Earlier this year, Pinellas County Animal Services (PCAS) took to Facebook to post sixteen photos of a Maltese mix named Violet, who came to them in very bad shape after used hair dye on her naturally white fur.

“Violet’s eyes were swollen shut, she was limp and listless, she had obvious burns to her skin,” the post reads, explaining what the hair dye did to her. “We gave fluids, pain meds and we gently washed as much of the chemical dye off as we could.”

The next day, the shelter decided to shave Violet so that they could get a better idea of what her injuries were.

“To our horror her skin began to slough off,” the post stated. “Good thing Violet was peacefully anesthetized. It was so much worse than we initially thought.”

Veterinarians were not sure if Violet would have permanent blindness or even survive the horrible skin wounds caused by the dye.

“Fast forward 3 months – pain medication, antibiotics, IV fluids, honey treatments, scab removal, anesthetizing, bandage changes, sleepless nights, worrying, hope, worrying, hope and finally the silver lining,” PCAS wrote. “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.”

Sabina Wizemann, Good Housekeeping Institute’s Senior Chemist, warmed that dogs can experience allergic reactions or chemical burns from hair dye just like humans can.

“Humans also color a relatively small portion of hair, and in the case of this poor dog, the color is applied over its entire body, hence the likelihood of the dog getting sensitized being much greater,” she said, adding that their reaction is likely due to overexposure to a chemical commonly found in hair dye, PPD (paraphenylenediamine).

Thankfully, Violet has found a forever home with professional groomers who know how to take care of her fur, and would never dream of using dye on it!

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