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Smelled a skunk lately? Skunk mating season underway in Michigan

Skunks only spray as a last defense

Baby striped skunk (Kevin VanGorden, Flickr)

Have you seen (or smelled) a skunk lately? Skunk mating season is underway in Michigan.

Skunk mating season lasts for around two months beginning in February and ending in March. Skunks are nocturnal and are known to be non-aggressive.

Another thing you should know, is that skunks don’t always spray, and spraying isn’t even their first line of defense. If you get too close to a skunk, it will likely just try to run away. If you’re still too close, the skunk will turn around, raise its tail as a warning, and stomp its front feet while yelling at you to back off.

They only use the spray when they feel cornered and like they don’t have any other option to defend themselves. Skunk spray can hit targets nearly 10 feet away and skunks can spray up to six times in a row. It takes them several days to produce more liquid, which means they’re defenseless for a while if they’re out of spray.

Why does skunk spray smell that way? According to the National Park Service, the primary compounds in the spray are thiols and thioacetates, both rich in sulfur. Baby skunks can actually spray from the time they’re born and have been reported to spray each other for fun.

What to do if a skunk sprays your dog

The Humane Society of the United States said the first two things you’ll want to do is to keep your dog outside and check their eyes. If your dog’s eyes are irritated or red, you should flush them with cool water.

The organization said you can mix the following and use that to watch your dog’s fur:

  • 1 quart of 3-% hydrogen peroxide
  • 1/4 cup baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon liquid dishwashing soap

You should wash your dog with that mixture immediately after they’ve been sprayed. Rub it into their fur, but don’t leave it on for too long. Then, rinse them completely off.

Make sure you don’t get the solution in their eyes. If you don’t have those products, you can use vinegar that you diluted with water. They also noted that you should not store the mixture or make it ahead of time because it could explode if left in a bottle.

Once you’ve rinsed off your dog, then you can wash them with your usual pet shampoo and rinse them again.

Michigan confirms 55 rabies cases in 2023

There were 55 confirmed cases of rabies in Michigan in 2023.

Out of those 55 cases, 19 of them were identified in skunks. There were 11 skunks with rabies in Macomb County, six in Wayne County, one in Oakland County, and one in Delta County.

What are the symptoms of rabies in an animal?

Animals with rabies may behave strangely or in unexpected ways.

The early symptoms include fever, lethargy, vomiting, and lack of appetite.

The later symptoms include weakness, difficulty walking, paralysis, seizures, difficulty swallowing, excessive salivation, abnormal behavior, and aggression.

What is the treatment for rabies?

To prevent rabies in a person that has potentially been exposed, the person undergoes a series of injections called Rabies Postexposure Prophylaxis.

People who have never received rabies vaccinations in the past must receive both the rabies antibody (rabies immune globulin, or HRIG) and the vaccine. People who have already been vaccinated will only need the rabies vaccine.

Once symptoms appear, the disease is nearly always fatal. At that point, treatment is only supportive.

The state of Michigan has more information about rabies available online.

----> Michigan DNR expands list of nuisance animals property owners can kill without a permit


About the Author
Kayla Clarke headshot

Kayla is a Web Producer for ClickOnDetroit. Before she joined the team in 2018 she worked at WILX in Lansing as a digital producer.

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