A vet has issued a warning against a viral TikTok trend in which pet owners are dyeing their dog’s fur, risking causing serious skin infections. A number of videos posted on the social media platform show owners dyeing their animal’s coat to look like other animals such as pandas, foxes and even block colours like Clifford the Big Red Dog, reported WalesOnline.
Though the results are perceived to be whimsical, experts warned the trends could put dogs at risk of toxicity, skin irritation and serious infections.
Dr Anna Foreman, from Everypaw Pet Insurance, said: “There is no situation where dyeing a pet’s fur is benefiting the animal themselves.
“It is purely benefiting us for aesthetic purposes.
“Some dogs enjoy being groomed or being bathed, however there is no way we can say that animals specifically enjoy being dyed.”
According to recent research by Everypaw, there has been a considerable rise in online searches related to dog hair dye.
The study further stated that the search volume for ‘blue dog hair dye’ has grown by 200 percent over the past three months.
Meanwhile, searches for ‘temporary dog hair dye’ have boomed by 100 percent within the same time frame.
Experts said that pets can react very badly to hair dye, just like humans.
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Strong chemicals can harm dogs’ skin, which can then lead to infections.
Pet hair dye companies recommend patch testing before use and human dye products should never, under any circumstances, be used.
Dr Anna added: “The only situation where fur dyeing is remotely acceptable is when an animal’s tail is dyed a bright, garish colour as a way of preventing them from being stolen.
“This method is sometimes used in the UK, however mainly in foreign countries where microchipping is less common.
“As well as being a deterrent, as dogs with a brightly dyed tail are easily identifiable, it also discourages thieves as a dog with a dyed tail is less desirable to potential buyers.”
Dr Anna has told owners that if they want to die a dog’s tail, then they should use food colouring made from all natural ingredients.
