But once in a while it’s because she hears *something* in the backyard. The raccoons will run when the kitchen light goes out the door. The skunks are afraid of noone and nothing.
fortunately I can smell them, so she doesn’t get to go out.
They have occasionally caught me coming home late though. I think they should run. They think I should mind my own business until they’re done eating their trash. They win.
Mary Cruickshank-Peed says
And then there was the time the skunk followed our cat thru the cat door… and our cat objected, and the skunk went off in the living room. That was epic.
jewelwing says
O_O
Lora Tyler says
So glad you had something on hand to stave off the smell, at least.
Erika says
Sorry to laugh at your misfortune but that’s a funny story, so thanks for the “content”!
But, Skunk Off?? That’s a thing? Where was that stuff when my then fiance and I got sprayed in front of my house the week before our wedding? Think dark doorway, black skunk eating cat food in the shadows, oblivious couple walking up… Luckily we were backing away before it really started spraying so it wasn’t too bad. My sweater never recovered but that was it.
They are really cute though. Last week we were sitting in our open air mall and a small skunk was wandering around, in and out of the planting beds. He didn’t spray or bother anyone. Of course, no one bothered him either. It was adorable.
Lisa says
Years, (ok decades) ago, a mama skunk and seven babies came parading across our front yard during the day. They were insanely cute. Of course all three of my cats had to go out there and check it out. I’m still amazed none of them got sprayed.
Emily says
my white cockapoo surprised a skunk. i smelled her coming and she knew she smelled bad as she hugged the walls away from me. a couple of large containers of tomato juice and she was fine. pink tho.
Eva says
I had a good laugh, and really feel the pain from your disrupted sleep. I’m the same way – wake me up and there’s no going back under until the next night.
I would love some more webcomic recommendations. I went through a lot of them after Innkeeper was published on Tapas, and wonder if there are any new ones you enjoyed. My latest favorites are Baroness Goes On Strike, and Little Rabbit and the Big Bad Leopard.
Ana says
Check The Male Lead’s Little Lion Daughter, the jokes can be really disturbing if you have the mindset that the main character is seven years old, but if you change your mind to “she is reborn” (I didn’t find it clearly stated in the story, but I’ll go by that) some scenes had me laughing out loud.
Then there’s Beware the Villainess!, and this story is finished. The mocking of the typical male tropes is hillarious. Another finished one I liked: Kitchen Goddess and the Assassin, although I got confused sometimes because I wasn’t able to tell apart some of the characters.
Karen says
My actual nightmare. So sorry!
Sam says
Hhahaha, oh man, sorry that happened.
Laura says
I hope your day improved from there!
I haven’t had an opportunity to try it on skunk spray, but SportSuds laundry detergent works beautifully on dog anal gland secretions. (Fun fact: that’s the same gland that produces skunk spray, just less weaponized in dogs.)
Also, Nature’s Miracle is a truly wonderful cleaning solution for organic messes like those produced by pets and small children. Again, haven’t tried it on skunk spray, but it does wonders for urine (including cat or mouse urine), vomit, and diarrhea on clothing and carpets.
Claudia says
You totally deserve the day off!!! And a medal for having Skunk Off in the house, ha ha.
Linda Trainor says
hahehahe like with no snake or sorptions on skunk either here in New Zealand
Simone says
We went on vacation to the mountains (yay) and after the first night in the hotel we went hiking. Afterwards I go to shower as I am all sweaty I take off my top and see all these red marks down my arm. Then I see them all over my legs too. We inspect the mattress and find a live bed bug. Turns out I had 150+bites, my husband had around 50. The hotel was a chain and they provided a room in another hotel. Not the same though – no balcony with a mountain view. We laundered anything that touched the bed in hot water. We packed the rest of our clothes in plastic bags. But we arrived home last night paranoid so EVERYTHING either got laundered, vacuumed or wiped down. Our luggage got vacuumed, and scrubbed with hot water and a brush. Spent 5 hours cleaning our luggage and laundry after a full day’s travel. The scenery was lovely though. Thank goodness for cortisone cream for the itching.
I will have to remember Skunk Off for when we adopt our next dog. Thanks for mentioning.
