Pet grooming can be a pretty cool and fun way to give your best bud a new look — within limits. Many a pooch has perked up after a fresh trim or a fancy 'do. Again, within reason. Getting their fur off their faces so they can see? Cool. Trimming long hair in the summer so they don't overheat? Also cool.
But, things that humans do at the salon don't always translate well for dogs. And what happened to a poor Pomeranian is an unfortunate reminder that dye jobs and dogs don't mix.
According to Metro, the owner of Diffy, the Pomeranian, took her dog to a grooming salon in Hua Hin, Thailand, and asked the groomer to dye Diffy's ears and tail.
Though the owner was hopeful for a colorfully cute turnout, it didn't take long for signs that it hadn't gone well to start showing up.
The groomer apparently told Diffy's owner that his ears would return to their normal perkiness in "two or three days," but, instead, his ears got flaky and the skin turned red.
His owner turned to the internet for help.
"Before the dye, my dog's ears were up," she wrote. "But after I went to the pet store and the dog stylist colored his ear with aluminum foil for 40 minutes without heat, I took him home and his ears turned out like this.
She pleaded with her social media following for assistance, "Has anybody experienced this before?"
Diffy's owner said that "Diffy's left ear is now falling off because of the color dye. The pet groomer put too much dye on him. My dog's ear was itchy, burnt, turned black, cracked, and eventually fell off."
One local wrote, “Dogs are not unicorns. Dog lovers should know that dying is very dangerous to them."
Animals are not able to handle the same chemicals used in human grooming. The downfalls far outweigh the benefits, and include chemical burns, toxicity, and blindness to name a few.
And she posted a pic of Diffy's ear after it had fallen off. Vets around the country picked up on it and started sharing it around.
Many were dismayed with the level — or lack of — logic involved with this sad situation.
If done safely, and with care, dyeing your pup’s hair can be great experience.
Professionals had much harsher words, though.
"It is dangerous to dye your puppy's fur. This dog's ear looks like it suffered an allergic reaction and was burned. Then it fell off. His ear is gone forever. It's all the owner's fault for trying to color them."
In 2018, Pinellas County Animal Services in Florida shared the story of Violet, a Maltese mix that had come under their care after being dyed purple. "Violet’s eyes were swollen shut, she was limp and listless, she had obvious burns to her skin," they said.
It took three months of care, with pain meds, antibiotics, IV fluids, and countless other treatments, to get poor Violet back to health. Thankfully Diffy wasn't dyed head-to-toe like Violet was, or it could have been much worse!
h/t Metro
