Bridget's travail

We are accustomed to hearing Bridget whine to be let out.  She whines that special whine that says "I can't hold it any longer", I open the door for her and leave the door ajar for her to come back in.  Last night, the same old routine, whine, she runs out, and runs back in except a horrendous smell came in with her.  She ran into a skunk and it got her right in the face.

First question:  What smells worst than skunk smell wafting into your windows? Answer:  Skunk smell right under your nose!  Bridget ran in and started rolling around, wiping her face and dripping ear on the family room carpet.  Then before I could catch her, she rolled around spreading skunk concentrate on the wool rug at the side door. 

Second question:  Where would you grab a dog that has just been skunked?  I figured that the back end was furthest away from the attacker so I held Bridget's back legs while she walked into the laundry room on her front legs (like the old wheelbarrow game we used to play).  This might have been funny if my eyes hadn't been stinging so much.

I raced to get tomato sauce and a can opener and then proceeded to dump tomato sauce all over the dog's head and ear, massaging it into her heavy coat.  Then I ran to look online to see what else to do.  The first thing everyone said was not to use tomato sauce because it doesn't work.  When will I ever learn to read instructions first?  One person online suggested baking soda and hydrogen peroxide.  Another suggested vinegar and water. 

I grabbed  'tomato head' by the front legs this time and walked her into the shower.  Poor Bridget was dowsed with warm water, water and vinegar, shampooed, and dowsed again.  Somewhere in the process, I found myself in the shower with her, my clothes soaked.  We both came out smelling like vinegar and Panteen.

Bridget spent the night in the laundry room and made a trip to the groomer this morning.  They managed to get the skunk smell out but they couldn't shampoo out the tomato color.  I  can't call her a white poodle for a while.  If anyone asks our dog is a 'red head'.

 

(I was tempted to get out the lime jello and color up the rest of her for Christmas but, since we know that animals will be resurrected .  .  .  . I don't want her to be pointing a paw at me!)