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My Bichon Swims in My Pool, But Her Coat Turns Green: How Can I Get Her Coat White Again?

A bichon is a small breed of dog that has short, bright white fur. If your bichon has a taste for swimming and takes regular dips in the pool, the copper in the pool water can cause the dog's white fur to turn green over time. If you notice a green tinge in your bichon's coat, you can wash him using a home remedy to strip the excess copper and return the coat to white. Even though there are shampoos for humans formulated for this very reason, using them on dogs could have a potentially harmful result, as the pH level of human shampoo is very different from dog shampoo.

Things You'll Need

  • Pin brush
  • Clarifying dog shampoo
  • Canned tomato sauce
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Instructions

    • 1

      Brush the bichon's coat thoroughly using a pin brush. Any tangles that get wet will only mat together more and be harder to remove later.

    • 2

      Wet the fur and massage a quarter-sized dollop of clarifying dog shampoo into the fur.

    • 3

      Rinse the shampoo thoroughly and pour canned tomato sauce over any green areas on the fur. It may sound strange, but the acid in the tomato juice will neutralize the copper in the fur and allow it to be rinsed away.

    • 4

      Rinse the dog until the water runs clear.