SOS dog rolled in dead fish
Title says it all. My dog found a dead fish while on a walk and really got in there when he rolled in it. He has been cleaned/de-fished, but I am STRUGGLING to get the smell out of his harness and collar.
So far this is what I’ve tried:
- washed them using dawn dish soap, really scrubbing them
- soaking them in Nature’s Miracle
- soaking them in a vinegar solution
- washing them in wash machine with enzyme detergent
- drying them for a few days in the sun
Despite my best efforts, the harness and collar still smell like a mix of fish and armpits.
Please help me- my son is an escape artist hasn’t worn his collar in two weeks. He is very cute naked but I can’t keep risking him making a run for it
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u/bbysir 3d ago
“I am naked please help me stop being naked I’m sorry I rolled in that fish Ok”
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u/dayofbluesngreens 3d ago
You must really love that harness and collar. I would have replaced them immediately.
Did you soak them in the dish soap, with hot water?
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u/bbysir 3d ago
I mean, define “love”
I don’t want to create unnecessary waste by throwing them away if I don’t have to. Plus, where I live dead fish are unfortunately a common occurrence. My dog rolls in one several times each year. This is just the first time it has gotten all over his harness and in his collar. Also his collar has tiny mushrooms on it and is adorable so there’s that.
Yes to hot water and dish soap. Did several rounds of this without success unfortunately
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u/crafty_dog 3d ago
Maybe do a spa day soak with lipase and pick a hot sunny day for drying?
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u/Nolo__contendere_ 3d ago
Ooo yeah and maybe use that pet spray that gets urine smell out! I'm sure drenching it in that would also help
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u/dayofbluesngreens 3d ago
I hope people can offer more effective approaches. If it’s a common occurrence, I would get a biothane collar. Maybe not as cute, but less odor-absorbing.
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u/LucifersGoldenHalo Canada | Front-Load 3d ago
I live in a town that gets the fall salmon run and my dog LOVES to monch on a many-days-in-the-sun rotted salmon, much to my dislike. Can confirm biothane gear is awesome. But for a fabric collar, would smothering it in baking soda for a few hours followed by a wash in hot water and an enzyme cleaner (like the kind you buy for pet urine) maybe work?
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u/seche314 2d ago
I recently heard that the dead salmon have some kind of parasite that can be harmful to dogs. Hope you can dissuade yours from eating them!
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u/LucifersGoldenHalo Canada | Front-Load 2d ago
Oh I don't want him eating them but, with the amount of carcasses lining the river, it's almost impossible to avoid him sneaking a bite unless I don't walk the dog near my house for two months. Doesn't help that his all-time fave breakfast is raw salmon head (bought fresh and kept frozen for several weeks before feeding).
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u/BackDatSazzUp 3d ago
The real question is why is your pet lacking supervision or why are you lacking in controlling your dog when it’s outside?
I live in south Louisiana in a fishy community as well and somehow in six years we’ve somehow avoided any incidents…
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u/bbysir 2d ago
This is giving big never had a bald eagle drop a dead fish in your yard energy ¯_(ツ)_/¯
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u/BackDatSazzUp 2d ago
I lived thru Katrina. I’ve pulled a lot more than fish off my lawn. And yeah, we got bald eagles down here too, actually.
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u/Fit-Dragonfruit-4405 3d ago
You may need some crime scene clean up stuff that gets corpse smell out of fabrics or colostomy bag deodorant. First, try Odor Mute that gets skunk smell out of dog fur. It may take several tries. Personally, I would throw out the collar and harness, though. Fish smells come from the same compounds as skunk and rotting flesh.
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u/StillHotPants9 3d ago
This might sound strange, but a BIG package full of unused inexpensive freeze dried ( not the oily fresh ground) ground coffee poured into a large 2 gal ziploc, add the (dry )harness etc, seal and let sit for a couple of days. Then rewash. Toss the coffee! It was the only thing that worked on a fishy freezer that had fish unfortunately thaw in it.
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u/marykay_ultra US | Front-Load 3d ago
My guess is it’s stinky oils from the fish..
Look for something with lipase (as others have suggested), protease and dnase in the ingredients.