Jo says
I am so sorry to hear about the stinky dogs but at least you don’t have to worry about that every night. I have a Tree kangaroo that uses my roof as a highway from one set of trees to the other, at disgusting times in the early hours of the morning and let me tell you it sounds like some dude has fallen out of the sky onto your roof and then proceeds to jump and jump and jump all the way across. So I know your pain and all I can say is those people who don’t get woken in the middle of the night from wildlife can never understand.
Pam says
We had friends visiting us a few years ago with their two Beagles. The pups wanted out at 3AMish. They found a skunk. In our fenced, urban neighborhood yard. Oh what a night…..
Mandy says
You are a boss!
Kat v. says
This happened to me too a while ago but unfortunately, we didn’t have any skunk off. So we followed the old wives tale of tomato something, and three bottles of ketchup later, our dog just smelled worse 😂. So glad it worked out better for y’all!
Amara says
I grew up on a ranch, and had to share a couple of tomato juice baths with our dog.
Raffy says
This reminds me of my encounter with a skunk several years ago. Picture this – It was evening and I’m opening my front door to quickly go throw my garbage bag into the bin at the end of my driveway and, as soon as I step outside, I see a skunk at the bottom of the stairs. I look at him in horror and freeze. He does the same except his tail shoots up. I scream, drop the bag and run inside. I must have terrified the critter cause he still lets loose his spray before he calmly waddles away. Since that night, I have collected all sorts of skunk paraphernalia from sisters because they, of course, found the whole thing hilarious.
Pam says
I will have to try Skunk Off, although Dawn, baking soda and hydrogen peroxide works really well. Bonus, I always have the ingredients on hand.
Boy howdy, you deserve a day off.
Carol says
Talk about rude awakenings!
Olivia says
No, y’all deserve this day off. Happy it wasn’t worse and that you had the foresight to have another bottle on hand.
Sechat says
life happens. take care! the BDH can always amuse itself building crazy new ships for the flotilla!
MariaZ says
This is why I have cats. I have entire parade of porch pirates during the night including skunks, possums, racoons, foxes, and other cats, but mainly skunks. The cats will sit patiently on the rocker out of the way of the skunks until I let them back into the house.
I find deer in rut smell as bad or worse than the skunks and the buggers ate all my hydrangea bushes to the ground that one year. The bushes were almost 6 feet tall and about 12 feet long and they were nibble to the ground with lots of deer poop on the lawn and the smell.
Trun says
Oof, deer rut, and deer landscaping in general! My best friend growing up lived on an apple orchard, and the deer would strip the bark from the trees in winter if they could.
So each tree (we’re talking several hundred) was adorned with a bar of Dial soap, usually set at human waist-height with rope. Something about that specific scent wards deer off, and leaves the apple orchard looking like a bizarre soap-on-a-rope offering to the apple gods.
They still use it! They’ve built little soap shelters to stop them from wearing away in the rain, and the deer get to do deer things — just not in the orchard.
I grew up on a farm a couple of miles away, and farmers do weird things. When the internet showed up, I remember my mom buying capsules of coyote pee to ward off the chipmunks/squirrels/racoons from digging up her flower bulbs.
Now she lives in a little subdivision with so many squirrels, everyone is resigned to Landscaping By Squirrel, with the squirrels digging up all the bulbs and then burying them in random places, then forgetting where they left them 😂
Between that and the neighbourhood duck nesting, most people are pretty chill when skunks arrive after raccoons have knocked down their bird feeders. I dropped one trying to fill it for her, and by the time I was back inside a skunk and six little skunklings were enjoying the feast!
I live in the most raccoon-populated city in the world thanks to our delicious community composting, so they’re kind of a thing around here. If we can’t beat them, embrace them, I guess!
Tamara says
I feel your pain. Even though the cat run is elevated, the cats still challenge the skunks. The cats don’t get hit but that smell is a shock to wake up to.
Tery says
Skunk off is the best
Sharla says
Oh my! You know it’s love when you just turn around and get out the good stuff – lol!
Enjoy your unexpected day off!
Poor babies need extra pets and treats today- getting skunked is traumatic!
Melissa says
I feel your pain.
