Ingredients:
If you live on a farm and own a dog, then there’s a good chance you’ve had a close encounter of the striped and stinky kind.
For those who have been sprayed by a skunk, the mere sight of the malodorous mammal is often enough to evoke a hasty retreat.
But sometimes, head-to-head encounters cannot be avoided.
Paul Yanko, an acreage owner from Vanscoy, Sask., recently had such an experience.
Yanko and his wife, Pam, own four dogs. Earlier this year, a ruckus evolved outside their family home.
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The Yankos discovered that their dogs had squared off with a skunk.
Having dealt with similar situations in the past, Yanko located the skunk, killed it and had it tested for rabies at a local vet clinic.
One of their dogs, a six-year-old Boxer, sustained an injury in the scuffle and the Yankos were concerned the family pet might be infected with rabies.
After tending to the dog’s injury, the couple set to work ridding the dog of its unmistakable stench.
“The dog stunk, but I don’t think it took a direct hit,“ said Yanko, who co-ordinates digital content at The Western Producer.
“We just washed it down and put it in the bathtub with some kind of human shampoo that smelled good.
“We’ve had dogs sprayed directly … (before) and we used tomato juice.… That, honestly, seemed to work very well.”
Although tomato juice has long been touted as an effective and simple remedy, chemists and veterinarians say the tomato juice remedy is an old wives’ tale.
People who use tomato juice may think the strategy is working but in fact, they are more likely to be experiencing olfactory fatigue.
Those who are exposed to skunk spray for a long period of time become less sensitive to the odour and begin to believe, mistakenly, that the smell is dissipating.
Most experts agree that a thorough cleansing with soap and warm water is just as effective as tomato juice … and much less expensive.
Skunk spray is difficult to deal with because it is not water soluble.
The spray is an oily substance that contains a combination of sulfur-based chemical compounds known as thiols.
The chemicals contained in a skunk’s spray are strong enough to debilitate potential predators and can even cause temporary blindness.
It’s like bear spray that comes in a furry, four legged container.
Paul Krebaum, a chemist from Lisle, Illinois, likens the skunk to a walking chemical factory.
“It (skunk spray) is mostly butane and butane thiols and their acetate esters plus some smaller amounts of nitrogen and other sulfur compounds,” said Krebaum.
“It’s designed to have both an immediate and a lasting effect … so that whoever a skunk might encounter remembers the experience for a long time.”
According to research, the spray can be detected by the human nose at concentrations as low as 10 parts per billion.
Society — or at least those who have encountered a skunk — owes Krebaum a debt of gratitude.
A decade or two ago, Krebaum was working in his lab on a project that produced significant quantities of hydrogen sulfide gas.
Sometimes known as rotten egg gas, it is a simple thiol compound but its chemical properties are similar to more complex thiols, including those contained in skunk spray.
Initially, Krebaum and his colleagues were attempting to expel the hydrogen sulfide gas through the lab’s exhaust hood but neighbours began to complain.
If wind conditions were right, the gas would waft through the neigh- bourhood, sometimes being inhaled by residential air conditioning units.
“After a few complaints, we decided we needed a way to get rid of this stuff,” said Krebaum.
“So I did a little bit of research on how to oxidize hydrogen sulfide and I came across the possibility of using hydrogen peroxide and alkali. Oxidizing the hydrogen sulfide turns it into harmless, odourless sodium sulfate, which can simply be poured down the drain because it is completely non-toxic.”
The solution worked to perfection.
Some time later, one of Krebaum’s colleagues mentioned that his cat had been sprayed by a skunk.
Remembering his hydrogen sulfide remedy, Krebaum surmised that his recipe, with simple alterations, would have a similar effect on the butane thiols contained in skunk spray.
A new, milder formulation was devised and the solution was applied to the cat’s coat.
“It worked like magic,” said Krebaum. “There was no smell at all.”
Since that episode, Krebaum’s simple, low-cost recipe has been published widely and used throughout the world.
The only caveat is that pet owners should use the solution carefully and take extra care to make sure it doesn’t get in the pet’s eyes.
Other commercial solutions work on the same principle and can be bought over the counter at many veterinary clinics.
But according to Krebaum, the homemade solution is less expensive and can be whipped up quickly at home using three basic ingredients.
“It’s pretty much free except for the cost of a bottle of peroxide and a little bit of baking soda and some soap,” Krebaum said.
Skunk spray neutralizer recipe
Ingredients:
• One quart of three percent hydrogen peroxide (fresh bottle)
• One quarter cup baking soda
• One to two teaspoons of liquid dish soap
Mix ingredients in an open container and use immediately. Never mix ingredients in advance and do not attempt to store solution in a closed container because oxygen released from the solution may cause air tight container to explode.
The solution can be used on people or pets, but care should be taken to avoid splashing solution in the eyes or the mouth. Apply thoroughly and allow solution to remain in hair for five minutes before rinsing with water. Repeat as needed.
Wear old clothing or avoid contact with clothes because fabric may be discoloured.
Source: Paul Krebaum
