St. Paddy Dogs!

[furtech]

It's too early for St. Patrick's Day, but my dogs are nothing but fast. After a nighttime dog walk I was about to hose 'em off when I noticed something peculiar...



Yep. Green. Somewhere on that foggy night, night, martians replaced my dogs with greenies.



As amused as I was with their condition, I always worry about little things like my dogs suddenly turning green. I am guessing they picked it up when they went into the creek behind a golf course (where the runoff goes). Worried* that it might be chemical residue from fertilizers or herbicides (green is not a "friendly" color when it's part of gardening chemicals), I gave them a shampoo with Pantine Pro-V.

I'm still tempted to go back there before the March/St. Patrick's Day Border Collie Rescue party and green them up again: after their initial hosing-off, they were clean and *bright green*. I just have to see how toxic this stuff is first.




*I was right: certain herbicides are mixed with green dyes to both show location and to add color to the grounds. Herbicides=bad

Comments

[foxfeather.livejournal.com]

You can get non-toxic food dyes that will work wonders on white fur if you're so inclined. :) It's pretty popular with dog salons and fashion poodles/froofy dogs.
http://www.ehow.com/how_2222539_dye-dogs-fur-safely.html

[furtech.livejournal.com]

Yeah...but I'm torn: actually -dying- them would violate my, "People who do that sort of thing to their dogs are stoopid," belief, but that would be safer than exposing them to chemicals (also stoopid)-- though the creek-dip would fall under, "Look what my crazy dogs got themselves into!"

Plus, a green dog on St. Patrick's Day is goofy-haha...a green dog in -May- is just...odd. Most of the food-dye links seem to indicate that eventually the dye just wears out...but thanks for the link!

[renniefox.livejournal.com]

Feliz Na'vi-dogs!

[furtech.livejournal.com]

Excellent play on words, situation and holiday greetings! Score two points!

[oats-a-plenty.livejournal.com]

Make the dogs shamrock fursuits. I made my pit bull nibbles a hyena costume, Hippo has a spartan costume (complete with hvac foam helmet). Unfortunately, they lost in a costume contest to some dogs in hobo outfits.

[furtech.livejournal.com]

They actually have jaunty St.Pat's scarves...but they were so *bright green* after the dirt was washed out that evil thoughts just came to mind. Plus, it's less traumatic for them than costumes (especially when running in a huge pack of border collies!).

Man, losing to hobo costumes. Sad.

[fenris-lorsrai.livejournal.com]

There's a type of spray mulch and grass seed that's that shade of green. The green washes out shortly after it's applied. it's just tinted green to make it easy for maintenance crews to be sure they didn't miss a spot.

[furtech.livejournal.com]

I called the golf course and the guy there (working with the groundskeeper) said that it was probably the green-dyed herbicide they use to kill weeds around the trees and rough areas. It's -possible- that all they picked up was the dye, but I'm extra-cautious when it comes to commercial herbicides/pesticides. I'm almost tempted to report the creek contamination to the...who -do- I report things like that to?

[fenris-lorsrai.livejournal.com]

If it's running off into the creek that would be either the local office of the EPA, California Wish and Wildlife, OR, if you one, your town's Inlands Wetlands commission. California may be too dry for you to have them by town, but there is probably a regional water authority. (CT's so soggy each town has one!) Just plain trying the water department may work too since they may know who handles free flowing water source... or if that particular stream runs back into drinking sources and is thus their problem.

[lironess.livejournal.com]

Koolaid makes a good non toxic dye when mixed very very strong. Not sure how dark the lime is though.....

[furtech.livejournal.com]

I need to research this...find something that will wash out with soap...

[lironess.livejournal.com]

I think it has to wear out.....but it is very non toxic...may make their tongues green too :)

[hoshikaji.livejournal.com]

OH MY GOD NO GET IT OFF GET IT OFF.

[iisaw.livejournal.com]

Yikes!

[skorzy.livejournal.com]

Its more likely erosion control "spray" mulch. Just a cellulose based mulch containing grass seed and fertilizer. Its used everywhere in California on the slopes of landscaping projects

[furtech.livejournal.com]

(See above)

I should probably try and talk to the actual head groundskeeper. If it -is- that mulch, then it's probably not-so-bad. But if it's the herbicide, not-so-good. The creek is the runoff from a city/public golf course, not a hillside or burn area, so I'm leaning toward the herbicide (as the assistant told me). It probably got washed into the tiny, sludgy creek from the recent rains.

[mythos-amante.livejournal.com]

Cool! And glad you washed it off before they licked at it!

Otherwise, Green dogs=FUN!

[furtech.livejournal.com]

Yeah-- I thought something was odd when R0ndo only took a taste of the water on the walk, instead of his usual thirst-quenching gulps. When I got home and saw the green, I was -very- glad he didn't drink much!

Yeah...green dogs=fun! But I'm not Irish-enough to be that fanatic, I think...

[didjiman.livejournal.com]

Eeek... that's nasty.

[furtech.livejournal.com]

Yes...but at one point, after the dirt was washed off and before the shower/shampoo, they were so clean and -green-! It was kind of cute, in an accidental-kind-of-way.

[dogteam.livejournal.com]

Hopefully it's just a cosmetic dye used on the greens to make them pretty. Let's hope.

[furtech.livejournal.com]

I've got to double check with the guy in charge, but it's sounding like an herbicide (ie, not so good). For the sake of the creek-system (and future walks), I'm hoping it's just the dye and that the actual herbicide is highly volatile (and breaks down fast). I've marked the day they were exposed to it on the calendar and am watching both dogs for anything unusual. So far, five days later, there's been nothing unusual (thank goodness!).

[mauricia.livejournal.com]

I covet Apache. <3 Rondo is awesome too. <333

[furtech.livejournal.com]

Apache is the most complex dog I've ever encountered. My sister (the dog-sister) was right: never get a dog smarter than you. She is my Pearl of Great Worth (and sometimes an inexplicable PitA).

R0ndo is my Dude. We're SO on the same page!

[kynekh-amagire.livejournal.com]

Eeeeeeeeeeeew. Reminds me of the time I dyed Luck's tail blue for a 4th of July parade. Glad everyone's okay.

Apache's expression in the last pic is SO FAMILIAR, aagh. Dubious border collie is dubious. Luck looks at me that way all the friggin' time.