He was the last to be born in a litter of seven, and with his green hue, Lucky the St. Bernard pup is breeder Kat Jossy’s lucky charm.
Lucky was born in Armstrong on Saturday, March 26, but instead of having a traditional brown and white coat like his brothers and sisters, his coat came out a colour befitting his name.
Jossy said she’d picked out the name before he was born, going with a Disney theme for all the pups and wanting to name the seventh pup after Lucky from One Hundred and One Dalmatians.
“I already had the green collar picked out,” she said on Friday. “The universe knew.”
Luck was indeed on Lucky’s side in the early goings, when it appeared the pup might not make it.
“He came out not breathing so I had to resuscitate him and he had a lot of fluid in his lungs. I spent almost an hour and a half trying to bring him back,” Jossy said.
It was only after she was able to resuscitate him that she took a moment to appreciate his strange hue.
She’s been told it happens with about one in 10,000 puppies. Scientists believe that a green pigment found in bile known as biliverdin can leak into the womb and dye the puppy’s fur before it is born.
Lucky won’t be green for long; the colour will fade away in a matter of weeks.
Lucky needed a trip to the vet due to an eye infection, but by all accounts he’s now healthy and happy.
“We have the most amazing vets here at the Armstrong Veterinary Clinic. They are just top notch,” said Jossy.
This was Jossy’s second litter, and it was remarkable in more ways than one.
“I’m actually going to have a three-legged puppy, too,” she said, explaining one of the other pups was born with an underdeveloped front leg that will likely need to be amputated in four to six weeks.
As for Lucky, he’ll be off to a new home once he turns eight weeks old.
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