In the immortal words of Kermit the Frog, it’s not easy bein’ green, at least not when you’re a newborn white German shepherd dog.

When Shana Stamey of Canton, North Carolina’s white German shepherd went into labor last Friday, she thought she was ready for any surprises. The canine named Gypsy rapidly gave birth to 8 healthy puppies. The birth was uneventful, and the young puppies were all healthy, but one pup stood out from the rest.

The pup was birthed lime green and when it arrived, Shana stated she began to go crazy. Since this was Gypsy’s first litter, the arrival of the green puppy took her aback. She quickly did some research and verified the puppy was healthy however had actually been in contact with a substance called meconium found in the amniotic sac.

Meconium is a sticky dark green substance that is basically the puppy’s first feces. Meconium is made up of materials ingested while the young puppy remains in the womb. The substance consists of intestinal epithelial cells, lanugo, mucus, amniotic liquid, bile and water.

Although it’s uncommon for the substance to transform a puppy green, it’s not unheard of and is completely harmless. It happens most often on light hair, such as in this case.

Fortunately, the color will fade after a few cleanings by mom and soon the puppy will certainly look like all its lovable litter mates. Shana stated she named the small puppy Hulk, because of its uncommon hue, and because it was really mad when it was born.

No matter the color, Gypsy is a very good mother and the green pup is super adorable. In time, Shana will be looking for loving homes for her all her young puppies.

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