Two weeks ago, getting ready to leave for appt, and go to the bathroom. It was fine and now it’s covered in backup sludge which seems to be a mix of toilet paper dissolved and who knows what else. Call plumber. He can’t do anything cause septic tank hasn’t been cleaned in last 3 years.
We don’t know where the d*** thing is. Have had companies in and they can’t find it either. Recommend another septic company. After about 4-5 hours of rooting under the house, tearing up the deck (wooden), they find it where no one ever looked. Get septic emptied, get line cleared out.
Hooray, plumbing works and we vacate hotel.
Boo Hoo. Plumbing backs up again just not by as much. Plumber returns and clears out line. Next day they come back to replace disintegrating cast iron piping (house is 50 years old). We’re back in business.
Had to wash the bathroom rugs and towels about 5 or 6 times. Some loads were just water, some with bleach, and others with soap, bleach.
Carrie says
Umm. If it makes you feel better. We KNEW the skunk was in the backyard. I left and got a text that the skunk HAD not left and one of the dogs was blessed in the skunks perfume for the trouble. 🤣
Terri T says
I’ve never commented before, but the grandma in me just had to tell you how cute you look fresh from bed with your wayward curls.
Bill from NJ says
the blessing/curse with skunk is that it is so strong you stop smelling it in self defense, but you also think there is no smell. We haven’t had a run in with a skunk with our two monster mutts or our version of Ripper of Souls ( who confronts everything on his rounds every night in the neighborhood, try keeping him in), thankfully.
Aidan says
Bold of you to claim you didn’t give us fun content when you regaled us with the tales of Gordon trying to wash the dogs in secret. xD
MELINDA FLICK says
My children did dairy goats in 4h, back in the day. One quiet morning, the project leader was there alone with her idiot dog, an ill mannered cocker spaniel. She was getting hay out of the barn and dog must have startled a skunk in some way, and she smelled garlic.
Fun fact, for those who have never experienced it, it is distance from discharge that makes the classic skunk smell. Get really up close and personal to it, and it’s burned coffee and garlic and nose deadening.
She finished up her goat chores, bundled dog in the cab of the truck (no cover to the bed, and he would have jumped out) and drove off to the feed store, where she knew most of the staff. She rolled down the window, honked until somebody came out, begged for skunk supplies, paid, left, and I’m not sure what she did about the truck itself, but she and dog only barely whiffed of skunk after that.
Fun times. Notsomuch.
Kim McDougall says
My dog has been skunked 3 times. Sigh. We have a black cat and he doesn’t understand why the forest kitty doesn’t want to play with him 😂 We use 2 cups peroxide, ¼ cup baking soda and a tbsp of Dawn dish liquid. Works like a charm, if you don’t have skunk off on hand.
Teri Soles says
This reminds me of when we had a puppy that rolled in something dead. I tried everything from baby shampoo to mayonnaise but nothing worked. The poor puppy had a bath 6 times before my aha moment – if tomato juice works maybe it’s the acid! I got out the balsamic vinegar and doused him. It worked like a charm, but he did smell like a salad for the next six months whenever it rained.
Gaëlle from France says
🤣🤣🤣
JeNoelle Flom says
Homemade Skunk off(my Vet Clinic recipe)
1 Gal water
1 Qt Hydrogen peroxide
2 tablespoons Dawn Dish soap, blue(always blue, blue kicks butt)
2 tables spoons baking soda
Water down dog, put mixture on and soap up, let sit for a little while, rinse. Repeat if needed.
Beth says
My dog got sprayed by a skunk the week before Thanksgiving last year; in a fenced suburban backyard. It took months before she & all the soft things in the house were skunk odor free.
With any deskunking recipe that contains hydrogen peroxide, keep the ingredients on-hand, but DO NOT mix it up until you need it. The peroxide will react with the other ingredients in a sealed container. Too much pressure will cause the sealed container to explode.
The reason this mixture, and to a smaller degree tomato juice, work is that the peroxide (and the slightly acidic nature of the tomato juice) break the Sulfide bonds in the skunk‘s chemical warfare agents. Then the baking soda & the dish soap wash away the residue; for aa direct blast, several applications are probably necessary.
