Veterinarians are sounding the alarm as they see a growing number of coughing dogs.
Wendy Brown’s three golden retrievers — Bridge, Dooley and Lulu — are among the dogs who started showing symptoms earlier this November.
“Dooley started doing kind of this huffing and also seemed to feel quite lethargic,” Brown recalled to “Good Morning America.” “Not too long after, Bridge began to exhibit the symptoms. But his were louder, more boisterous. I thought it was his stomach because he made like a retching sound.”
Initially, Brown thought her pets had a typical kennel cough but when their symptoms didn’t subside, she knew it was something more serious.
“The vet started him on a 10-day cycle of doxycycline. Today was day 10 and he is not a lot better,” Brown said.
Brown, an Idaho resident, said she’s still not sure what could have caused her dogs’ illness in the first place.
While research is underway, veterinarians say the mystery illness is highly contagious and can be fatal. Reported symptoms so far have also been typical of a kennel cough and they include coughing, sneezing, nasal and/or eye discharge and lethargy.
“Instead of that dry cough where the dog felt good, it was now this wet cough where the dog felt sick,” Amanda Cavanagh, the section head of the urgent care service at Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital, told “GMA.”
Experts like Cavanagh said any dogs showing signs of consistent coughing should be brought to a vet to be examined.
“We can ultrasound the lungs to see if there is a problem that is related to pneumonia or the contagious pneumonia that seems to be going around,” Cavanagh said.
Cavanagh also recommends keeping any coughing dogs away from other dogs and for two weeks after the cough goes away.
Touching Moment: Adorable Puppies Brave the Waters in Search of Help, Embodying Resilience!
“When we stumbled upon this heart-wrenching image of a mother dog and her nine two-week-old puppies abandoned in a blue plastic bin in the parking lot of North Side Baptist Church in Abilene, Texas, it left us outraged.
But thanks to a compassionate individual who shared their photo on social media, the message reached the right people.
When the image circulated online, two selfless volunteers from Paw Angel Animal Rescue immediately came to the rescue of these canines from their dire situation.
“I saw the picture, and it just broke my heart, and I called Angel, and we went and rescued the dogs,” said Misty Boerger, one of the volunteers. “I just don’t know how someone could do that, leaving mama and 2-week-old babies.”
The mama dog, a five-year-old Boxer, was visibly frightened and needed urgent care. She was covered in numerous wounds that were open and continuously draining. The volunteers wasted no time and safely transported the dog family for medical checkups.
Dory, as she’s now known, along with her surviving eight puppies, is thriving in their new foster home and getting healthier day by day. Unfortunately, one of the pups didn’t make it; he had a throat tumor and had to be euthanized.
Paw Angel Animal Rescue has been providing regular updates on Dory and her eight surviving babies. We’re delighted to report that they’re now in good health and are expected to be available for adoption in the near future.
Please share this story with your friends and family to help Dory and her pups find their forever homes. What are your thoughts on this touching story? Share your opinions in the comments below!”
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