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Trevor Mosher and Audra Rhys were excited to welcome a litter of bulldog puppies into the world.

The mama dog, Freya, had been having a healthy and normal pregnancy and it seemed like everything would go as planned. However, when the puppies started coming, something unexpected happened.

Photo: Max Pixel

After the mama dog gave birth to her 7 puppies, the number Mosher and Rhys were expecting, she ended up going back into labor.

According to Global News, the couple was actually concerned at first because they weren’t anticipating an 8th puppy and when it came out, its sack was dark-colored instead of clear.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

After the pup was dried off, more worry ensued. Speaking with Global News, Rhys said, “We started to dry [the puppy] off and noticed she was green and immediately again thought something was wrong. So we Googled it … and apparently it is very rare and it has happened a few times all over the world.”

The Canadian family shared photos of their bright green miracle pup on Facebook so you can see them for yourself:

https://www.facebook.com/audra.rhys/posts/10158273799126496

While rare, the world welcomed a bright green pup back in January of 2020 named Pistachio. It seems both puppies likely experienced their coloring from the same thing: exposure to poo.

Meconium, AKA newborn poo, may contain biliverdin, a green bile pigment. If the puppy’s sac fills with meconium, it can dye their fur green.

In an interview with CNN, vet tech Suzanne Cianciulli explained, “Each puppy is located within their own sac in the uterus, and the sac is full of fluid. If they have meconium in that sac, it will actually stain their fur.”

https://www.facebook.com/audra.rhys/posts/10158276152126496

While the color is certainly neat to see, it won’t last forever. Eventually, it’ll fade out and the dog’s fur will take on a normal hue.