A Dog Nearly Passed Away When Owner Used Human Hair Dye To Colour Her Purple

Dressing up pets is a pretty common thing to do. If you do an internet search for dog costumes, you’ll find hundreds. Actually, according to a spending survey, roughly 20 million people dress up their pets for Halloween, to the tune of over $300 million.

Dyeing one’s pet a color isn’t quite as popular of an activity, and the reason is clear: the pets could get hurt. People can get hurt trying to put clothing on their dogs, perhaps, but the dogs are unlikely to suffer.
One pet owner decided to die a dog purple, and the poor pooch almost perished. Dogs should not be dyed any color with human hair dye. Please understand that doing so can result in great pain and even death, so it should not be done under any circumstances.

The poor dog in this story is named Violet, which may explain the attempted dye job, and she is a Maltese Mix. She’s a tiny little thing, weighing only about five pounds (two kilograms).

An animal service center in Pinellas County, Florida reports that the canine suffered shedding skin, swollen eyes, and chemical burns. The workers at the center were relatively certain that Violet was going to die; however, she pulled through after being treated with fluids and medications. They tried to get as much of the toxic coloring off as possible. She had to be completely shaved and was wrapped in bandages. She was described as both “limp” and “listless”.

The chemical burns were so severe that poor Violet’s skin was starting to fall off. The center used social media to post that is a good thing that Violet was under anesthesia, as the situation was worse that was considered initially.

The road to recovery was a long one. Scab removal, antibiotics, and painkillers eventually did the trick, though. She actually had to be connected to a drip at one point.

She was timid at first, of course, but eventually Violet started making little noises and then barking. She would then start walking the halls of the center looking for treats and affection. As the center put it, she was “on the mend” and the dog wanted everyone to know it.

She is healthy once more, and she even has a new home thanks to the center.

There are actually ways to safely dye your pet that aren’t toxic to the animal. Dyes made from foods, for example, are safe in certain cases (for example, beets could be used to make an animal’s hair pink). Food coloring can be okay, too. Certain pet stores sell “coloring” products intended for animals that are completely non-toxic.

Just never use dyes intended for humans, and if you’re going to dye your pooch, you might want to consider consulting a veterinarian. All animals are different after all, and what might be appropriate for one dog might not be appropriate for another animal.

If you do color your pet, be warned that not everyone will be happy with you. If you’ll recall, a few years back the Brazilian model and actress Alessandra Ambrosio safely died her dog pink, but PETA was not too thrilled with her.

Other experts, including Cesar Milan, claim that dyeing your pet creates a great deal of stress for the animal, so you probably just shouldn’t do it.

H/T – Source