Donna says
OMG! Sorry, but this is pretty funny. Unfortunately, in my experience, the dogs don’t learn a damn thing. They’ll do it again the second that they get the chance.
When our Fox Terrier got “skunked” he ran into the house and immediately began rubbing himself along the front of the sofa, trying to get the smell off. It was not a good thing. Thank heavens for Skunk Off!
At least they didn’t have it out with a porcupine. Then you would have had a vet bill on top of a lost night’s sleep and a day of clean-up.
Love your picture, BTW! It says it all!
Sue says
When I was a preteen I babysat for a couple that had 2 dogs. ! was a Samoyed and 1 was an Irish Setter. They were amazingly talented at finding skunks. Especially the Samoyed. She only got sprayed once when I was babysitting but that was definitely enough.
Lara S. says
I have an annual Facebook “memory” that comes up to remind it is the time of the skunks every August around the time of the meteor shower (Aug 12~). We always check the yard with a flashlight each night but especially in August. We missed seeing a little black and white kitty (as our dog thinks of them) because we too have a large yard and so does our neighbor and it was actually in their yard but our dumb dog ran up to the open metal fence and barked at it and instead of it walking away it sprayed the dog…. and then walked away. So yeah. Even when you’re careful…. the spraying happens. We’ve used Dawn and white vinegar for years but Ill give Skunk Off a try because Ill do anything to not smell that smell.
nickole195 says
Don’t forget to re-order a few more bottles….I think about stuff and in the moment of crisis realize I neglected to actually get the stuff – fail.
Casey says
I grew up in the country so am familiar with skunk scent, but now if I’m outside and catch a whiff of the odor it’s actually my neighbors smoking weed on their deck. Seems the scent has changed since my hippie college days in the 70’s.
jewelwing says
It is definitely a lot skunkier than it used to be. Now that it’s at lest semi-legal, you smell it everywhere.
jewelwing says
Least. Geez.
Katy says
Definitely approved
Mina says
I just realized what a boring country I live in over here in Germany, where I have never even heard of „Skunk Off“ 😂😂😂
Gwen says
You have my sympathies! I wish I could tell you we would have our skunkified dog tell them about avoiding the black and white kitties but………….. he hasn’t learned to avoid them in 7 years so his lessons would be useless.
1-2-3 NAP!!
MaryK says
❤️❤️
Wes d says
My God well I’m glad you gave yourself a mental health day. What a great boss.
Katie R says
Eek. I smell skunks around my house sometimes, have three elderly dogs who don’t listen and have no sense, and also experience “country dark” at night. I need to get some Skunk Off and stop living in fear. I’d never heard of it. Thanks for sharing. Day off totally earned.
BrendaJ says
Oh, yuck. Thanks for the Skunk-Off tip. I’m gonna tell everyone. If you can find the video with Tom Hanks impression of a dog being sprayed (on Letterman) it will make you laugh.
BrendaJ says
The video is on YouTube with the added bonus of Jim Carey impersonating Tom Hanks. 😁
Barbara Erwin says
Oh the joys of suburban Texas living! Been there, done that, but used the recipe with Dawn, hydrogen peroxide, and baking soda. Unfortunately you can’t keep that stuff mixed up in advance. One of the things I loved about living in Alaska is that there are no skunks! We’ve moved from Alaska to Germany (another skunks)and now we’ve moved to Ohio. I guess I’ll need to stock up too! Don’t forget to buy a new bottle of Skunk Off.
Chandra says
My (now passed) pupper has been skunked a few times. Canned tomatoes (cause we never have had tomato juice in the house) worked well the 1st time, but left her looking red (even redder) for some time after.
Then I discovered baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and dawn dish soap. All of which we always have in the house. None of which stained poor puppers fur. The combination of which removed the smell like it was never there.
If your laundry still smells try adding baking soda and dish soap and maybe some hydrogen peroxide the machine. I think H.P. can bleach stuff, so I’d suggest using sparingly.
Then again, if I remember correctly, its the extra Oxygen molecules in H.P. that get the skunk smell really gone… so I wonder if something like Oxyclean would work. I do know that skunk spray is greasy, which is why it lingers so bad, and therefore needs something like a good quality dish soap to cut through the greasiness.
