Oh, You Dirty Skunk!

If you choose to go this route, it seems you simply wash the dog in tomato juice and/or vinegar, working it into the fur as well as possible and rinse well.

CHEMICAL SOLUTION:
Chemist Paul Krebaum found a formula for neutralizing skunk odor. You won't find it on the shelf at the store, your veterinary, or anywhere else. Because of a chemical reaction it cannot be bottled and sold. But the formula is so simple you can make it up right in your own kitchen, and you most likely have all of the ingredients right in your cupboard.

1. Mix 1 quart hydrogen peroxide (3% solution) with 1/3 cup baking soda and 1 teaspoon grease-cutting dish detergent. (Make as much as you need in these proportions. Solution does not "keep," so make fresh mixture each time you use it.)
2. Wet dog thoroughly, then apply the solution to his body, paying particular attention to the area that was sprayed.
3. Be careful not to get it in your dog's eyes -- it stings!
4. Once the solution is applied, supervise your dog so he does not lick it off. Let the solution sit for a few minutes, then rinse thoroughly with plain water.
Note: Because of the peroxide content, this solution may temporarily change fur color but it will grow out.

The merging of the hydrogen peroxide and baking soda creates lots of oxygen in a hurry. The oxygen grabs the molecules that go into that smell. Once snagged, the smell is neutralized. Unfortunately, if you try to make this preparation up ahead of time and bottle it, the chemical reaction between the hydrogen peroxide and the baking soda will explode in a closed container.

Krebaum published his findings in a trade journal in 1993 (Chemical & Engineering News, October 18, 1993, p. 90). Since then it has been offered up by agriculture officials and hunting magazines, and written up in a Chicago Tribune story that was printed in newspapers all over the country. You can find the formula and rave reviews all over the Internet. Krebaum calls his mix a "free-gift-to-humanity type deal."

Diana Maree suggests one pint of hydrogen peroxide and one small box of baking soda stored in their separate packages, are easy to store in a plastic bucket with camping equipment or on the back porch to be handy when they're needed. Add a couple of squirts of any dish washing liquid and mix it

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