HAS YOUR PET BEEN SKUNKED?

IT HAS BEEN A FEW YEARS SINCE I HAVE SEEN A SKUNK CLOSE TO OUR HOUSE.  I WAS TAKING A

PICTURE OF IT WHEN IT STARTED TO RUN TOWARDS ME AND SENT ME INDOORS BREATHLESS AND

SCARED.  IT WAS PROBABLY RABID BEING OUT IN THE DAY AND AGGRESSIVE.  I HAVE GOTTEN DISTANT

WHIFFS OUTSIDE OUR BACKYARD PRIVACY FENCE.  I SHOULD HAVE BEEN WARY, BECAUSE SKUNKS ARE

ON THE PROWL, WHEN EBBY AND ZOEY WERE HYPER ABOUT GETTING OUT THE BACK DOOR SATURDAY

NIGHT.  SINCE WE HAVE HAD SOME POSSUMS AND RACCOONS I WAS NOT THINKING-SKUNK.  AS THE

DOGS RUSHED OUTSIDE, I GRABBED THE LARGE FLASHLIGHT AND WAS GREETED BY THE IRRITATING

AWFUL ODOR OF SKUNK SPRAY.  THE DOGS, TOO, WERE NOW ANXIOUS TO GET AWAY FROM THE

NOXIOUS FUMES AS WE THREE RUSHED INSIDE WHERE THEY FRANTICALLY RAN INTO THE Family room

AND RUBBED THEIR FACES AND BODIES ALL OVER THE RUG!  I HAD NOTHING AT HOME TO ELIMINATE

SKUNK ODOR.  WOULD I HAVE TO GO TO THE WAGGING TAIL?  I SNIFFED EBBY AND ZOEY AND ONLY

FOUND A CONCENTRATION ON THE TOP OF ZOEY’S HEAD.  I DECIDED TO LIVE WITH IT UNTIL THE NEXT

DAY. NOT SO DELIGHTFUL HAVING HER IN BED WITH ME ALL NIGHT!

SKUNKS ARE NORMALLY DOCILE ANIMALS UNTIL THEY FEEL THREATENED. STORED WITHIN THEIR TWO

ANAL GLANDS IS THE MALODOROUS AND DANGEROUS FLUID-COMPOSED OF SEVEN INGREDIENTS-

WHICH THEY CAN SPRAY WITH IMPRESSIVE ACCURACY FROM A DISTANCE OF FIFTEEN FEET.  THE POINT

OF CONTACT AND THE PROXIMITY TO THE SPRAY WILL DETERMINE THE DETRIMENTAL EFFECTS ON

YOUR PET.  THERE ARE FOUR AREAS OF CONCERN; 1) OCULAR-TEARING OR SQUINTING OF THE EYES

DUE TO PAIN AND IN SEVERE CASES IT CAN LEAD TO TEMPORARY BLINDNESS  2) ORAL-NAUSEA,

VOMITING OR DROOLING IF SPRAY ENTERS THE MOUTH  3) DERMAL-RUBBING THE FACE, EYES AND

SKIN  4) RESPIRATORY-BREATHING THE FUMES CAN CONTRIBUTE TO NAUSEA AND VOMITING. IF YOUR

PET APPEARS TO BE IN SERIOUS DISTRESS GO TO OCEAN VIEW ANIMAL HOSPITAL AS THEY ARE OPEN 24

HOURS A DAY FOR EMERGENCY VISITS AS PETS USUALLY ENCOUNTER SKUNKS AT NIGHT.

LAST MONTH MY FRIEND, CARMELA, AT BRADLEY CALDWELL (PICTURED WITH ME IN MY ARTICLE

ABOUT OUR TRIP TO THE WILKES-BARRE AREA) HAD TO TREAT HER CAT FROM SKUNK SPRAY.  SHE SAID

SHE USED A LOT OF VINEGAR-THE SMELL OF WHICH I FIND OFFENSIVE-AND AFTER MUCH WORK AND

TWO WEEKS IT IS TOLERABLE.  I AM USING A SPECIALLY FORMULATED PRODUCT BY SCOUT’S HONOR,

AND I LIKE A SKUNK REMOVAL SHAMPOO BY SYNERGY LABS.  A HOME REMEDY I JUST LEARNED ABOUT

IS DILUTED PEROXIDE MIXED WITH BAKING SODA AND A SMALL AMOUNT OF DISH SOAP.  AS WITH

ANYTHING USE CAUTION AROUND THE EYES.  ALSO USE AN EYE RINSE LIKE NUTRI-VET OR VETERICYN.

BECAUSE SKUNKS ARE NOCTURNAL, IT WOULD BE WISE TO GET RID OF ANYTHING IN YOUR YARD

WHICH MIGHT ENCOURAGE THEIR MAKING A DEN.  I AM GOING TO ASK BOB TO CHECK FOR OPENINGS

DUG OUT IN THE CONERS OF OUR FENCING WHICH MAY PRESENTLY BE COVERED BY LEAVES.

WE HAVE A BEAUTIFUL SELECTION OF WEATHERPROOF JACKETS, STYLISH COATS AND SWEATERS, AND

INDOOR GOLD PAW SERIES FLEECE TOPS-BETTER PRICES THAN ONLINE.  PUPPIES, THINNED-COATED,

AILING, AND OLDER DOGS NEED EXTRA PROTECTION-REALLY ALL DOGS THAT LIVE IN HEATED HOUSES-

TO KEEP MUSCLES AND JOINTS HEALTHY AND REDUCE PAIN AND INFLAMMATION WHERE IT OCCURS.

THANK YOU FOR HELPING TO KEEP A SMALL BUSINESS IN BUSINESS.   SPECIAL DISCOUNTS ON SUNDAYS