Last week, Pinellas County Animal Services in Florida, shared the story of Violet, a Maltese who almost died after being dyed purple by her owners.
Source: Pinellas County Animal Services
According toThe Dodo, whenthe dog was rescued she was in a very serious condition. There were severe burns all over her body and one of her eyes was so swollen that she couldn't open it.Malteses naturally have white fur and her owners thought it would be more fitting if her fur matched her name, Violet. This mistake almost cost her life.
Source: Pinellas County Animal Services
When she arrived at the shelter, the diagnosis didn't look good:
We gave fluids, pain meds and we gently washed as much of the chemical dye off as we could. We bandaged her up.
No one knew whether she would survive and they had to wait till the next day to know for sure. While Violet seemed to regain some strength overnight, veterinarians noted with dismay that her injuries were in fact more serious than they first appeared:
We began the arduous process of shaving off her hair to really measure the damage — [and] to our horror her skin began to slough off [...] Good thing Violet was peacefully anesthetized.
Source: Pinellas County Animal Services
It took three months of treatment for Violet to get back on her feet. As she began to heal, more of her sweet personality was revealed each day:
She began to walk the halls, visiting each office requesting treats or hugs or gentle pats, always in the lead with our veterinarian in tow. It was clear — Violet was on the mend and she wanted everyone to know it.
The day finally arrived where her bandages had to be removed and everyone at the shelter was nervous. Fortunately everything was fine, with her skin almost being completely healed. She was soon ready to be put up for adoption.
Source: Pinellas County Animal Services
The charity has had to remind people that the use of products such as dye are not to be used on animals. Dying can cause intense burns, poisoning and even blindness.
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