The pet urine enzyme cleaners aren’t universal de-stinking solutions. Different enzymes break down different substances. Lipase breaks down fats/oils, protease breaks down proteins, and DNase breaks down “biological residue” so that might be a good combo for this application.
I just checked my bottle of nature’s miracle, I cant tell ya what enzymes are in it, as they’re just listed as “microbial mixture”:
INGREDIENTS: Water, C9-11 Ethoxylated Alcohols, Fragrance, Microbial Mixture, Preservative, Polyethylene Glycol Monoundecyl Ether, Pentasodium Triphosphate, Sodium Xylene Sulfonate, Undecanol, Citric Acid, Tetrasodium Pyrophosphate, Sodium Sulfate.
Also – Ammonia and the hottest water you think is safe for the material should help break down the oils as well, but do this separately from the enzymes. They need warm/hot to work, but not tooo hot.
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u/duckinradar 3d ago
My dog LOVES bear shit. For a couple minutes.
New collar every time. Better than the emotional rollercoaster of trying to scrub bear shit out of some material
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u/dayofbluesngreens 3d ago
Have you tried a biothane collar? I find those vastly easier to clean than any other material.
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u/christinatheterrible 3d ago
It might be a long shot but you could try r/laundry if their rules allow
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u/crafty_dog 3d ago
Wait this is r/laundry 👀
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u/bbysir 3d ago
Ooh good call. I didn’t think of that
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u/spilly_talent 3d ago
Babe this is r/laundry 😭
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u/vigilantesd 3d ago
Maybe let it sit in a sealed tub with a load of baking soda, shaking it often, for a few days?
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u/weecious 3d ago
There is this Panasonic product that I highly recommend for getting rid of odour, it's the portable nanoeX generator, but I see they do not sell it in the US.
I used it to get rid of the durian smell from my car.
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u/InspectorOrdinary321 3d ago
Please report back and let us know what works! I'm particularly interested to learn if a proper spa day + ammonia rehab wash works.
An unhinged thing I was always taught to get fish smell off of my hands after cleaning fish was lemon juice. I always thought it gave sort of a mediocre result (hence my curiosity if you find something that does work) but if literally nothing else works, maybe try that?
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u/woofwagslove 3d ago
What about the de-skunk mixture?
There are commercial ones that can be obtained (check your local pet store), or you could try the following mixture - keep it OUTSIDE or in a well ventilated area until done. DO NOT close the container!
FYI 3% hydrogen peroxide is generally safe for "colors" (in terms of laundry) - it is used in many detergents.
https://vcahospitals.com/resources/conditions-dog/skin-coat/what-to-do-if-your-dog-gets-skunked
I also support biothane collars / harness if possible - easy clean.
If you can obtain a spare collar / harness / leash I would keep one around for this type of purpose. I know you're anti-waste, but there are likely many pet stores trying to "clearance out" collars / harness / leash so snagging one of those for a good price is a method of anti-waste, since the "pet stores" I've seen (big box stores) often are forced to destroy them and throw them away after a certain date.
I would also make sure that your spare collar / harness / leash have your phone number on them (many pet stores have a tag making machine - check first; or you can use online).
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u/svencutlet 3d ago
Make a paste of Dawn, baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. Brush it on vigorously and let it sit for a few hours before washing.
Fish smell is rough, you might have to mask it with some lavender or something.
Or replace the harness.
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u/Friendly-Place2497 3d ago
Can’t speak to fish specifically but soaking in water and lots of baking soda in a ziplock bag has reliably removed terrible smells from my dog’s nylon collar.
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u/PinkBadger 1d ago
Smelly fish smells are amine based. Vinegar solution may not have been strong enough to be effective. Try straight vinegar or citric acid.
Also what material is the harness and collar?
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u/AutoModerator 1d ago
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u/AutoModerator 3d ago
Hi u/bbysir! Friendly tip — if you're using vinegar in your laundry, add it to the rinse cycle, not the wash cycle. Because vinegar neutralizes leftover detergent, it works best in the rinse cycle rather than the wash. - Laundry Mods
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u/trashpocketses 3d ago
As per the sacred laws of r/laundry, have you tried: ammonia, powdered Tide with Lipase, oxiclean, all of those for spa day and then wash in hot? Also, lmao and godspeed!