First dog to test positive for COVID-19 in U.S. died
A German shepherd in
New York that was the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in a dog in the U.S. has
died.
Robert and Allison
Mahoney of Staten Island told National Geographic that their 7-year-old
shepherd, Buddy, developed breathing problems in mid-April after Robert had
been sick with the Coronavirus for several weeks. A veterinarian tested Buddy
in May and found him positive for the virus.
Buddy’s health
declined steadily after he developed breathing problems and thick nasal mucus
in April. He was euthanized on July 11 after he started vomiting clotted blood,
the Mahoneys told National Geographic.
It’s unknown if the
coronavirus played a role in his death. Blood tests indicated Buddy likely had
lymphoma, a cancer of the immune system, veterinarians told the family.
A spokesman for the
New York City Department of Health said arrangements were made to take the
dog’s body for a necropsy but when the instructions were shared with the
veterinarian, the body had already been cremated.
A USDA database of
confirmed cases of the coronavirus in animals in the United States includes 12
dogs, 10 cats, a tiger and a lion. The agency says there is currently no
evidence that animals play a significant role in spreading the coronavirus but
it appears the virus can spread from people to animals in some situations.
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