Chandra says
Also, the absolutely best thing about this post and the resulting comments are the unending list of cute nicknames for skunks. Thanks for the smile everyone.
Beth says
Oxiclean in the laundry (sometimes running the same load twice) does get skunk out of washable things.
The smell comes from compounds containing sulfide bonds (sulfur atom bonded to another sulfur atom), the hydrogen peroxide (& the oxyclean) react with the S-S bond, breaking it. Once it‘s broken, the smell drops off dramatically.
Teresa K says
Do remember to replace that “emergency bottle” because it WILL happen again, likely at an equally inopportune moment. Take care of yourself.
Lizzie says
Skunk tips: don’t get your dog wet first. cover them in baking soda (like black dog is now white) let that sit as long as possible. Then use dawn dish soap and a little water. Rinse. Bathe more thoroughly (also with dish soap) for the second round. Skunk spray is oil based so you want to get as much off before you get them wet because water opens up the hair cuticles and they stink every time they get wet.
Ask me how I know haha!
Leslie says
Excellent tips. I started using Borax when I didn’t have any baking soda.
Jelly Bean says
In the 70s I was babysitting for a couple who had just moved into a brand new house. I was 14 and had to be picked up and dropped off. This was a new family that I hadn’t met before. They had 2 kids and a cat. They said the cat should be coming up to the porch to eat as it lived outside. I love cats so heard it outside on the porch and went to see it. Unfortunately, it was a skunk. It sprayed before I could shut the door. I was completely drenched and had to wait another two hours before they came home. With nothing to change into I washed as best I could. They paid and drove me home. Oddly enough they had me come back. However I always took extra clothes after that. 🤦♀️
Mary K says
Well on the bright side you had skunk off on hand. After a good nights sleep I am sure it will appear funnier.
Reminds me of the evening hubby and I saw a skunk coming down the drive way. We jumped up from the porch and ran inside and LOCKED THE DOOR. 🤣🤣🤣🤣 not sure what we were thinking. Skunk wasn’t tall enough to reach the door knob. 🤣🤣🤣
Julie says
I remember tomato juice baths for the dog when I was a kid. Glad to hear technology has advanced since then.
Leslie says
I’m in desperate need of the Skunk Off. 3 outdoor dogs with license to ramble the farm, have been repeatedly “skunked”. Where, oh where, do you find the magical stuff?
Verslint says
I can just imagine the dogos:
“I told you, conning our dad into extra walkies will turn on us but nooooooooo, you just had to chase the stinky black and white cat.”
“You were begging for walkies louder than I was, you’re not fooling anyone!”
“Guys, can we quiet down before we wake mom- oh no there she is, sorry mom. Stinky cat ran, I chased…..”
Kari says
Oh dear. Congrats on having Skunk-Off! It’s amazing. The first time I had a dog sprayed, I tried tomato juice. Terrible idea, especially with a very fuzzy poodle. Getting that tomato out of his fur was awful. But the de-Skunk liquid I eventually got worked great on the odor. It also works on other biological smells, like puke. Good to know.
marsha says
I totally understand the issue. I am also offering a tip just in case anyone might need it in the future… DO NOT use hot water on the dog. Hot water opens the pores and lets some of that odor causing chemical sneak in, leading to some of the residual odor that sticks around for awhile. And yes SKUNKoff is great. Back in the dark ages we used anything acid based. Most of the time it was tomato juice or vinegar. How do I now this? Years of experience owning dogs, living in the country and owning a boarding/training/grooming kennel. As many good tips the NO HOT WATER came from a friend that owned hunting dogs that were good at getting out of the their kennels. You have my sympathy.
Ann C says
Ugh! Our Golden Retriever just loved to chase those striped kitty cats 🦨. We went thru many trials of ingredients to wash her until we found skunk off. It does work, but the smell gets worse when they get wet. I don’t envy you!!
LindaG says
I feel your pain 🙂 Had a dog sprayed just before I needed to go to work. Husband let him into the house and didn’t realize. Many baths and remedies later, the smell still lingered when the dog got wet. Plus my oldest daughter got the nickname of “skunk girl” at school for a while after that. She survived but we now tell our dogs NOT to play with the cute black and white kitty.
