Oakley Le Pew

Here is the picture of innocence...

exhaustion, enervation, fatigue, ....

sleeping there....neat and clean in their own beds.

What could be sweeter than two boys, peacefully slumbering?

Ah, if only what led up to this picture was half as peaceful!

Well, let us take a step backward a few hours before this picture.....

back to evening "close up" time, 

when all the farm animals are snuggly tucked in for the night.

I was down at the barn giving the horses their nightly feeding of hay,
when my nose was accosted by a putrid, acrid, horrifying odor.
I immediately searched for Sam, who I knew had accompanied me to the barn.
Sam was by my side in an instant.... no odor following him.

We hastily returned home....with gator at top speed, trying to outrun the stench.

Oakley, who I was unaware was even outside, greeted us at the door to the house.
Immediately, I understood from where the unGodly odor emanated....

Oakley!  it seems had met his match.....
a stand off with Pepe Le Pew....and Oakley had lost!

Those of you who live with dogs in the country,
or even suburbia, live in fear of this moment....
the moment of realization that your dear beloved pet has
been on the receiving end of the foulest scent known to mankind.

Step 1:  Realization : cussing, sighing, crying, denial.
Step 2: Dismay and Disgust:  "Oakley, how could you???"
"Why me?"
Step 3: Avoidance:  packing one's bags and leaving home...always an option.

Step 4:  Acceptance:  Ok, now what are all those home remedies
I've read about through the years???
Step 5:  Work,work,work...pouring everything in one's pantry
and medicine chest onto said dog in an attempt to remove
what you fear may be un-removable!

Remedies

• Tomato juice .... doesn't really work...and besides, who has enough tomato juice to fill up a tub?
• Massengil douche.....ok, really? Does anyone have this around?  Does anyone even use this stuff anymore?  What does this imply about feminine hygiene if it even works on skunk odor?
• Peroxide (one quart), baking soda (1/4 cup), detergent (1 tbsp)....ok, this makes you feel as if you are really doing something about the situation.  Does it work?  Reportedly, yes.  I am not sure.

We tried the last concoction...twice....interspersed with baby shampoo bathings.  

Still...Oakley smelled a little like he had risen from the underworld.

Lastly, from somewhere in my memory bank, 

I remembered a product that I thought might work:

This was perhaps the best remedy yet.

It is a product that we keep on hand for poison ivy exposure.

It was designed and used in the nuclear industry

for the decontamination of skin from nuclear fallout.

We poured it into our hands and began rubbing it into Oakley's coat....

letting it sit for a few moments and then bathing it off.

Low and behold, the stench began to dissipate.

Our old Oakely was starting to emerge from the putrid fog

that had enveloped him.

A few dabs of Listerine to the areas that had faint traces

of skunk smell, and our sweet boy was restored.

I can't emphasize enough how good this product is.

If you have pets,

or if you live in the country,

your medicine chest should always be equipped with

Tecnu!!

I can attest to the fact that it does a great job in removing 

the oils of poison ivy.  And I really think it did the most good

in dealing with the skunk spray.

(There are other products on the market specifically made to remove 

the odor of skunk spray....but we had none of these in the house.)

It would not be fair if I didn't give just a little space in this blog
to the lowly skunk...harmless with the exception of his one
defense that strikes terror in the hearts of all who encounter him.
The skunk sprays a harsh chemical from his anal glands that has
components known as "thiols" in it.  These thiols are the cause
of skunk spray's harsh, acrid odor.  Besides the obvious odor,
these chemicals also cause burning of the eyes and nostrils.
There is only one animal considered to be a predator of the skunk...
and that is the Great Horned Owl,
with his poor to non-existent sense of smell.
(Lucky owl!)