In the immortal words of Kermit the Frog, it’s not easy bein’ green, at least not when you’re a newborn white German shepherd dog.
When Shana Stamey of Canton, North Carolina’s white German shepherd went into labor last Friday, she thought she was ready for any surprises. The dog named Gypsy quickly gave birth to eight healthy pups. The birth was uneventful, and the puppies were all healthy, but one pup stood out from the rest.
The pup was born lime green and when it arrived, Shana said she started to freak out. Since this was Gypsy’s first litter, the arrival of the green pup took her aback. She quickly did some research and confirmed the pup was healthy but had been in contact with a substance called meconium found in the amniotic sac.
Meconium is a sticky dark green substance that is basically the puppy’s first stool. Meconium is made up of of materials ingested during the time the puppy is in the uterus. The substance contains intestinal epithelial cells, lanugo, mucus, amniotic fluid, bile and water.
Although it’s uncommon for the substance to turn a puppy green, it’s not unheard of and is totally harmless. It happens most often on light fur, such as in this case.
Fortunately, the color will fade after a few cleanings by mom and soon the puppy will look like all its adorable litter mates. Shana said she named the tiny puppy Hulk, due to its unusual hue, and because it was very mad when it was born.
No matter the color, Gypsy is a very good mom and the green pup is super adorable. In time, Shana will be looking for loving homes for her all her puppies.
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