Stink, Stank, Skunk – An Early Rommie Backyard Safari Adventure

I was reading  “The Calm After the Storm” over at Belle Grove Plantation Bed and Breakfast’s blog by my blogging buddy Michelle.  She saw a skunk on the plantation and hopes no one tells her golden retriever Hurley about it. While reading her post I was reminded about Rommie’s first skunk encounter.  Yes, just like Lay’s Potato Chips, one just isn’t enough.

Rommie Gets A Face Full Of Shaving Cream – well sort of

I let Rommie out just before bed one night and she immediately took off underneath our deck.  All I heard was rustling, then she came out the other side and was lying in the grass with lots and lots of foam oozing out her mouth.  She looked like she was about to shave her face.   I panicked and picked her up, opened the sliding glass door and hollered

“Joe, something’s wrong with Rommie. She’s foaming at the mouth”  

At this time I did not smell anything. Joe opened her mouth and stuck his finger in to make sure there was no foreign object inside.  Once he opened her mouth there was this horrific stench (a hundred billion trillion times worse than skunk) that suddenly filled the air.  I took her to the bathroom and started bathing her while Joe grabbed the flashlight and went outside to carefully look around the yard.  After a few minutes, he came back in and said it was indeed a skunk.  He saw it walking down our small slope to the back fence.

Judging by the amount of foam, Joe figured she bit the skunk right on it’s rear end and took a direct hit in her mouth.

After Rommie went through a “lather, rinse and repeat” cycle, we toweled her dry and the three of us went to bed. Unaware the worst was yet to come.

It Gets Stinkier

The next morning was a bright, sunny day and Rommie jumped into bed with Joe and me.  She was her normal happy, smiley self, no more pouting.  Joe and I were petting her when all of a sudden it happened –

Rommie burped. 

Phew! does not begin to describe skunk burps.  They are worse than skunk smell wafting through the air and worse than what she smelled like before her bath. Skunk burps are very, very potent and pungent.

Joe and I flew out of bed.  We could not get away from her fast enough.  It was enough to make us gag.  Rommie just sat on the bed looking at us as we fled not understanding why we left her.

Time Heals All Wounds

Thank goodness she was not physically hurt by the skunk.  No trip to the vet for possible stitches (this time).  However, nothing but time took away Rommie’s skunk breath. It is the only time Joe and I found it unbearable to be around her.

The Second Time

Encounter #2 happened about two years ago.  Yes, it was once again late at night when she chased the skunk to the back fence and took a direct hit on her face.  She came flying in, sat down and started squinting her right eye and desperately smacking her lips together trying to get some foam out of her mouth.  Off I go to the only grocery store open late at night, which was 3 miles away, to get more peroxide, Dawn dish washing detergent, and baking soda. It was between 1 a.m. – 2 a.m. before we both got to bed.

The next day however, we were off to the vet as there were scratches around her eyes. Thankfully no damage to her eyes and the scratches did not require stitches.

Lesson Learned? 

Even with 2 encounters in seven years, I am sure Rommie has not learned her lesson.  She just wants to play with everybody, no matter their size, shape, or smell. Too bad us humans, are not that way.

Now I am off to see how much peroxide, baking soda and Dawn I have in my cupboard.  Might need to stock up – just in case.

Have a joyous day and may you never have to smell skunk burps.   😉

Good Tuesday Morning

I crawled into bed last night after finishing this post.   Then I grabbed my Kindle off the table beside my bed, turned on Eric Wyse’s “In The Garden – Inspirational Piano Hymns”, and snuggled under the covers.  As I was drifting off to sleep, a smell came wafting through my window…

skunk.

Rommie, even smelled it as she wanted to go outside and find the black kitty with the white stripe down it’s back.  I told her no, just go to sleep my precious fur child.