Mar says
First day of preschool. A couple of kiddos had meltdowns, lunch was wait, and nap /quiet time went well considering new kiddos in the class.
Kal says
When I was a child our dog tangled with a skunk and got fully sprayed. My mom followed an old piece of wisdom that the acid in tomatoes would remove the smell. She used jars of homegrown canned tomatoes to wash the dog in our yard. It didn’t work. Our front yard looked like a tomato murder scene and the dog smelled for weeks. 😂
Skunk off sounds amazing!
mz says
We did not know about Skunk Off (did it exist in the 90’s?) when one of our two White Cats (Daisy, the Hunter) confronted a skunk in the backyard one night.
I had heard that you were supposed to use Tomato Juice.
It didn’t really work but it turned Daisy pink.
She was embarrassed for a long time.
Jennifer says
Lmao I just saw a sign saying don’t pet the fart kittens today and now I’m reading this… most definitely a great work excuse. Rest and relax. Hope you get some enjoyment out of your day.
Carole says
Hi, the aspca peroxyde recipe is even better than skunk off but my all time favorite is that you cover them in baking soda then use skunked shampoo. It’s insanely good. Even skunked shampoo on its own is amazing.
As a vet tech, I have way too much unwilling experience in this area and had a dumb dog that got sprayed 3 times in 24 hours 🤨.
The reason you stopped smelling them is that you become “ nose blind” after a while I’m afraid. My sympathies to the both of you, I prefer wine or hard spirits at moment like these. Good luck, the odor will remain until they completely go through a shed cycle, so don’t be surprise if the odour comes back due to rain.
Momcat says
Yay for Skunk Off. I kept two bottles of it on hand as I had two large dogs. It’s great stuff.When I tried coffee and/or tomato juice the result was that the immediate world smelled as if the dogs and the skunk were having a coffee klatch. But Skunk Off worked. The baking soda treatment as an addition, may have helped it a little, but generally I found a good scrub with the Skunk Off worked well. And I had plenty of opportunity to use it. Oddly my cats never got sprayed. Although I had quite a shock on several occasions when I didn’t recognize the new kitty eating with mine. Apparently they all had a non aggression treaty. The dogs never signed on to it.
Oona says
After years of having skunks eating cat food (yes my bad outdoor feeding) my cat had a run in. Terrible storm. Cat out side in car port, skunk seeking shelter back into each other, fear, noise thunder = spray time on poor kitty. Me: coming home cat you stink!! Oh no you’ve been skunked. Look up the formula to wash cat in: baking soda vinegar and peroxide. Me: hum, I got all that! Lets bath cat. That’s where it got real , real fast. Pillow case? Check. Cat into pillow case, mix up formula to soak cat in. Soak cat. Wash in sink in warm water. Release cat and wrap in towel. ( Huge process. I’m soaked, bathroom is.. wet) Cat grudgingly allows the towel dry. Me : sniffing cat. Oh, still smells a bit like burnt rubber but I’m tired going to bed now. Upshot, cat smelled a trifle like burnt rubber for a couple of days. I was NOT encouraged to wash again…
Momcat says
I sympathize with your cat washing. Not fun although the twice I had to do it (2 different cats) I was expecting a bloodbath with my blood. But no, both of the cats were remarkably cooperative. I can only think they didn’t care for the smell either.
Pam says
Went camping with a group of acquaintances. One of the more obnoxious campers forgot to zip up his tent and found a black and white visitor investigating his sleeping bag. Not sure if he managed to rescue his bottle of Rebel Yell before he fled…
Karla says
Moved into new house and kept smelling something outside in the morning. Husband thought it smelled like skunk. He had an experience with a dog and a skunk under a car. Turned out it was the large bed of marigolds (3ft by 10ft). between the garage and the front door. Right under the kitchen window. As for the car, it never totally lost the skunk smell.
