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.
Heartwarming Rescue: Heroic Efforts to Save an Elderly Canine Stranded on an Ice Floe in the Freezing River for Hours
“From Frigid Waters to a Warm Home: Lucy’s Remarkable Rescue and Heartwarming Reunion”
The initial days in a new home can be quite overwhelming for a rescue dog, often leading them to attempt to run away. Such was the case with Lucy, a recently adopted Labradoodle who managed to slip away from her new owner during a walk. Fortunately, locating Lucy didn’t take long, but bringing her back home proved to be a challenging task.
To everyone’s surprise, Lucy ended up stranded on a large piece of ice in the icy waters of the Detroit River. It remains a mystery how she got there, but there she was, clinging to the drifting ice with frigid water flowing around her. The situation was dire, with the risk of hypothermia looming if she remained on the ice much longer. Responding swiftly to the distress call, a team of Wyandotte police officers, firefighters, and animal control officers arrived to lend a hand.
Upon arrival, they found Lucy, trembling and drenched, lying on the ice. Determined to save her, they managed to maneuver the ice chunk closer to the riverbank. A firefighter bravely stood on a slippery, submerged ladder while his colleagues provided essential support by holding onto him with a rope.
“The poor pooch somehow managed to climb onto a chunk of ice but it was drifting away in the river while the dog was freezing,” the police department recounted.
During the daring rescue operation, one firefighter held a ladder against a nearby dock, while another descended it into the freezing water. With the help of a tool called a catchpole, they gently looped it around Lucy’s neck, carefully pulling her towards the ladder. Although the terrified pup had to endure a few seconds in the icy water, the firefighter held her securely in his arms.
Wyandotte Assistant Fire Chief Tom Lyon later described the heartwarming outcome, saying, “It had such a happy outcome. She just had those big brown eyes, and she couldn’t talk, but she probably was just so grateful.”
Lucy was promptly warmed up, and her worried owner was overjoyed to be reunited with her. After a thorough examination by a veterinarian, Lucy received a clean bill of health.
It’s safe to say that Lucy will be spending her days cozily wrapped in a blanket, basking in the warmth of her new home with her loving family.
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