TheBanyanTree: Eau (Oh!) de SKUNK

[Terri]

A few weeks ago, my dog Jasper met up with his third skunk in three years.  The occasion was noteworthy -- there I was, rolling around on the couch with a semi-new beau.  We must have been giving off spores, because Jasper and a foster puppy were bouncing off the walls, playing tag and leap frog and keep away with us as home base.  They were distracting us.  Finally, a tad exasperated, I pulled open the French doors, and pointed. "OUT!"  They hurled themselves outside into the night, expecting, no doubt, that my paramour and I would come with them.

Um.  No.  We would not.

Two minutes later, Allan and I were cheerfully rolling around again, when Jasper appeared again at the French door, flailing at it.  

"NO!"  I hollered, and returned to my task.

A minute went by.  Jasper again appears at the French door, scratches somewhat desperately.

"Jasper, NO!"  I say.  I can maintain focus when I want to.

Thirty seconds pass.  Again the dog at the French Door.  He paws away, looks in pathetically.  I glance around the patio outside.  There is no puppy in sight.

"Okay.  How about I let Jasper in, and leave the puppy outside?"  I ask no one.  Allan shrugs, nods.  He doesn't really care much about the canine situation.

I pull open the French door.

Eau de skunk wafts into the room.  It is palpable.  It is all but visible -- like Pigpen in the Peanuts cartoon.

Jasper is miserable.  Jasper cannot raise his head or keep his eyes open.  Jasper just wants me to make it stop.

And I am prepared to.  I turn to Allan.  "Um, honey?  Hold that thought?  I need about ten minutes."

"No problem -- " he grins, and sits up and pour himself another glass of wine.

I head back to the bathroom with Jasper.  A bottle of dishwashing liquid, a big box of baking soda, and a bottle of hydrogen peroxide.

Make a paste of the detergent and baking soda.  Paint it on -- expecially the point of contact, of course.  In this case (in every case, with Jasper) right between the eyes and on the snout.  Let it sit there a few minutes.  Then  add the hydrogen peroxide -- it does not hurt the animal.  It's an evil name for a 3% solution of a helpful remedy.    Rinse the paste off, sorta, with the HP.  Then wash with shampoo (baby shampoo is best, tear free) and rinse.

Walla.  no oh de skunk no mo.

This first time this happened with Jasper, I had heard of the tomato juice remedy, and grabbed a big can of V8 from the fridge and just poured it on Jasper's head.  I'll never forget his look as he raised his eyes woefully to me and telegraphed,

 "Why do you hate me?"

It's spring.  Time for puppies.  Skunks.  Highly fragrant adventures of all sorts.

One of my top four favorite seasons of the year.  :->

xox
Sidda



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