Talk about sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong…
I will attempt to re-create this morning’s battle the best I can. As per our normal morning ritual, we leashed up the dogs and were getting ready to head out. I had done a quick glance out the front door to make sure I didn’t see the tiny skunky delights, and the coast seemed clear as we made our way out. Then, in the blink of an eye, Tucker’s face was under the line of trees and in an instant he flung a baby skunk a good two feet away from him. As the skunk was airborne I saw the odorous juice spraying out, only to look over and see Tucker foaming at the mouth and sneezing, unsure of the events that had just transpired.
I can now count myself among the thousands of other dog owners who have had the unpleasant experience of having their dog marked by a skunk. If there is a bright side to all this I guess it would be that the area the skunk managed to spray on Tucker was not very large and seems mostly confined to his head. The downside to this is that Tucker’s nose now smells like skunk ass, which is a shame because I used to like to snuggle his big head. I did do some reading and found that with time the scent will fade, so I guess I can start cuddling with Tucker again in about 2 years.
The incident was followed by a hearty dousing of water and a prolonged stint of outside time well into the late afternoon. Meanwhile, Guapo, like the prince he is, got to lounge around inside all day.
For those of you concerned with the well-being of our foul smelling friends, they seem to be doing just fine. Other than being a little stunned after some impromptu stunt acrobatics all three of them returned back to the same spot to munch on some ground delights later in the day.
This latest turn has left me contemplating whether or not to call animal control and have them re-locate our new neighbors.
If anyone has any suggestions on how to remove skunk smell from your dog’s face feel free to send them my way!
Winner of Round #2 – Baby Skunk
Judgement based on:
Longevity of stink.
Successful stinking while being thrown.
Not learning anything from the incident and returning to the exact same spot later in the afternoon.
I checked with Sam – who has had more than one run-in with skunks – and he said to try Eucalyptis Odor-Ban. They sell it at Sam’s Club. Be careful with it around Tucker’s face. Forget tomato juice, it won’t work. Other than that, time is your friend.
I think I would call animal control and have the little critters removed unless you want your home to smell like a “skunk-hole”. Tucker and Guapo will probably continue to seek out the invaders of their space, and eventually the dogs will win – but how many sprayings will it take???
I am happy to report that the smell has seriously faded. I think most of the oil concentration was right around his nose and has been subsequently licked off/washed off in his water bowl. I can barely smell the scent now even when I am close to his face
So hopefully I won’t need the Eucalyptis, but thanks for the tip!
I think I will be calling animal control later, but only after they promise me they won’t be killing the skunks. I am getting pretty tired of running the gauntlet of stink every time the dogs need to be walked…
i would call animal control. I know you don’t want them killed, but next time tucker may not be so “gentle” with the skunklets. Animal control have humane traps they can catch them in. They need to be taken out of the wilds of downtown san diego!! btw tucker’s face is priceless in this picture!!!
I know, I caught him at exactly the right moment!
If you are interested in the skunks making it to a “ripe” (pardon the pun) old age then animal control should remove them. Like I said earlier, eventually Tucker and Guapo will win.