Has Anyone Ever Smelt

A skunks spray?I guess this mostly applies to the US residents as I dont THINK we have them in the Uk or europe really as far as I know.I have always wondered if it happens like in the cartoons with this nasty green spray(I'm sure it's not green though LOL) and then this god awful smell that is one of the worst on the planet?Anyone know?

I dont know anyone who has been sprayed either, except for a friend's dog once. The thing stunk forever and even baths didn't help. He just had to stink for a long time :(

Also, they (the same friend and her family) lived in a mobile home and once a skunk got underneath there and sprayed. Her entire HOUSE smelled like skunk and even her clothes and stuff, there was just no escaping the smell. She had to go to school w/skunk clothes the first day b/c she didn't realize her clothes smelled and after that, for like 2 weeks she had to come to my house and shower at my house and borrow my clothes til the smell at her house was gone.

Lol, I remember that Rugrats. I remember that episode! I used to LOVE the rugrats hehe.

wow that is a damned powerful smell.the poor girl,I bet people made fun.

Smelled skunks plenty of times. It's bad, but not that bad in my opinion. Of course, I've never had to smell it for a prolonged period of time. Mostly because of being hit alongside the road, poor things. I've seen some at the state park, which makes me wonder if we have any. We own property across the road from that state park (don't live there though).

The old remedy is tomatoes/tomato juice to neutralize the smell on dogs, etc.

Angel, you might be interested in knowing that skunks are EXCELLENT mousers!

LMAO,Thanks beth,are u saying I should get a skunk?LOL

When I was growing up, everytime I smelled skunk it would be horrible. But since moving to the area, sometimes I wake up smelling skunk (we have a little skunk in the area going through peoples garbages sometimes) or drive by roadkilled skunk and have gotten used to the smell. You actually get accustomed to the smell, surprisingly. It's not pleasant though.

I know this sounds weird..... but I don't mind the smell

What does it smell like then??

yeah what does it smell like oh freakish one?lol

I heard from someone that it smells like burning rubber?

LOL, burned rubber???!!!

Honestly it's really hard to describe, hopefully you'll drive by one and smell it yourself someday.

Well there you have it Wiki describes it as burnt rubber aswell, but I have to say 'not even close'!!!





The Smell of Skunks
The smell of skunks has been compared to burnt rubber.

Here is more input:


When they spray: putrid. The worst lingering smell you will ever experience.


Skunks don't really smell like anything else. They are pretty unique in that sense.

Interesting animals, skunks are. They're really quite mild mannered, and if you don't startle them or make them angry, they're happy to leave you alone. All they want from humans is the scraps of food that we carelessly leave laying around. They normally eat just about anything from frogs to bird eggs to whatever they can find in your garbage can. However, nature has given them a very effective means of self defense in the spray that they direct at an enemy. The spray is a chemical concoction manufactured by special glands in the skunks body. One of the ingredients is actually sulfuric acid, a very strong acid used for making car batteries and other industrial uses. To describe the smell of skunk spray is tough, as there's nothing in our daily lives that resembles it. It can, in very very small amounts, smell something like burned rubber. But, in larger quantities it is just indescribable. Once you smell it, you'll never forget it. It's very strong, and makes your eyes water and breathing difficult. It's very, very unpleasant to be sprayed by a skunk, which two of my dogs will swear to. Hopefully, you'll get a chance to find the answer for your question from a distance. And, remember, skunks are known to be carriers of rabies. If you're ever bitten by one, see a doctor immediately. Otherwise, they're really gentle critters who mind their own business. The only time I take action is if they decide to set up housekeeping under my porch. In that case, spreading mothballs around under the porch seems to chase them away. Mothballs smell to skunks like they smell to us.
also in short here are 3 things they smell like is garlic,sewage,burnt rubber

Hmm, skunk stench is pretty hard to describe. It's like really really bad BO. Sour/sharp. Also a bit like rotting vegetation.

You do eventually get used to it - we used to have a skunk that would spray by my dad's shop all the time, and once in a while one dead on the roads.

It's amazing the smells you can adapt to *shudder* I never realized how much my parents' house stank of dirt and dog until I moved out. I never realized how bad cigarette smoke smelled until I quit, either.

Well if you've ever smelled what my husband so lovingly calls "skunk weed" then just imagine that but about a 1000 times stronger, lol!

Our dog got sprayed once. OMG that was awful. He had a habit of running up to strange dogs and cats and shoving his nose right in their butts.......til the day he picked the black kitty with the white stripe!

There are some skunks around our area, and during times of year like ummmm right now they are mating and apparantly it involves alot of spraying.....almost every night lately one part of our neighborhood or another smells really bad like it.

Anyways I went out to bring the dog in, smelled the skunk strong when I opened the door. He came to me and the smell was soo strong my nose was burning and tears were running out of my eyes. I gave him 8 zillion baths in everything everyone said to try and then some. He still reeked. Years later even now when he gets wet you can very faintly smell it.

wow,THAT bad!Thats awful!If it ever happend to our futur dogs,they can get a kennel outside until it goes away

BethG wrote:Well if you've ever smelled what my husband so lovingly calls "skunk weed" then just imagine that but about a 1000 times stronger, lol!

Actually I do have to agree with this and also the smell of Tim Hortons coffee can smell kind of skunky, LOL!!!

24P, I just did a search for Smoking Smileys and found a page with several. Can't remember the URL though.

I suppose you don't see skunks in our zoos because they're not exotic here....but maybe not so in the UK! Hershey, Pennsylvania does have a North America animal zoo -- I bet there's skunks there!

Angel wrote:yeah what does it smell like oh freakish one?lol

I heard from someone that it smells like burning rubber?

I honestly can't describe it. If you are ever driving with the windows down, and smell something that sort of smells like burning rubber with a strange twist, then you are smelling a skunk.

I don't mind the smell if it is from the window, or lingering outside, but I am sure I'd feel differently if I was actually sprayed.

I wouldn't wear skunk perfume, but hey, something about the smell brings back memories of camping with my cousins as a kid