Skunk Spray and Dogs

Laurie Anne Walden, DVM

Baby striped skunk. Photo by Kevin VanGorden, USDA Forest Service.

Skunks aren’t aggressive, but they’ll spray dogs that get too close. Skunk spray is a smelly nuisance that doesn’t usually cause medical problems. However, it’s irritating to the eyes and in rare cases can cause more serious problems.
 
Dogs are most likely to encounter skunks during warm months. In North Carolina, skunk breeding season is February through April; kits are born in May and June. Skunks live in cities like Charlotte, not just in rural areas. You might not see them often—or at all—because they’re most active at night. They live in wooded or brushy areas and raid garbage cans in residential neighborhoods.
 
Skunk Spray
Skunk spray is thick, oily material secreted from the anal glands. The nasty smell comes from thioacetates and thiols, chemical compounds that contain sulfur—the same element that makes rotten eggs so stinky. Thioacetates (the less smelly compounds) are converted to thiols (super smelly) when they’re exposed to water, and sulfur atoms tend to bind tightly to other atoms, so removing skunk odor from fur can be difficult. Because water activates the thiol conversion, a dog that’s been skunked can smell skunky after baths for a long time.
 
Skunks can control their anal glands in ways that dogs and cats can’t. They can aim their anal gland spray at a target several feet away, or they can release a cloud of mist. Baby skunks can spray targets too.
 
Risks to Dogs
Spray
Skunk spray in the eyes can cause redness, eyelid swelling, corneal damage, and temporary blindness. Inhaled skunk spray irritates the respiratory tract. The spray can also cause nausea and vomiting.
 
Dogs sprayed by a skunk can develop life-threatening hemolytic anemia, although fortunately this is rare. The compounds in skunk spray can destroy red blood cells. The risk is likely highest for dogs that swallow the spray, dogs exposed to a large volume, and dogs with multiple exposures. Dogs with hemolytic anemia often need to be hospitalized at a 24-hour clinic and might need a blood transfusion.
 
Bite Wounds and Rabies
Skunks are a relatively common rabies carrier species in North Carolina. However, the chance that an individual skunk has rabies is low. Rabies is spread through saliva, not through skunk spray. Most dogs that encounter a skunk are sprayed before they get close enough to be bitten. Still, any dog that has been near a skunk should be checked carefully for bite wounds.
 
Dogs with a bite wound need to see a veterinarian immediately for wound care and assessment of rabies risk. In North Carolina, dogs with a possible rabies exposure (for example, a bite wound from a rabies carrier species) need a rabies vaccine booster within 96 hours.
 
What to Do if Your Dog Gets Skunked
Most dogs sprayed by skunks don’t need to see a veterinarian. Monitor your dog for a few days and seek veterinary care if your dog has any of the following:

• Bite wounds
• Eye problems: squinting, redness, swelling, discharge, blindness
• Respiratory problems: coughing, wheezing
• Vomiting or loss of appetite for more than a few hours
• Signs of hemolytic anemia (can start a few hours to a few days after exposure): weakness, pale or brown gums, black stool

 
Deskunk your dog:

• Wear disposable gloves and old clothes you can throw away if needed.
• Bathe your dog outdoors.
• Don’t bother with tomato juice; it doesn’t work. Use a product that converts thiols into compounds that smell less bad and can be washed off.
• Commercial deskunking shampoos are one option.
• A homemade deskunking mixture is 1 quart 3% hydrogen peroxide + 1/4 cup baking soda + 1 to 2 teaspoons liquid dish detergent. Lather your dog, wait 5 minutes, rinse thoroughly, and repeat as needed. Bathe your dog in normal dog shampoo afterward. This mixture can discolor fur and clothing.
• NEVER keep the homemade peroxide solution in a closed container; it can explode. It doesn’t store well, so make only enough to use the same day.

 
Prevention
Keep your dog’s rabies vaccine up to date and make your yard unattractive to skunks:

• Secure garbage cans.
• Cover compost piles.
• Feed pets indoors.
• Close off crawl spaces, sheds, and areas under porches.
• Minimize or clean up bird seed on the ground under feeders.

 
For More Information

• Striped skunk (North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission): https://www.ncwildlife.org/portals/0/learning/documents/profiles/skunk.pdf
• The chemistry of skunk spray (episode of Gross Science on NOVA, PBS, October 13, 2016): https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/nature/chemistry-skunk.html

 
Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/lblkytn/14928066475/

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