Page 34 - Issue 3_2018

Skunks:

When You May Need to Breathe for Two

by Terrierman’s Daily Dose

For all the discussion and advice written about terriers skunked under- What you do immediately at the
ground, almost no one talks about the most common emergency, and hole, then, is pretty important. And
how to address it. yet, on this issue, there is too often
silence.
That problem is lack of oxygen.
A Quick Review: Most skunked
This is not a small point. Despite what has been written, most under- dogs die because the dog cannot
ground skunk sprayings do not end in tragedy -- they end in stink. get out of the hole quick enough
The ones that end in tragedy most often end in immediate respiratory and the dog is overwhelmed by
failure. skunk spray. Skunk spray is pretty
toxic stuff, as it contains a mixture
First, a little background. If a dog is skunked underground, most dogs of thioacetates and thiols (the stuff
will manage to get out of the hole on their own, and most will do fine that stinks,) mercaptans, and al-
afterwards. most pure sulphuric acid (the stuff
that will burns a dog’s eyes and
One way to avoid skunks is to sniff dens before you leave blisters on its snout).
put your dog into them and look for their tracks but Most dogs get out of the ground
in truth these precautions rarely work on their own or with help, and
most dogs recover from an under-
Also note: Fox sette will smell “skunky” ground skunking provided they
get out quickly. Time is of the essence, however, and a dog can lapse
from November-March into a comma after only a few minutes if it is unable to exit a tight
earth.
Only a small percentage of dogs that are skunked underground
express evidence of skunk toxic shock two or three days after the event. If your dog is able to exit the ground quickly and on its own, you are
These dogs are animals whose kidneys are having trouble pushing the likely to be in good shape. Skunk spray does not kill except under-
toxin out of their system, and there is some indication that this prob- ground, and though a dog may get chemical burning of the outer
lem has a genetic component, as it seems to run in some terrier lines. layers of the cornea, application of Mycitracin eye ointment, a running
dose of antibiotics like cephalexin, and a week’s rest away from the
An underground skunking is a serious thing. But -- and this point is too other dogs, will probably put everything right.
rarely made -- if your dog dies, it’s most likely to die either under-
ground or right at the hole. No dog has ever been rendered permanently blind by skunk spray
alone, and all a vet will do is stain the eye a lot and bill you for the
trouble. Staining a cornea does not promote healing -- it generally
delays it. If you focus on preventing infection, the eye will take care of
itself.

If your dog is pulled limp from the ground, and it is not breathing, your
problems are very serious, and immediate action is required. What has
happened is obvious -- your dog has succumbed to the skunk fumes
and passed out. In fact, the dog may have more than passed out -- it
may have suffocated due to the lack of oxygen in the sette.
If your dog has emerged or you have pulled it from the ground but
has pale gums or seems to be in shock, rush it to a vet and make sure
your dog is seen immediately. Explain that the problem is MORE than
stink: skunk-related shock and anemia can kill a dog.

The best course of therapy is to fully hydrate the dog (an IV may be
needed) to speed the flushing of toxins, as well as to dose the dog
with Acetycistein (sold as Mucomyst, Fluimucil, Mucolator, or Tixair).
Acetycistein seems to help on a couple of levels -- it helps the dog
cough mucous out of the lungs, it strengthens blood cells and the
vascular system in general, and it helps prevent reduction in renal
function -- a big issue with skunk toxic shock syndrome.

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