If you've ever been near enough to a skunk and have been sprayed you'll never forget the smell.  And neither will those around you.

It's not uncommon for a pet dog to tangle with a skunk at this time of year so, what do you do if this happens?

We've all probably heard about bathing your pet in tomato juice but there are more effective ways to eliminate the odor.

What seems to work best is the following concoction: 

  • 1 litre of hydrogen peroxide (3%)
  • 1/4 cup of baking soda
  • teaspoon of liquid soap

Mix it all together and don't leave it on your dog too long or it could dye their coat.

And there are also other products on store shelves that can help too such as Skunk Off and a natural product called Nature's Miracle Skunk Odor Remover.

See your local pet store for availability but one bottle should be around $20.

The good news is skunks typically do not want to spray and usually only do so when feel threatened as once they spray (up to two tablespoons) it takes them 10 days or so to replenish enough to spray again.

Skunks usually mate in February and March with males courting females so you're bound to catch the odd whiff from them as females will spray males that don't interest them. Then within two months or so their young will be entering the world with most litters consisting of four to seven little ones.  Luckily for the rest of us, the young are nursed for about six weeks before exploring outside of the den.