Dog almost dies when her owner uses human hair dye on the pet

Violet the 5lb Maltese mix after her previous owner tried to dye her purple using hair color meant for humans. Photo / Pinellas County Animal Services

Warning: Graphic Images

A dog almost died when its owner decided to use human hair dye to color the pet purple.
Violet, a 2.3kg Maltese mix, is still recovering three months after the chemicals left her with severe burns to her back and eyes.

The seriousness of her injuries meant animal rescuers in Florida feared the worst for the dog, especially when she began to shed skin, the Daily Mail reports.

There was also a worry the hair dye had made her blind, but thankfully she managed to pull through and has now been re-homed.

There was also a worry the hair dye had made her blind, but thankfully she managed to pull through and has now been re-homed. Photo / Pinellas County Animal Services

Because dogs' instinct is to lick their wounds, vets thought Violet would end up poisoning herself or causing internal burns.

She was placed on fluids, medication and the animal rescue team washed off as much of the chemicals as they could.

They bandaged her up and hoped for the best, and to their surprise she made it through the night.

But when they removed the bandages and shaved her coat, the true extent of Violet's injuries were laid bare when her skin had started to peel off.

The extent of the dog's injuries were not realized until her coat was shaved, revealing her skin had started to peel off. Photo / Pinellas County Animal Services

She was placed on fluids, medication and the animal rescue team washed off as much of the chemicals as they could. Photo / Pinellas County Animal Services

After three months of constant care, during which time she didn't have the energy to cry, she has now been re-homed.

Although she still has a pink tinge to her coat, the lovable pet has escaped relatively unharmed.

Pinellas County Animal Services guided Violet through her recovery, and a spokeswoman said: "Please take one thing away from Violet's journey - only use products specifically meant for pets or you could be putting your pet's life on the line."