The Golden Retriever puppy born with greenish fur is named "Mojito", after a cocktail drink with a similar shade of green.
Just in time for Halloween, a Golden Retriever puppy spooked its human after it was born with green fur.
Joanna Justice, the owner of the dog who lives in the north German town of Wermelskirchen, told a local news agency, Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA), that she was surprised by the unique trait of the puppy, especially since its eight other siblings have appeared normal. She decided to name it Mojito, after a cocktail that has a similar shade of green.
Although it looks weird to many people, Christian Dimitriadis, a veterinarian in Dusseldorf, said that the puppy is as healthy as its siblings. Although it is extremely rare, Mojito's condition is not dangerous, and the green color will fade out naturally after a few days or weeks of licking from its mother. Once the color disappeared, the natural bright white color of a Golden Retriever pup will appear.
It's not uncommon
The occurrence of "green pup" is actually not that uncommon. In fact, earlier this month, a Great Dane puppy was born with a "shamrock-shade" of green skin in Colorado.
In 2017, CNN also reported of another green Golden Retriever puppy born in Scotland.
This rare phenomenon normally happens among light-colored puppies after it had contacted biliverdin, a green pigment found in bile and the same pigment that appears on green bruises. The same pigment also appears on the placenta of dogs, and it could dye the puppy's fur.
Strange-colored babies also appeared on other animals. Some baby orcas were also seen with their white parts filled with peachy orange instead. Scientists explained that these calves have thin layer of blubber and the orange pigments are actually their blood vessels. Like the green dogs, the orange parts become normal as the orcas grew older.
Francois' langur monkeys are also sometimes born with orange fur that eventually fades out as their bodies develop.