Aroma Pets

Extremely rare puppy born with green fur thanks to pigment in mother's womb

An extremely rare puppy was born with green fur thanks to a pigment in his mother's womb.

The aptly-named pup Pistachio was born as part of a litter of five earlier this month.

While his siblings were all born with creamy white fur, Pistachio had a very obvious green tinge to his.

He was born on a Sardinian farm, with owner Cristian Mallocci saying he couldn't believe his eyes when one of his eight dogs gave birth to the rare pup.

The adorable cross-breed's tinting comes from a pigment called biliverdin, which can be found in the placenta of dogs.

Biliverdin can be dislodged during the birthing process and mixes with the amniotic fluid surrounding the puppy in the mother's womb.

If the levels of Biliverdin are particularly high, the pigment can then stain the puppy's coat.

There are no known health risks of the pigment and the green tinge eventually fades as the puppy grows.

Last year a baffled dog owner was given the shock of her life when one of her dog's nine puppies was born with green fur.

Joanna Justice, 43, from Wermelskirchen, in northern Germany, was at first shocked when her pet Melody gave birth to one green-tinted pup amongst the litter.

She decided to honour the Golden Retriever pup's mint-coloured hue by naming the dog 'Mojito'.

She said: "I was very worried at first when he was born. But we are pleased all nine puppies are well."