A VET has issued an urgent warning over a 'dangerous' viral TikTok trend.
The trend has seen owners using dye on their dogs to make them look like other animals – like pandas and foxes.
Dr Anna Foreman from Everypaw Pet Insurance has warned owners not to jump on the trend.
Dr Anna said: "There is no situation -apart from when dyeing a dog’s tail to discourage theft- where dyeing a pet’s fur is benefiting the animal themselves.
"It is purely benefiting us for aesthetic purposes. Some dogs enjoy being groomed or being bathed, however there is no way we can say that animals specifically enjoy being dyed."
This could put the animals at risk of skin irritation, toxicity and serious infection.
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Dr Anna said: "The only situation where fur dyeing is remotely acceptable (and even so there are other methods to discourage thieves) is when an animal’s tail is dyed a bright, garish colour as a way of preventing them from being stolen.
"This method is sometimes used in the UK, however mainly in foreign countries where microchipping is less common.
"As well as being a deterrent, as dogs with a brightly dyed tail are easily identifiable, it also discourages thieves as a dog with a dyed tail is less desirable to potential buyers".
Owners are advised to seek out an experienced groomer in the event that a dog's tail needs to be dyed.
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But dog sitting app Rover said dyeing your dog's fur is ok as long as safe products are used.
They warned owners never to use human hair dye and stressed the importance of keeping the dye away from the dog's eyes and mouth.
They also advised avoiding the dye if your dog has sensitive skin to avoid an allergic reaction, and stopping immediately if your dog is showing signs of distress.
Research by Everypaw shows that searches for blue dog hair dye have increased by 200 per cent in the last three months.
One TikTok user shared photos of her dog after dyeing him to stop him being stolen.
One woman revealed that her dog groomer had dyed her two pooches without asking.
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