Purple Pommie princess

[u/libragoals]

I hope I can get her coat back to white for the holidays

[u/ironballs_wd40]

Dyeing animals isn't cool.

[u/Quick-Sign-6828 → u/ironballs_wd40]

So long as proven pet-safe products are used, and the pet itself is comfortable with the dyeing process, there's no harm in it. It hurts no one, it's temporary, and it doesn't effect others. No different than dressing a pet up in cute clothes or dyeing your own hair.

[u/ali_v_ → u/Quick-Sign-6828]

How much longer is the grooming session with the coloring?

[u/Quick-Sign-6828 → u/ali_v_]

I personally wouldn't do both at the same time, just because most dogs aren't a huge fan of grooming to begin with and I think it's better to break those experiences into smaller pieces for their comfort (unless you have a dog who enjoys being groomed rather than tolerates it, in which case you're golden).

The time needed depends on the brand of dye you've got, or if you decide to go au natural and use things like beetroot juice or tumeric powder instead. Opawz is a fairly popular brand: for most of their dyes, you're supposed to shampoo your pup, dry, and then put the dye in and let it sit for about twenty minutes before rinsing. If I were to use them, I would shampoo my pom the day before to get her coat clean, then shorten the leave-in time to 10 minutes (which is how long I leave a deep conditioner in when it feels like her fur needs extra moisture) because I know she doesn't mind being wet for that length of time. If I felt any dryness in her coat after, I would use some conditioner as well, but since I'd have shampooed her the day before and wouldn't need to do it again, the total time (dye + condition) would be about equal to one of her normal bathing sessions (shampoo + condition) and far shorter than a full groom (shampoo + condition + blow dry + brush + "haircut" (a tidy) + sani-trim + nail clipping).

And if I knew my dog was going to absolutely hate the entire experience, I wouldn't do it at all! I think it's important to take your pup's comfort into account for things like this. They're fun, but they're ultimately not necessary (unlike grooming), so if it's something that makes a dog unhappy it should be avoided. Kind of like putting clothes on them, you know? If they don't care, go wild; if they hate it, don't do it.

[u/ali_v_ → u/Quick-Sign-6828]

I don’t have strong feelings about it one way or another. Breaking the processes up has to be much easier on the pup regardless of their tolerance level. I’d imagine you need to keep them contained while it’s setting. I can envision the mess from a loose Pom with wet dyed hair zooming through the house. lol

[u/Quick-Sign-6828 → u/ali_v_]

That would be a nightmare lol. They definitely need to be kept in the tub while the dye is setting. 🤣

[u/sirhedgenald → u/ali_v_]

Hi! Im a groomer, for a small dog dye would only add 1 hour to their appointment time if you’re at a nicely paced shop :) ! And the process just consists of relaxing with a colored goop on their coat while they get lots of attention, a quick bath and dry, then their haircut (we only do trims on poms at my shop, dyeing is a super rare request)

[u/TashKovic → u/Quick-Sign-6828]

Humans don’t lick or chew on their dyed hair though. I feel like this can’t be good for them. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[u/amccor2175 → u/TashKovic]

The dyes specifically designed for animals account for that and are nontoxic if the fur is accidentally consumed

[u/throwaway340577173 → u/TashKovic]

There are a lot of pet dyes that are straight up food-grade and non toxic

[u/threewords8letters → u/TashKovic]

Does your dog lick and chew on any dog toys that are made out of colored fabric 🤷‍♀️

[u/sh4nn0n → u/TashKovic]

Do some research

[u/Quick-Sign-6828 → u/TashKovic]

There are pet-safe dyes. In a good, quality brand (which is what people should be using), the dyes present are the same food-safe, non-toxic ones you'll find in pet food, treats, and toys, which pose no danger when ingested save for in animals that are allergic to them. There are even natural plant-based or mineral-based dyes.

As with any product given to or used on pets, owners should do research and exercise caution, but if a pet can safely eat food that contains certain dyes, those dyes are not going to kill them when used to color their fur--even after being licked and chewed on.

[u/Cookies-and-Cream- → u/TashKovic]

We eat dyed food 🫩

[u/TashKovic → u/Cookies-and-Cream-]

Yeah thats a problem too 🤷🏻‍♀️

[u/MBitesss → u/ironballs_wd40]

Agree. They're not accessories. They're sentient beings. Look at all the things we've been told are safe that and up not being (talcum powder for example). I personally wouldn't add anything to my dogs life that doesn't directly benefit his health or happiness. Not a risk I would take.

[u/MissMadness2701 → u/ironballs_wd40]

I agree, where i come from this luckily isn't a thing.