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Whoa! Bulldog Gives Birth to a Green Puppy

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  • A Canadian couple’s bulldog recently gave birth to a green puppy.
  • The puppy came out from a black amniotic sac. 
  • While green puppies are rare, they are normal and healthy. 

When Audra Rhys and Trevor Mosher of Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia, learned that their female valley bulldog, Freya, had given birth to a black amniotic sac on Jan. 27, they feared the worst. 

The couple thought the puppy inside this strangely colored sac was already dead because she was born separately from the other seven healthy pups delivered by Freya in clear sacs.

But then the puppy started moving. 

“We started to dry her off and noticed she was green and immediately again thought there was something wrong. So we Googled, ‘My puppy is green, what’s wrong,’” told Rhys to Global News. Fortunately, they learned that green puppies are quite rare but otherwise healthy.

Bronwyn Crane, DVM, MS, a veterinary reproductive specialist at the Atlantic Veterinary College at the University of Prince Edward Island, explained how unusual the occurrence is.

“I don’t know if I can find an exact rate of occurrence, but I would suspect it is [less than] 1:10,000,” she told Global News and added that it’s her first time coming across a green puppy.

Facebook/Audra Rhys

While the explanation for this is uncertain, some light-colored puppies may develop a green hue when they come into touch with a green pigment called biliverdin during development. It’s the same pigment that makes bruises green, and it can sometimes contaminate the placenta and amniotic fluid and dye a puppy’s fur. 

Little Fiona, named after the lovable character in Shrek, is unquestionably a miracle. She isn’t, however, the first shamrock-colored dog to make the news.

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In 2012, Hulk, a golden-green Labrador, was born in Lancashire, England. In Spain, a pair of “Hulk pups” was also born in 2014. In 2017, a green golden retriever named Forest was born in the Scottish Highlands. More recently in 2020, baby Pistachio was born in Sardinia, Italy. According to a BBC report, Pistachio’s owner said he hoped his green puppy would be a source of positivity in these trying times. 

Facebook/Audra Rhys

Fiona may not be the first green puppy to be born, but Rhys considers herself fortunate to have been a part of such a rare occurrence, and she plans to relish the experience. Green puppies, unfortunately, lose their distinctive coloration as they get older.

Fiona was originally light lime green, but according to Rhys, the hue has started to fade. She told Daily Paws that it will take a week or two before Fiona’s green tint becomes unnoticeable. 

Rhys said they plan to keep Fiona or find her a home with a close family member if they are unable to do so. She goes on to say that it’s been incredible to see how many people are interested in Fiona’s story and how much joy she’s provided to so many people.

Source: Daily Paws

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