posted
I am the neighborhood babysitter. Whenever parents go away, I'm the one the call to take care of their kids. So when the Kendricks called me up to babysit for their two little girls, Jasmine (4) and Chanelle (2), I agreed at once.
On the day of the job, I didn't feel very well. I started out believing it was just alergies, but kept feeling worse and worse, so I started to suspect a cold. I still went of course, because that's what a good babysitter does.
I got to the house and everything was hunky-dory. The girls were having dinner and were allowed to stay up as long as they wanted. There were movies rented and popcorn ready. We watched to movie with no complaints, and soon it was 8:30, about the girls' bed time. They were incredibly tired after a big day and went straight to sleep. I pop in a movie for myself (Legally Blond. I'm not proud of the choice, but I was bored). When the movie ended I went to the kitchen to start some of my summr homework. The dog, Hans, was sitting at the door waiting to be let out. Soon after, he came back in sneezing and rubbing his nose against the floor. He brought with him this horrible stench, which I realized at once to be a skunk. He started in on the carpet, and I pulled him quickly back into the kitchen. The smell was grotesque in close quarters, but I didn't want him to go back outside for fear of the skunk. I tried to call my mom to see what I should do about the skunk and about Hans, but the phone was busy. The Kendrick's house is across the street from my own, but I would not leave the house. If the Kendricks came home, what explaination could I have for not being there. For 45 minutes I called and called my house, but to no avail. My brother has a tendency to stay on the phone for hours on end. I could see him from the Kendricks, but could do nothing to get his attention. I tried calling my mom's cell phone and even my dad's cell phone (he was away in Seattle on business), but no one picked up. So I was stuck in a house with a smelling dog, and an ever-growing headache because of the smell. the smell stung my nose, it was so strong.
Finally the parents got home. By that point, I was trying to keep back my hysterics. I was tired, I was sick, I was in a strange house, and I had a dog that smelled so bad I couldn't breath when in the house. I went home and burst into tears in front of my mom, showered, then went to bed, still smelling the lingering stench of skunk.
Every once in a while today, after that incident, I catch a whiff of skunk and I feel sick. It's not good.
And yah know the worst part? I already signed up to babysit again tonight!
Posts: 1789 | Registered: Jul 2003
| IP: Logged |
Boon
unregistered
posted
Sorry...just can't help it...
Oh, my...I can't even imagine...well, actually, I can. Eww! Ew! Ew! EEEWWW!
I know what you mean, memories of smells can be very persistent but it will wear off. Anyway, I wish you a very good night tonight. Maybe wear some perfume, it might help if you like it very much.
Posts: 1247 | Registered: Apr 2000
| IP: Logged |
posted
Once, while babysitting, I had the family dog die. This was only the first or second time I had watched these particular children. I was in the other room with one of the children (who was having a hard time sleeping) reading a story when the parents came home. The dog had died laying in the entry near the front door. In the ensuing chaos, both the children woke up and were traumatized that their family pet had died. So, there were hysterical children, a large dog who needed to be removed, and a mess on the floor (apparently at death, the dog lost all bladder control) to be cleaned up. I stayed with the children, trying to comfort them, while the parents removed the dog and the mess. At first, I was worried that they would never call me again, but the kids had really liked me, so I took care of them many more times after that.
Posts: 5879 | Registered: Apr 2001
| IP: Logged |
posted
If I ever have children, or skunks, you can come and babysit them.
I'd never trust you with my dog, though.
JUST KIDDING!
Anyway, there's some home remedy for skunk odor on dogs that I can't remember. But I think it involves baking soda or vinegar and something else. Anyway, it takes about 3 baths of that stuff to get to a "tolerable" level if the dog has been seriously skunked.
Here's some tips for the future in terms of what to do when the phone is busy and you need help:
1) Call the operator and state that you need an "emergency line break." They'll probably ask you some questions, but basically, you shouldn't have a problem if you tell them that you are babysitting across the street from your house, you need to ask your mother for some assistance and the phone is busy. They'll break in and tell whoever is on the line at your house to hang up so that they can put through an emergency call.
2) There are 24 hour veterinary lines. You can call one of those for pet assistance. Usually they wont want to see you in an office for a skunking, but they'll tell you what to bathe the dog in to get rid of the stink.
But you did a great job by keeping the dog off the carpet. There's almost no way to get that smell out of a carpet!!!
Posts: 22497 | Registered: Sep 2000
| IP: Logged |
1 quart 3% Hydrogen Peroxide 1/4 cup Baking Soda 1 teaspoon liquid soap
Mix in a bucket (it will fizz). Soak your dog's fur, but be careful not to get any in his eyes. Use a sponge to clean off his head and around his eyes. Knead solution into the fur and be sure to get every part of him with it. Rinse thoroughly.
If they haven't deskunked the dog, maybe you and the girls could do as a surprise. Posts: 9871 | Registered: Aug 2001
| IP: Logged |
Acctually, my mom, at 11:30 last night, went online and found that smae recipe that Kayla found and went to CVS to pick up the ingredients. The house doesn't smell as bad as it did yesterday, but the smell ofskunk still lingers. Hans is also not as smelly. They used that remedy on him, and it seems to work. Of course, since Hans is a dalmation, he has short hair, so it's very easy to wash him off. I'm just glad that it wasn't my dog, Lily, who got sprayed. She's a labrador, and has massive amounts of fur. I'm sure that we wouldn't have been able to get rid of the smell on her for many days.
And Bob, I would love to babysit your kids, my only requirement is that beforehand you check the neighborhood for skunks. I don't think I will everget over that smell. YUCK!
I don't think the smell will ever go away either. I had broughtmy summer work over to their house, so nowall of my text books are covered with skunk smell, and I don't want to replace them b/c they're $50! Oh well...what can yah do?
Posts: 1789 | Registered: Jul 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
Oh, and Dead Horse, apparently tomato juice is an old wives tale, and the only thing it will do is turn your dog pink, but thanks for the suggestion!
Posts: 1789 | Registered: Jul 2003
| IP: Logged |
Printer-friendly view of this topic
![[ROFL]](graemlins/rofl.gif)
![[Eek!]](eek.gif)
![[Cry]](graemlins/cry.gif)
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