Karla says
Is there such a thing as skunk shifters. There were large prehistoric skunks called brachyprotoma obtusata. With all the odd things in the woods around Pendleton …
Shannon says
Oh my gosh, Karla, that would be so funny!!! I’m picturing a 7 foot tall skunk shifter (in warrior form, of course)doing a head stand (maybe an elbow stand)& lifting its tail…people & other shifters running for their lives, the unlucky slower ones falling over, gagging, passing out…
Aidan says
Those would be terrifying warriors. Truly, if the fairy queen had been wise enough to send them first, I am not sure Curran and Kate would have won…
Mary Beth says
+1 that would be hilarious!
Kat W says
When you produced the bottle of Skunk Off, I laughed so hard I snorted. I used to live in northern Louisiana on a farm, our dogs never seemed to learn their lessons about those funny black and white cats. We kept Skunk Off and Nature’s Miracle by the gallon.
Shannon says
Aargh! Is there anything worse than skunk odor? Thank the universe for skunk off. Hope you can get caught up on your sleep, Ilona.
P.S. When my sister (& her friend/partner in crime) got sprayed the only thing we had to counter the smell was tomato juice–this was back in the 1970’s. Yeah, that’s all we had & it took a lot of it!
Nancy Tice says
I extend my heartfelt sympathies.
When I was at university, still living at home, I awoke late at night to screaming. A skunk had taken refuge in Our Garage, and the dog had not been Pleased. Skunk sprayed the dog, In Our Garage, literally taking paint off the car, while the dog (Puff) raced into the house and hid under my parents bed to get away from the horrific odor.
Needless to say, we all smelled like skunk for at least a week, and got used to deflecting people sniffing…..
Cheryl B says
Ilona I just love how awesomely real you are. In today’s plastic world with plastic celebrities everywhere I just want to say thank you for being a breath of fresh air. Pun intended because of the content of this blog. I’m glad the skunk off worked good planning.
Mary Beth says
Oh no.
We had to stock Skunk Off by the gallon. Our shepherd border collie mix was determined to run off every skunk that came near our fenced yard. She lost every time, but remained triumphant through the stink. I was thankful back then that I had such horrid allergies not even skunk made it through.
Enjoy a well earned day off.
James Hayes says
So I am wondering where you get “Skunk Off”? I thought tomato juice was supposed to get rid of the smell. ——– A fan from the very first book of Magic! J the Tie Dye King.
Kathleen says
Chewy.com and, of course, Walmart…
Deb says
Amazon. Tomato Juice is not even a close second. I think I have at least 2 bottles on hand at all time.
George Bailey says
Well … that stinks, lol.
George Bailey says
Hope the remainder of the week goes MUCH better !!!
Bobbie johnston says
I feel your pain. Let my dog out one night when exhausted, let back in when done it was only after I shut the door and the dog was halfway through the house did the smell hit me. It took a lot to get it out of the dog, out of the house and off of the front porch, where I guess he got sprayed. Poor pooches. I hope they at least had a little fun with the smallish black and white smelly kitty before they got sprayed.
Trun says
Oh noes! I’d say the woes of country living, but there are plenty of skunks waddling around on the sidewalks downtown here, too.
When I was younger, my parents let my cat become an outdoor cat despite living near a busy street and me specifically saying I didn’t want him to. He’d come inside for cuddles and food, but he was so darned happy outside and had a patrol of multiple farms in the area (each of whom, I’m sure, fed him). He liked to get into cars, too, so people would drive away only to return 5min later because they had somehow acquired a cat.
One morning he showed up at the back of our house, disheveled with one eye shut and dripping foam from his mouth. The first thought here is rabies, then maybe feline distemper, despite his vaccinations.
To my mom’s protests, I cracked the door open… and the smell of skunk slammed into us. Poor boy had gotten nailed in the face. It tastes as bad as it smells.
I didn’t want to pick him up, so I just said “Come on, we’ll fix it” and he followed me right into the shower where I worked the mix of peroxide, baking soda and Dawn into him. He knew that even if the shower wasn’t his idea of a good time, neither was what was going on right now. I don’t think I had ever seen him so docile, haha.
He learned to avoid the black and white stripey cats, especially if they could do that neat handstand trick.
Kate L. says
Sending you all my commiseration… there’s just something about that skunky funk… I’m glad we don’t have skunks here, just skunk cabbages. They are very vile, but at least we don’t have to keep them in our houses!
