Skunk encounter creates rare near-death experience

Like most Jack Russell Terriers, Skippy loves to hunt and dig. One day Skippy decided to chase a skunk into a large stack of hay bales, but ended up getting stuck in the hay bales and the skunk sprayed him directly in the face.

“I have a farm, and I converted my old riding arena into a storage area for my hay," said Gigi Van Ostrand, DVM, PhD, Skippy’s owner, in an organizational release from Pet Poison Helpline.¹ "That day Skippy was running around chasing a skunk. He's been in many skunk encounters, so I wasn't worried about it. This time, he chased the skunk deep into the stack of hay bales and disappeared. We were busy with our horses, so we didn't look for him for several hours.”

It turns out that Skippy was trapped inside the hay and Van Ostrand had to use the family’s tractor to remove several bays out of the way, each potentially weighing up to 1400 lbs. Van Ostrand was not hearing any noise from Skippy and thought that he had passed out. When they finally removed the hay, Skippy was cold and blue, according to Van Ostrand.¹ Knowing the severity of the situation because of her veterinary background, she rushed Skippy to the Southern Alberta Veterinary Emergency Hospital (SAVE) where they instructed her to call Pet Poison Helpline.

Skippy, a Jack Russell Terrier, recuperating after nearly dying from chasing a skunk into a pile of hay bales. (Image courtesy of Pet Poison Helpline)

"Being sprayed by a skunk is a relatively common occurrence for pets, especially those who live in a rural area. Most exposures result in a pet covered in a strong smell, as well as skin and eye irritation. In rare cases, however, the intense compounds in skunk spray can result in oxidative damage to red blood cells, leading to changes in their ability to transport oxygen appropriately as well as death of the cell,” explained Renee Schmid, DVM, DABT, DABVT, a senior veterinary toxicologist and director of veterinary medicine at Pet Poison Helpline.¹

“This leads to anemia and a condition called methemoglobinemia, which doesn't allow oxygen to be delivered throughout the body as normal. In Skippy's case, he had a very severe reaction that quickly became life-threatening," she continued.

The SAVE team worked directly with Pet Poison Helpline to analyze Skippy’s current situation to create an aggressive treatment plan due to concerns he would develop hemolysis. Skippy was immediately put on intravenous fluids, given medication for vomiting, and was given n-acetylcysteine (NAC). NAC is a modified form of an amino acid and is used to combat blood damage caused by skunk spray.¹

Skippy stayed 3 days at SAVE and was transferred to the VCA Canada Calgary Animal Referral and Emergency (CARE) Center after he was not improved. He had become hyperthermic, hypoglycemic, neutropenic, and anemic so he was then placed on dextrose supplementation and continued with NAC. Skippy also received 2 blood transfusions as well as other supplemented care. His care teams believe that being trapped under the hay bales for hours most likely played a part in his additional complications which were already difficult. Skippy was eventually released from the hospital but had to continue treatment at home.

"Skippy was all but dead," concluded Van Ostrand, "but now he's bouncing around like normal. I don't think an animal can go through much more and survive. He's an exquisite dog."

Reference

1. Dog Nearly Dies From Skunk Encounter. News release. Pet Poison Helpline. September 4, 2024. Accessed September 5, 2024. https://prnmedia.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dog-nearly-dies-from-skunk-encounter-302221271.html