Maybe it’s just my little corner of Lafayette, but I’ve heard of more dogs getting skunked this fall than any year I can remember. The skunks are all over the place. In fact, as I write this, there’s one hanging out with the neighborhood cat behind my house. (Seriously, they’re Pepé Le Pew and Penelope…it’s ridiculous.)

So to be proactive, I wanted to find the very best de-skunking product on the market, stock the cupboards (and The Happy Beast) with it, and let you know what to use if your pet is unfortunate enough to get sprayed. But after scouring reviews and asking my mom (who grew up on a farm) what she would do, I determined that there is no miracle product.

Instead, there’s hydrogen peroxide, dish soap and baking soda. The good news is, if your dog has a stinky run-in with a skunk, you probably have all of these on hand, and you can just run down to The Happy Beast and do a quick dog wash!

In case of a skunking, here’s what to do:

• Wipe off the excess skunk oil with paper towels or rags. **Do not get your dog wet yet!**
• BEFORE getting your dog wet, mix together six cups of hydrogen peroxide, ⅓ cup of baking soda and a couple squirts of dish soap. (It’s going to get fizzy.)
• Rub the mixture into the sprayed area and scrub!
• Once your dog’s coat is saturated, rinse everything out and follow up with a good shampoo (we love Earthbath’s products.)
• If your dog gets sprayed in the face, be sure to rinse her eyes with water or try a product with goldenseal like Eyes Alright.

You’ll probably want to wear rubber gloves for this and you might have to repeat the process several times. And there’s a possibility that your dog is going to smell a little funky for a while. But there’s a definite probability that you’ll love him just the same.