A bright green puppy was born in the United States: veterinarians explained the anomaly. Photo

In early November, five puppies – three boys and two girls – were born in Mississippi. The mother of the Pit Bull breed is white, as are four of the newborns. Only one girl surprised with her color – she has bright green fur.

The girl was named Fiona, in honor of the "Shrek" cartoon character. The dog's owner immediately consulted with veterinarians and was assured that it was not harmful, but only a rare color, MailOnline reports.

"I was reassured that it's a rare condition, but it doesn't harm the puppy at all. And it usually disappears after a few weeks, but sometimes the coloring can stay," said 57-year-old owner Annise Toolley.

This rare condition occurs when light-colored puppies are exposed to biliverdin, a green pigment found in bile, in the womb.

Biliverdin can sometimes mix with amniotic fluid and stain puppies' fur, causing them to be born green. According to veterinarians, usually, only one puppy in a litter is affected by this pigment because each puppy has its amniotic fluid in the womb. And most often it is the weakest puppy in the group.

Green pigment can also be caused by intrauterine meconium. This is when a puppy passes its first stool while still in the womb. Meconium can contain biliverdin if the pup swallowed bile during fetal development. And if they poop before they're born, meconium can stain their amniotic fluid and color them green.

Over time, the green color usually disappears, and exposure to this pigment poses no risk to the puppy's health.

"Fiona is very healthy and extremely active," said the puppies' owner.

Annise Tooley said that she did not immediately notice Fiona's green coloring because she was the first to be born. But when the owner saw her brothers and sisters, it became clear that her fur was different from the rest.

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