Smiley Got Sprayed!
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| Smiley |
Daybreak is close. I keep peeking out from behind the sleep
mask to determine if it’s time to get up. As usual, John arose before me and had
opened the sliding door to the back patio. Kitty could now come in from the
night and Smiley could go out if she wanted.
Next thing I hear is Smiley aggressively snarling at
something outside and at the same moment a pungent smell of skunk spray
filled the air. I can hear Smiley
blowing her nose. I have never been so close to a fresh skunk spray. It was
interesting how the aroma morphed and changed and finally settled into that
familiar scent. Daybreak was still a little way off so I stayed in bed.
Daybreak came and the scent was strong! Smiley was nowhere
to be seen. John noticed dribbles of skunk spray inside the house. Apparently,
Smiley came indoors after getting sprayed. She showed up a little while later covered
in dirt. I could see where the dirt clung to a line of spray across her face. Clean
up began on the tile floor to remove the skunk spray globs. Next it was time
for Smiley’s first bath.
Smiley’s coat is short, thick and slick. Because of that she’s
never dirty and I haven’t felt the need to bathe her. She did a good job
rolling around in the dirt and got most of the stuff off her, but she did smell
a little. We used a combination of hydrogen peroxide, baking soda and
dishwashing soap. She did not like the bath at all, but calmed down the longer
it took.
During my recent blog sabbatical Smiley did get in trouble with another wild animal. One morning she showed up limping and with a deep gash in her leg. That required an emergency vet visit, several stitches, medicine and a cone of her head for many days. That’s what can happen when you let your dog free range on the edge of the jungle. I really hope she learned a lesson with the skunk, but time will tell.
