Skunks are busy in San Carlos yards in fall, when young skunks strike out on their own and adults forage hard. A face full of spray is miserable but rarely dangerous. Red or squinting eyes, vomiting, or any bite or scratch from a skunk needs a call, because skunks are one of California’s main carriers of rabies.
Why fall brings more skunk encounters
Skunks live comfortably alongside people on the Peninsula. They den under decks, sheds and crawl spaces, come out after dark, and eat almost anything: insects, grubs, fallen fruit, pet food, birdseed and the contents of an open trash can.
Young skunks born in spring leave their mothers in late summer and fall to find territories of their own. They are inexperienced and wander widely. At the same time, adults forage heavily, often digging small cone-shaped holes in lawns as they hunt for grubs. More skunks moving around at dusk means more meetings with dogs on the last walk or the last trip into the yard.
What the spray does
A skunk usually gives warning first by stamping its feet, raising its tail and turning its back. Dogs rarely take the hint. The spray is an oily mix of sulfur compounds, aimed at the face and accurate at close range.
- Eyes: squinting, tearing, redness and pawing at the face. Many dogs cannot open their eyes for a short time.
- Mouth and stomach: drooling, gagging and sometimes vomiting if spray got into the mouth
- Nose: sneezing and rubbing the face along the ground
Most of this settles quickly once the eyes are rinsed. Very rarely, a dog who was sprayed heavily at close range develops a reaction in the blood a day or two later, with weakness, pale or brownish gums, fast breathing or dark, reddish-brown urine. That is an emergency, so phone us right away. Our pet diagnostics service can check the red blood cells to confirm it.
Bites and scratches: the rabies question
The spray itself does not carry rabies. Rabies passes through saliva, usually by a bite. In California, skunks and bats are the animals most often found to carry it, so any fight with a skunk is taken seriously.
If your dog or cat has a bite, a scratch or has been in physical contact with a skunk:
- Do not handle the skunk, dead or alive, and keep children and other pets away.
- Wear gloves if you need to touch your pet’s coat, since saliva may be on it.
- Phone us the same day. What happens next depends largely on whether your pet’s rabies vaccination is current.
- Report the encounter to local animal control, particularly if the skunk was acting strangely, such as being out in daylight, unusually bold, or wobbly.
Keeping rabies vaccination current is the best preparation for an encounter nobody can predict. Our preventive care team can check your pet’s records and arrange boosters.
First steps after a spray
- Keep your dog outside if you can, so the smell does not reach furniture and carpets.
- Check the eyes first. Gently flush them with plenty of cool, clean water.
- Look inside the mouth, and check the head, neck and legs for bites or scratches.
- Phone us if the eyes stay red or closed after rinsing, if your dog keeps vomiting, or if you find any wound.
Our emergency and urgent care team can examine sore eyes and check wounds. Outside our hours, meaning before 9:00 AM, after 8:00 PM or any time on a Sunday, take your pet to the closest open emergency hospital for a bite, badly affected eyes, repeated vomiting, or any sign of the blood reaction described above.
Getting the smell out
Tomato juice mostly masks the smell rather than removing it. The long-standing home recipe that actually breaks down the odor is a fresh mix of one quart of 3% hydrogen peroxide, a quarter cup of baking soda and a teaspoon of liquid dish soap.
- Mix it just before use, and never store it in a closed container, because it can burst.
- Wear gloves. Work it into the dry coat, avoiding the eyes, nose and mouth completely.
- Leave it for about five minutes, then rinse very thoroughly with plenty of water.
- Repeat if needed. It can lighten dark fur slightly.
- Keep your dog from licking or swallowing it while it sits on the coat.
- Do not use it on a dog with broken or sore skin. Phone us first instead.
- Phone us before using it on a cat.
Pet shampoos made to break down skunk odor are another option. For a few weeks, a faint smell may return whenever the coat gets wet.
Keeping skunks out of your yard
- Feed pets indoors, and bring water bowls in at night.
- Use trash cans with tight lids, pick up fallen fruit, and keep birdseed off the ground.
- Close off gaps under decks, sheds and houses, but only once you are sure nothing is living there.
- Turn on a porch light or motion light, and look around the yard before letting your dog out after dark.
- Keep dogs on a leash for the last walk of the evening.
Skunk spray is not the only thing that ends up in dogs’ eyes around the Peninsula hills. Our guide to foxtails and grass awns in San Carlos covers the other common culprit.
Frequently asked questions
Can skunk spray blind my dog?
The stinging and temporary inability to open the eyes are common, but lasting damage is uncommon, especially if you rinse the eyes quickly. Eyes that stay red, cloudy or closed after rinsing need to be checked.
My dog was sprayed but not bitten. Do I need to worry about rabies?
Spray does not transmit rabies. Check carefully for bites or scratches, though, because a dog close enough to be sprayed may have been close enough to fight.
Why is my dog vomiting after being sprayed?
Spray in the mouth causes drooling and vomiting in many dogs. One or two episodes can happen. Repeated vomiting needs a call, and weakness or pale gums need to be seen right away.
Can cats be sprayed too?
Yes, although cats tend to keep their distance. Cats who fight with skunks are also at risk of bites, so rabies vaccination matters for cats too.
What if my dog kills a skunk?
Do not touch the skunk with bare hands. Phone us the same day about your dog, and contact animal control about the skunk, which may need to be tested.
How long does the smell last?
With a good wash, most of it goes the same day. A faint smell often returns for a few weeks whenever the coat gets wet.
Speak to the team at Revive Veterinary Care
If your dog has been sprayed and has sore eyes, or has any bite or scratch from a skunk, phone us, or go to the nearest open emergency hospital if we are closed.
Published by the team at Revive Veterinary Care.
This article is for general educational purposes only and is not a substitute for an in-person veterinary examination or advice about your individual pet. If you have an urgent concern about your pet, contact Revive Veterinary Care or your nearest emergency veterinary hospital right away.
Revive Veterinary Care
718 El Camino Real, San Carlos, CA 94070
Phone: (650) 750-0777
Email: hello@revivevetcare.com
Hours: Monday to Saturday 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM; Sunday closed