Has your dog been sprayed by a skunk? Do you have skunks in the area around your house that cause you to be concerned about the safety of your dog? Do you wonder about the effects of skunk spray on dogs? Here are some of the things that you need to be concerned about and some of the things that, although inconvenient, are not harmful.
What causes a skunk to spray your or your pets in the first place? A skunk sprays when he feels threatened. If you encounter a skunk, be silent and back away as quietly as possible.
What is skunk spray or skunk musk? A very basic answer is that skunk spray is made of thiols and thioacetates. Thiols are responsible for the horrible smell we all associate with skunks. Thioacetates are more dangerous and can cause red blood cells to burst, temporary blindness, nausea, diarrhea and more. If your dog is sprayed in the mouth or face area or displays any of these symptoms after being sprayed by a skunk, see your vet immediately. If your vet is not available, visit the pet emergency clinic.
Once your dog is home (and the smell of the skunk is gone), make sure to watch for lesions on the corneas and around the mouth.
If your dog has been sprayed by a skunk, make sure that he is safe and has not been sprayed in the mouth or face area. Once you are sure of your dog's safety, you can take steps to remove the smell of the skunk from the dog's fur. Do not use tomato juice as this is ineffective.
If your dog's sense of smell seems to be affected, this should not last long. It is simply that the smell of skunk is so overwhelming that the dog can not smell anything else.
Skunk spray on dogs can be dangerous, but generally it is a smelly inconvenience.
No comments:
Post a Comment