Skunks are famous for their pungent odorous spray. When they become threatened, skunks will spray anything. Pets are usually the ones that get it the most. Probably because they are curious and just don't know when to back off. I have known skunks to spray under houses, in basements, and garages just like a feral cat marks their territory; I am sure this has meaning to other skunks in the area. What is amazing is these creatures can "shoot" that pungent spray up to 20 feet.

So what do you do when you or your pet has been "Skunked?" There are many remedies out there, some of them probably work but my concern is whether the treatment is worse than the skunk spray.

The wildlife people will tell you there are several things you need to consider when dealing with skunk odor. The ones I like the best are:

• Remove the source of the odor.
• Ventilate the area with fresh air.

Then you need something that actually "eliminates" the odor so it doesn't return. We have all heard of some of the Home Remedies/Over-the-Counter Products that are supposed to help "get rid" of the odor. The one I see quite a bit has hydrogen peroxide as the main ingredient.

I personally don't like using any chemical on my animals or myself for that matter. I found products with a blend of Zeolites work the best especially if there are no other chemicals or perfumes with it. Zeolites have a honeycomb-like structure with pores which absorb and trap unpleasant odors. Airborne odors, such as smoke and bacteria (skunk), will piggyback in dust particles, and have a positive molecular ion charge. Zeolites have a negative molecular charge which attracts the dust particles, which in turn will eliminate the unwelcome odors.

One of the products I have used for over 10 years that has Zeolites is OdorZout http://www.got-smells.com. There are a variety of odor control products available in many stores or online. I have tried several of these but nothing seems to work on getting odor gone quickly and for good as well as OdorZout.

To get rid of odor on your pet for example it is as simple as putting the product on the animal. It is a dry product and has no smell so the animal will barely know it is there. This is the one time you will be told to apply the product liberally. Rub it into the animals coat, wait for a couple of hours then brush it out. Do the "sniff" test, and if you still smell any odor repeat the process. Once the odor is gone you can wash the animal or leave the product on the animal. It won't hurt your pet even if they lick it. Again, I don't like anything that has a chemical in it so this is a safe product to use as there are no chemicals or perfumes.

Once the odor is gone it is gone not masked so you won't have to worry about the odor coming back, even when the weather heats up or is humid.