Violet Nearly Died From Injuries Caused By Human Hair Dye

Warning: This happy-ending story does contain some graphic and disturbing images.

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A Pinellas County, FL, animal shelter is warning people not to dye their pets’ hair with dye intended for humans after an adorable maltese-mix dog suffered life-threatening injuries.

Pinellas County Animal Services posted disturbing photos to its Facebook page depicting the sad, painful journey of Violet, a 5-pound dog who came to them with severe burns after she’d been dyed purple with hair dye meant for humans.

It nearly killed her.

“Violet’s eyes were swollen shut, she was limp and listless, she had obvious burns to her skin – we gave fluids, pain meds and we gently washed as much of the chemical dye off as we could, we bandaged her up. Then we waited – Violet went home with our veterinarian and we waited,” said Pinellas County Animal Services on social media.

“…We were amazed that she had made it through the night. But still we waited. She wasn’t out of the woods but she was alert and freely offering kisses,” said PCAS.

After carefully shaving the dog to assess her injuries, they were horrified to find her skin begin to slough off. Three months of antibiotics, fluids, honey treatments and of course, pain meds, followed. The love and care Violet received paid off.

“Violet began to tell us what to do – it started with a little noise; not really a bark, not really a cry. But then she found her voice and she never, ever, EVER stopped.

Her recovery took three months. Photo: PCAS

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.”

They worried about her eyes. And her skin. And whether her hair would ever grow back.

“When the final bandages came off we breathed a collective sigh of relief – Violet was beautiful,” said PCAS.

Now, Violet’s difficult journey is mercifully at an end.

She has wonderful new owners who happen to specialize in beautifying pets, the PCAS staff wrote!

Now, Violet is a brand-new dog with a brand-new life. She’s got a great forever home! Photo: PCAS

Good for you, Violet!

And we’ll leave you with some wisdom from the PCAS Facebook post:

“Pet makeovers are wonderful – they come out smiling after a new haircut, nail trim, maybe a little bow or bandana. They smell so good, they feel so soft and they prance around showing off. Great stuff, right! We do our own hair – funky styles and colors are on the rise. Express yourself, but please do not use hair dye intended for humans to express your pet’s style. Let’s all say that together – Do NOT, under any circumstances, use hair color intended for humans on your pets. Chemicals in hair dye are TOXIC causing a wide array of external injury to your pet – possible burns, blindness and because an animal’s first instinct is to lick, it can cause poisoning or internal burns. Just don’t.”