Julie Molzahn says
I can see the scene especially the looks in all the faces staring at you clearly. I never had skunk off just tomato juice. Living in the woods makes life interesting
Terri says
That brought back memories. Years ago my neighbor shot a skunk that was raiding his hen house. It was late on a Saturday night the smell was gaggingly horrific there was no wind so it just hung in the air like a heavy fog. We couldn’t escape the stench it was in our house too. When we got in the cars to go to church the next morning the inside of the car smelled of skunk. We had the entire church pew to ourselves that day lol. The smell lingered for about 3 days and I promised my neighbor I would buy him however many eggs he wanted if he would never do that again of course that was when you could buy a dozen eggs for less than a dollar. I wish we’d known about skunk off back then it was a looong smelly weekend.
Valerie says
I feel your pain regarding the skunk. I had a dog that was very territorial so if any other critter entered our yard, Rusty wasn’t having it. Rusty took on 5 different skunks during his life and he lost every time. FYI, as far as getting rid of skunk on your actual dog, I have found tomato juice to be the winner.
Beth says
oooo those sneaky Fart Squarls
Patti says
I have a question for Mod R. Where can I find the blog post that had the link to several unfinished stories that Team Andrews started but decided to drop. I would like to read them again, because I personally REALLY liked them. Thanks for your time;) Patti
Moderator R says
Hey Patti,
The Trunked story are no longer available,I’m afraid. House Andrews have decided to archive them.
Kalei says
Wow! Great bedhead!💖
Lisa Thiele says
My Weimeraner was raised with cats. I’m sure when he coldnosed a skunk, he thought it was a cat. When he made it home, he was trying to dig a hole with his head. Sad thing is, it took him another time to figure out that the pretty black and white cat wasn’t really a cat.
Monica says
I admit that this got a big belly laugh out of me for which I apologise. This peek into your life where ordinary (unpleasant but still kind of ordinary) happens was such a joy. Give the dogs a treat just because, have a long nap because you deserve it and thank goodness that they didn’t have porcupine quills stuck in their faces.
Ona Jo-Ellan Bass says
Oh, my! No dog in the universe can resist pestering the black and white kitty…. I’ll have to remember Skunk Off. It sounds way better than tomato juice.
Ava Stanley says
oh my dog
jewelwing says
So I had to review the comments here yesterday morning ISO skunk remedies. I had mentioned we are well-supplied with skunks here. Although the backyard is fenced, I typically do our early morning walk around the (unfenced) perimeter of the property, with the pup on a 25′ longe line. At this point in the year it’s usually still dark. There are bunnies but they vacate quickly when they see us coming. Skunks can’t be bothered. You can’t always see them around a bend in the path. Skunk-off has been ordered. That is all.
jeanne w parsons says
sounds like a great reason to take a day off. DONT FORGET TO ORDER MORE SKUNK OFF.
Amanda says
I’m glad to hear Gordon is enjoying Starfield. I’m loving it myself but it is one heck of a time sink. you blink and suddenly four hours have passed in the real world.
Such an awesome game though.
Liz says
I am just digging my way through my mailbox and found this post. I hope to never be faced with that situation [gives small mutt sleeping the sleep of innocents next to my desk the side eye]. I know we have all sorts of “other” critter issues in SWFL, but hopefully no skunks (please?)
And you have my condolences on your interrupted sleep and mountains of laundry. No laughing matter!
Faith Perry says
Sorry for your troubles but that was hysterical! Great tip for the Skunk Off. thank you
P says
Don’t look at me, Im from the land of Oz (aka Australia). We don’t really do stinky, just lots and lots of creatures that can, and probably will, kill you if given half a chance. Hope your dogs are OK.
Joy says
I know of a homemade recipe for skunk odor remover made with a bit of magic. It must be magic, because it actually works! I wonder if Skunk Off is the same recipe and bottled commercially? 🤔 If you ever run out of Skunk Off, Google “homemade skunk odor remover.” It’s a concoction of copious amounts of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda with a bit of Dawn dish soap in it to help break down the oils in skunk spray. Works to the same extent you described. You do need to rinse the animal really well, but my dog was also able to come back inside that same night.