Audra Rhys and Trevor Mosher, who own a pregnant Nova Scotia bulldog named Freya, recently gave birth to a green puppy named Fiona. They chose the name because it reminded them of the ogre princess in the animated movie Shrek.
The couple searched online, thinking that something was wrong with Fiona.
They discovered that green puppies were very rare and sometimes occurred in other places in the world. Nonetheless, the color will gradually change as the puppy matures. The process usually takes around six weeks, but it can take up to a year for some dogs.
The change in fur color doesn’t happen evenly across the body. It starts at the tips of the fur and works its way toward the body. And sometimes, instead of turning brown, the tips of the fur turn green.
When a puppy is born with green fur, it’s often a sign that he or she was born prematurely. Green fur isn’t uncommon in newborn puppies. It’s quite normal, and it can be found in dogs of any breed.
The color is usually from biliverdin, which is found in bile. Biliverdin is a pigment that can range in color from blue to green or even black depending on its concentration. The pigment stains the hair of light-colored dogs if they come into contact with it during birth.
The green tint remains until the puppy begins producing melanin after it’s been born. Melanin is a brown pigment that gives humans and animals their hair and eye color. After the puppy produces enough melanin, its fur will return to its natural color over time.
There is no evidence that a dog’s fur color has any effect on its personality or temperament. But there is evidence that puppies born green are more likely to be female. Adult dogs could change colors too.
This is usually because of a health issue or a deficiency in vitamins. Nonetheless, they will return to their original color once they get over the illness.
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Credit: CityNews
