The blue haired puppy is a rare occurrence where a pigment from the bile mixes with the amniotic fluid during pregnancy.
In early October, Cristian Mallocci’s bitch, Spelacchia, a sheep farmer on the island of Sardinia, Italy, gave birth to five cubs, four of which were as white as the bitch. However, the last born male, named Pistacchio, had green feathers. While his brothers wait to be adopted, Pistacchio will remain in the Mallocci family. The farmer shared that he kept the dog special because he believed he would bring good luck to the whole family.
Although rare, the phenomenon of puppies with blue hair has already been documented. In January 2020, a white German Shepherd gave birth to a cub with an unusual blue coat. The owner then named him the Hulk. In 2017, a Golden Retriever in Scotland also gave birth to a green puppy.
This rare phenomenon is believed to occur when young, light-haired dogs are exposed to biliverdin, the green pigment in bile. It is also the pigment that gives brown spots their blue color. According to Mallocci, the vet explains that during pregnancy, biliverdin mixes with amniotic fluid in the placenta and dyes the feathers of the weakest chicks in the flock.
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