The Gossip Pawlor

As a professional pet groomer, everyday I come across bits of info that clients wish someone had informed them about. At home grooming tips, "what not to do's", etc. Things that if known, would make it easier for us as groomers, to groom their dogs the way they wish. But also, things we groomers wished dog owners knew/understood better about our job. How we work, the things we see, what we can and can't do.

We are not miracle workers, but we will damn well try. We ALWAYS have what is best for your dog's health, skin, coat, and life in mind. And we will do our best to make you, and most importantly your dog, happy.
Mon Jan 11

Pepé Le Pew

Pepé Le PewWhether you and your pooch were out hunting, hiking up north, at the cabin for the weekend, or just traipsing around your own neighborhood. Somehow your four-legged friend has managed a play date with none other than Pepé Le Pew himself. Well, that or his twin brother. Still, you’re left with an extremely potent, nasty odor that won’t go away no matter what you seem to do.

Back before I was—as my father says—even a gleam in his eye. My family had an Afghan Hound, Purgis, named after Procol Harum’s Repent Walpurgis. BIG, HAIRY DOG! My oldest brother, Collin, cuddling up with PurgisI can’t remember exactly how Purgis had gotten sprayed by the skunk. But I do remember my mother telling the story of how she attempted to bathe him in a bathtub chock full of tomato juice (old wives tale), only to end up with a dog that smelt profusely of skunk AND tomato juice. Not quite what she was going for…

There are many products out there, marketed for de-skunking your friend, be it your dog, or your cat. But, most products, though advertised as an odor neutralizer, tend to only mask the smell. Sometimes even masking it for weeks to months. Last fall, we had a client bring his Springer Spaniel into the salon for a regular groom. Bath, shave down, nail trim, etc. We did our pre-check-in inspection of the dog, felt it’s coat, checked it’s nails/ears, making sure we had no concerns for the dog prior to grooming her. Everything appeared normal. It wasn’t until her coat got wet during the bath, when we started noticing a suspicious smell coming from the back kennel/bathing room. Didn’t take us long to figure out that somebody back there had been skunk-a-fied, seeing as skunk odor is pretty identifiable, and not long after that to figure out who the culprit was. After calling the owner to ask if they’d like us to do our skunk treatment, we were told that the dog had been sprayed 6 months prior, but that they thought they it was gone by now. 6 MONTHS. That’s half a year! Not to point out the obvious there. But for an odor to cling for that long….well, you get my drift.

In our salon, the skunk treatment we use is Nature’s Miracle. Though it works pretty well, it’s still not perfect. The only skunk remedy I have ever known to work 100%, if not nearly 100%, is an at home remedy recommended by most vets, using Hydrogen Peroxide. The recipe is as such:

In a plastic bucket mix:

  • 1 quart of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide (Nothing of a higher percent, or you could end up in the ER!)
  • 1/4 a cup of baking SODA (Sodium Bicarbonate)
  • 2 teaspoons of liquid soap. Staying away from heavy degreasing soaps, such as Dawn, as they will decompose the Hydrogen Peroxide.
  • Lukewarm tap water, as needed (depending on the size of your dog/cat). This will help to completely cover your pet with the solution.

Using gloves, IMMEDIATELY coat your pet thoroughly with the solution, working it into their coat around the areas that were more directly hit. Skunks tend to aim for the face, but you must be careful! Stay Clear of you and your pal’s eyes, and any cuts/sores/open wounds/etc, as this solution stings!

*NOTE: Immediately dump any unused solution, rinsing your drain thoroughly after disposal. DO NOT store it for later use. Stored solution will build up pressure in the bottle/container, causing it to explode, and possibly causing severe injuries!