An cute maltese-mix puppy had injuries that might have been fatal, prompting an animal shelter in Pinellas County, Florida, to issue a caution to owners not to color the hair of their pets using dye designed for human hair.
Violet, a 5-pound dog, was brought to Pinellas County Animal Services with serious burns after being colored purple with hair dye used for humans. On the agency’s Facebook page, Pinellas County Animal Services uploaded upsetting images portraying the tragic and terrible journey that Violet went through.
Violet’s coworkers at PCAS were concerned that she wouldn’t make it through the night, but she was a survivor!
It came dangerously close to taking her life.
Violet’s eyes were swelled shut, she was limp and listless, and she had evident burns to her skin. We gave her water, pain medication, and we carefully wiped as much of the chemical dye off of her skin as we could, and then we bandaged her up. Violet went home with our veterinarian, and we waited,” wrote Pinellas County Animal Services on social media. “Then we waited.”
“…We couldn’t believe she’d made it through the night without falling asleep. However, we continued to wait. According to PCAS, “She wasn’t out of the woods yet, but she was attentive and readily delivering kisses.”
They were horrified to see that the dog’s skin had begun to peel off after they gently shaved the animal in order to evaluate her injuries. After that, he went through three months of therapy with antibiotics, fluids, honey treatments, and, of course, pain medication. The affection and attention that Violet got was productive.
“Violet started instructing us on what to do, and it all started with a small noise that wasn’t quite a bark and wasn’t quite a cry.” However, once she discovered her voice, she never, ever, ever stopped using it.
It took her three months to get back to normal.
She started walking the hallways, going to each office and demanding goodies or cuddles or soft pats, and she was always in front of our doctor when she did this. Violet was obviously doing better, and she made it plain that she wanted everyone to know it.
They expressed concern about her eyes. And her skin. And whether she’d ever be able to get her hair to grow back.
When all of the bandages were removed, everyone in the room gave out a collective sigh of relief because Violet looked absolutely stunning.
Violet’s arduous trip has finally come to a conclusion, which is a blessed relief.
According to what the PCAS team noted, she has fantastic new owners who also seem to specialize in making dogs look beautiful.
Violet is now a brand-new puppy who is starting a brand-new life for herself. She is going to have a wonderful home forever!
Good for you, Violet!
And before we go, here are a few words of advice from a post on the PCAS Facebook page:
“Pet makeovers are amazing — they come out happy after a fresh haircut, nail trim, and sometimes a little ribbon or bandana,” said the woman. They have a delightful aroma, a very gentle feel to them, and they parade about showing off. Wonderful stuff, isn’t it!
We cut and color our own hair, and edgy cuts and colors are becoming more popular. Express yourself, but if you want to give your pet a unique look, please avoid using hair color that is designed for human usage. Let’s all just agree on this one thing: Under NO circumstances should you apply hair dye designed for human usage to your animal companions.
Because the chemicals in hair dye are toxic, they may cause a broad variety of outward injuries to your pet. These injuries include potential burns, blindness, and because an animal’s natural nature is to lick, they can also cause internal burns or poisoning. Just don’t.”
