It’s that time of year again when black and white fuzzies are sauntering forth and making their way in the world. As anyone who has had the pleasure knows, the human nose is exquisitively sensitive to the odeur de mouffette, but you don’t have to take my word for it, go to the source, inventor/chemist Paul Krebaum. (http://home.earthlink.net/~skunkremedy/home/sk00001.htm) You can click on his IFAQ’s page, (http://home.earthlink.net/~skunkremedy/home/sk00003.htm) infrequently asked questions, for a detailed explanation as to why skunk smell is so stinky and how his formula actually neutralizes the oily and smelly chemical compounds called thiols. Normal bathing procedures should be used to protect the pet's eyes. Following application, the solution should be rinsed off the pet with tap water. In his own words, I have pasted a copy of the recipe and directions for application below:

The Skunk Remedy Recipe

In a plastic bucket, mix well the following ingredients:

·         1 quart of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide (Look for an expiration date on your peroxide. If you're using stuff which has been sitting around in your medicine cabinet for years, buy fresh peroxide.)

·         1/4 cup of baking soda

·         1 to 2 teaspoons liquid soap

for very large pets one quart of tepid tap water may be added to enable complete coverage.

Wash pet promptly and thoroughly, work the solution deep into the fur. Let your nose guide you, leave the solution on about 5 minutes or until the odor is gone. Some heavily oiled areas may require a "rinse and repeat" washing.

Skunks usually aim for the face, but try to keep the solution out of the eyes - it stings. If you have any cuts on your hands you might want to wear latex gloves for the same reason. After treatment, thoroughly rinse your pet with tepid tap water. Pour the spent solution down the drain with running water.

NEVER, ever, store mixed solution in a closed bottle, sprayer, etc. Pressure will build up until the container bursts. This can cause severe injury.

Essentially the formula was originally developed to rid his laboratory of odor while he was conducting research with thiols. A gentler, modified version was created specifically for a friend whose pet cat had, had an unfortunate run-in with a skunk. The freshly made formula was reported to have worked like magic, removing every trace of skunk odor from the sprayed cat. Now because of the inherent packaging difficulties associated with mixing hydrogen peroxide and baking soda, i.e. the oxygen being released during the ensuing chemical reaction causes combustible pressures when confined to a leak-proof, air tight container, Mr. Krebaum altruistically decided to not patent his formula and instead to share it free of charge as a public service.

 

Now for those of you who would like a less labor intensive means of eliminating skunk spray residue, LazyPaw Animal Hospitals carries an effective bottled preparation called Thiotrol Shampoo from Vet Solutions. This product has been endorsed by more than one LazyPaw celebrity patient and is shown below with Dr. Hunter’s “Katydid,” local dog-about-clinic and work-in-progress. This preparation can be bottled because it eliminates skunk odor thiols by chemically altering them in a different manner. Mr. Krebaum’s method involves oxidation which results in an effective, albeit explosive when bottled, method of neutralization. Thiotrol shampoo’s active ingredient binds/chelates the skunk spray thiols thereby rendering them odorless.