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A dog breeder in Spain was shocked this week when her hound dog gave birth to a litter of puppies – and two of them had green fur!
“I thought the puppies were dirty and tried to clean them, but the color wouldn’t come off,” explained Aida Vallelado Molina, a breeder in the town of Laguna de Duero, Spain.
The incredible pair – a boy and a girl – were born much smaller and weaker than the other puppies in their litter. The female, sadly did not survive long after birth, but the boy is still alive, though much smaller and more weak than his healthy brothers and sisters.
Local veterinarian, Daniel Valverde, is researching the puppies’ bizarre pigmentation and a possible cause of death. Valverde said no other cases of green puppies have been recorded in Spain.
Two years ago, a Labrador puppy was born in America with a green hue. “Hulk’s” owners found research suggesting the strange color was due to a substance in the mother’s placenta called biliverdin.
Another green puppy was born in a New Orleans shelter in 2008.
Anna Zorrilla from the Louisianna SPCA explained, “Sometimes when a puppy is born, the amniotic fluid mixes with the placenta and dyes the coat of the puppy and it almost always happens to very light colored puppies. There are not health concerns – it’s really just a discoloration in the birthing process.”
DKB
Jun 14, 2014 at 12:07 pm
Please don’t lump all breeders together in one despicable group. Just like any other group, you have your bad folk and your good folk. I agree that this is a divisive issue, and I *hate* people who breed dogs with the dollar being the only motivation.
But some breeders actually care about their breed and want people to enjoy them for the future. They dedicate their lives to the health and well-being of the breed: health checks, genetics studies, years of pedigree research and are active in breed rescue (for those dogs bred in bad circumstances – conscientious breeders work hard to ensure their pups do not end up in rescue) to make sure they are doing the best for their breed.
So before you judge ALL breeders, please do your due diligence. The next time you see a beautiful purebred dog, imagine that breed becoming extinct. Some of you may wish for that to come true – and you have the right to wish it. But, I think some of you have a favorite breed. Imagine a world in which all dogs – not just purebreds – are no longer in loving homes. There are people in this world to work hard to make that a reality.
The goal should not be getting rid of all breeders. It should be ensuring that all dogs are bred under the best circumstances. If you get rid of all breeders (including the good ones) and all the dogs are rescued, then what?
Michelle
Jun 14, 2014 at 12:11 am
The sad look on that mama dog’s face says so much. Breaks my heart. HOW I HATE DOG BREEDERS. Wonder how many litters she has been forced to have so her stupid owner can profit.
David A. Hereaux
Jun 13, 2014 at 8:30 pm
Meanwhile dogs are literally being killed in the streets of Spain, just for being dogs. Friggen breeders. 🙁
Laura
Jun 14, 2014 at 5:42 am
There is a terrible problem in Spain related to dogs and hunting. They use them as they were tools and then get rid of them, in the meanwhile they live a terrible life. The mom of the puppies is a podenco, used for hunting as well in rehalas (a great number of dogs that live and hunt together)
We are many people in Spain fighting against this, but the laws allow to have a great number of dogs just for hunting and they don´t consider animal abuse that they live in terrible conditions.
You can see a link here with some pictures perrofeliz.net/perros/la-triste-vida-de-los-perros-de-rehala
Cat Stonehouse
Jun 13, 2014 at 6:10 pm
The green colour is when the pups are distressed during labour and pass their first stool (meconium) which is dark green almost black and mixes with the amniotic fluid in the individual sack, hence the green died colouring that is fading as the mother cleans the pup each day. It is similar to human babies in distress during labour and can be toxic to the pup if ingested. The pups were lucky to have been born alive, it is not surprising that one has faded. But it isn’t that uncommon, it’s simply because it’s more noticeable on a light coated pup, and normally they would be stillborn.
Sue Hardy
Jun 13, 2014 at 3:28 am
When puppies get distressed the birthing fluids are green “the greens” it is a sign that something is seriously wrong. I’m not surprised one of the pups died. May be the pup in front held things up a bit, stressing the the next two.
Bethany
Jun 12, 2014 at 1:59 pm
If the color is simply due to a pigment change im the fur, why would the puppies be weaker and/or die? That can’t just be a coincidence…
Gina Wilde
Jun 12, 2014 at 1:46 pm
I was wondering about the past green puppies. How long do they stay that color? Do the eventually turn the normal color? Or do they stay green?