Re: skunk remedy

[Guest guest]

Gayla wrote:

"I know it cost my

father a week's pay in tomato juice. Toni"

ROTF!! An aussie

I had entered a contest with a skunk and lost. I tomato juiced him and

had a pink merle smelly dog. From the gardenweb forums I got this

recipe:

2 tablespoons

dish soap

2 tablespoons

baking soda

2 pints hydrogen

peroxide

Mix, rub on,

leave 5 to 10 minutes, wash off. Just in case you ever need it again!

Gayla

==============================================

I don't know what type of tomato juice you used, most people run to the

store and buy pasteurized tomato juice thinking that is what is used.

Problem is the pastuerization kills off the enzymes that are needed to

help oxidize the odor. One needs to use fresh tomatos and obtain the

juice therefrom.

One also needs to be very careful using the H2O2 around the eyes of

animals. The H2O2 helps to oxidize the skunk scent into a less

noticable smell. Here is some interesting info on what is in that skunk

squirt.

Chemistry of Skunk Spray

F. Wood, Department of Chemistry

Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA 95521

E-Mail wfw2@...

Phone (707) 826-3109

Return to

Skunk Defensive Secretion

Page

Striped Skunk (Mephitis mephitis)

Skunk defensive secretion is composed of seven major volatile

components.

These can be divided into two major groups of compounds, thiols and

acetate

derivatives of these thiols. Two of the thiols are responsible for the

strongly

repellent odor of the secretion, (E )-2-butene-1-thiol and

3-methyl-1-butanethiol.

The third thiol, 2-quinolinemethanethiol, is not as odoriferous due to

its

low volatility and the fact that large thiols do not trigger the human

olfactory

receptor. The chemical structure of these compounds and their percent

(four

individuals) in the defensive secretion are shown in the following

illustration.

A second major class of compound in skunk spray are thioacetate

derivatives

of the three thiols. These compounds are not as odoriferous as the

thiols,

but are easily converted to the more potent thiols on water hydrolysis.

This chemical conversion may be why pets who have previously been

sprayed

by skunks will again have a faint "skunky" odor on damp evenings.

Thioacetate derivatives of (E )-2-butene-1-thiol and

3-methyl-1-butanethiol

trapped in the animal's hair could be releasing the smelly thiols under

the damp conditions. The chemical structure of these thioacetates and

their

percent in the defensive secretion are shown in the following

illustration.

A third type of compound is found in this secretion, it is the

alkaloid

2-methylquinoline. This compound is clearly related to

2-quinolinemethanethiol

and S-2-quinolinemethyl thioacetate. Perhaps 2-methylquinoline is a

product

in the biosynthesis of these two compounds. The structure and percent

of

2-methylquinoline in skunk secretion follows.

Deodorizing Skunk Spray

To get rid of the odor of skunk spray, it is necessary to change the

thiols into compounds that have little or no odor. This can easily be

done

by oxidizing the thiols to sulfonic acids. Many oxidizing agents can

effect

this change. Hydrogen peroxide and baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) are

mild enough to be used on pets although it may change their hair color.

For inanimate objects sodium hypochlorite solutions (liquid laundry

bleach)

are cheap and effective. The chemical reaction for this transformation

follows.

(Recipes for

deodorizing spray.)

References: "New Components in Defensive Secretion of the Striped

Skunk, Mephitis mephitis." F. Wood, J. Chemical Ecology 16,

2057-2065 (1990). "Some chemical constituents of the scent of the

striped

skunk (Mephitis mephitis)." Andersen, K. K., and Bernstein, D. T. J.

Chemical Ecology 1, 493-499 (1975).

Spotted Skunk (Spilogale gracilis*)

The defensive secretion of the spotted skunk differs from that of

the

striped skunk in that it only contains thiols and the thioacetates are

not

present. The two major thiols of the striped skunk, (E )-2-butene-1-thiol

and 3-methyl-1-butanethiol are also the major components in the

secretion

of the spotted skunk. A third thiol, 2-phenylethanethiol, was present

at

moderate concentration in this smaller skunk. The chemical structure of

these compounds and their percent (two individuals) in the defensive

secretion

are shown in the following illustration.

A number of minor components (less than 1%) were also identified

from

the spotted skunk. The chemical structure of these compounds and their

percent

(two individuals) in the defensive secretion are shown in the following

illustration.

* Spilogale putorius has recently been divided into two

species,

S. putorius in the Eastern part of the United States and S.

gracilis

in the West.

Reference: "Volatile Components In Defensive Spray of the Spotted

Skunk, Spilogale putorius," F. Wood, G.

and Alison , J. Chemical Ecology 17, 1415-1420 (1991).

Hog-nosed Skunk (Conepatus mesoleucus*)

The defensive secretion of the hog-nosed skunk differs from that of

the

spotted skunk and the striped skunk. Like the striped skunk, it does

contain

thioacetate derivatives of the thiols in the secretion. Also, a major

component

of the striped and spotted skunks' secretion is missing from the

secretion

of this species. The major components from this skunk's secretion are (E

)-2-butene-1-thiol and S-(E )-2-butenyl

thioacetate. The

chemical structure of these compounds and their percent (one

individuals)

in the defensive secretion are shown in the following illustration.

The minor components in this secretion are phenylmethanethiol,

2-methylquinoline,

2-quinolinemethanethiol and bis[(E )-2-butenyl] disulfide. The

chemical

structure of these compounds and their percent (one individuals) in the

defensive secretion are shown in the following illustration.

*Recent research indicates the two species of hog-nosed skunks, Conepatus

mesoleucas and C. leuconotus may be the same species. Thus,

according

to the rules of zoological nomenclature, the one that was described

first

has priority. If they are the same species, the nameC. leuconotus

will be used. (Pers. Communication Dr. Jerry Dragoo, University of New

Mexico,

jdragoo@...)

Reference: "Volatile Components in Defensive Spray of the Hog-nosed

Skunk, Conepatus mesoleucus" F. Wood, Christoph O. Fisher and

A. Graham, J. Chemical Ecology 19, 837-841 (1993).

© F. Wood, 1998. Updated on 6 October 1998.

-- Peace, love and light,

Don "Quai" Eitner

"Spirit sleeps in the mineral, breathes in the vegetable, dreams in the animal and wakes in man."

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[Guest guest]

Thanks Don! Interesting thing also is that an open pan of acid (like a cookie sheet with vinegar on it) will deodorize a space like under the house.

Gayla Always Enough RanchAcampo, Californiagoatclearing@... http://coloredboers.home.att.net/always.html

----- Original Message -----

From: Don Quai

health

Sent: Wednesday, February 16, 2005 11:12 PM

Subject: Re: skunk remedy

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