Bath

I finally tried the skunk cleaning mixture on Daisy this afternoon.  The past few days she has spent most of the day outside and I didn't get a chance to wash her.

The formula:

One quart of 3 percent hydrogen peroxide (or white vinegar)

1/4 cup baking soda

One teaspoon liquid soap

Apply and rinse off with water.

I didn't have white vinegar so I used apple vinegar instead.

Daisy did quite well.  She stood patiently as I rubbed the mixture on her neck, under her chin and on her shoulders.  She wasn't thrilled at what I was doing.  As time went on she was getting unhappy but stood while I washed her fur.  I was surprised at how patient she was with me.

Then she started to do a low moan to signal her displeasure and then she looked at me with sad eyes.

Poor Daisy.

After I was done putting the mixture on her, and since I wouldn't let her go outside, Daisy went down to the basement and laid on the sleeping bag down there.  After a short time I went down and washed and rubbed the mixture off her then dried her off somewhat.  She just laid there looking sad at me.

The sooner one washes the skunk odor off, the better.  Unfortunately, a few days have passed before I could wash her, so while the odor is not as strong, I can still smell it on Daisy.


"Why are you being so mean to me?"

I just want to go outside so you'll stop washing me.

Poor Daisy.

Skunk

Daisy... Daisy... Daisy.

Last night, while Daisy was outside patrolling the grounds, I fell asleep at the computer while working on my blog. I woke up briefly to the smell of burnt coffee. Strange. I don't drink coffee.  Before falling back to sleep I realized it was a skunk smell.  Not typical to smell here, but not unusual.

I woke up again later. The skunk smell was not as strong.  I was groggy.  I shut down the computer and prepared to go to bed.  I checked at the door and Daisy was waiting.  I let her in and she went to her food.  I went to bed.

Sometimes Daisy will sleep on the bed with me and she came later.  I briefly woke up in the middle of the night to a strong skunk smell and groggily thought the skunk sprayed outside a second time before quickly falling back to sleep.

In the morning Daisy waking up, stretching and leaving the bed to go eat breakfast woke me up.  The skunk smell was not as strong when I got up.

After she ate Daisy wanted outside to go to the bathroom and do an early morning patrol.  Kelly stopped by to ask about hunting deer again this year on the ranch.  Daisy came to say hello and then we noticed a strong skunk smell.  We looked and saw her fur was yellow on her neck.



That explains everything.  Last night she was either defending the area or 'playing' with the skunk.   Daisy... Daisy... Daisy.

Daisy followed Kelly and I around the pasture as we checked his tree stand and other potential sites to maybe move it.  When I got back to the house the skunk smell was strong.  Even though the temperature was only in the 50s I opened all the windows.  It got a little chilly in the house.

Later in the afternoon I got some tomato juice and rubbed it on her neck fur.  She didn't mind and continued to eat.  At one point she tried to lick the tomato juice off the napkin I was using.  Really Daisy? You like tomato juice?

After she finished eating she came and laid on her spot on the back of the couch.

After a bit of grooming and licking of the tomato juice from her fur a few times she moved to lay on the couch right next to me.  Her licking of the tomato juice allowed the skunk smell to come through again.  I hadn't put enough tomato juice on her.

While I don't have a good sense of smell, after a while I got a headache from the skunk smell and went outside for fresh air.

Right now it is balance between spraying lots of air freshener and getting used to the smell.

 Tomorrow I will try another recipe to remove the smell:

The formula:

One quart of 3 percent hydrogen peroxide (or white vinegar)

1/4 cup baking soda

One teaspoon liquid soap

Apply and rinse off with water.

The fun never ends.

Fence check and river

After returning from my Washington trip, and before letting the cattle into the pasture, I double checked the fences to make sure they were alright.  Since Daisy was still in 'keep me in sight at all times' mode she came with me.  This is the farthest she has been from the house.  She does not like being carried so she walked the whole distance, even through the taller grass close to the river.

We had to take two rest stops for Daisy as the warm weather and distance was tuckering her out.  She first rested in the irrigation shed while I went to let the cattle into the pasture.  Later she rested along the river.

She is still trying to figure the river out.  She did eventually drink some of the river water.  Mostly she laid on some rocks and watched the water and stuff float by.  She even watched a few small minnows swimming near the rocks.
 

What is this Daisy?

After we got home she laid on the blanket next to me as I snacked.  She was so tired she didn't move when I got up off the couch.