Last Updated on August 1, 2020, 7:03 AM AST by Anthony Morris
A German shepherd in New York which was the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in a dog in the United States has died.
Allison and Robert Mahoney of Staten Island told National Geographic that their 7-year-old shepherd, named Buddy, had developed breathing problems during the mid-April after Robert had been sick with the COVID-19 coronavirus for several weeks.
A veterinarian then tested Buddy in May and found that he was positive for the COVID-19 coronavirus.
In June, the US Department of Agriculture reported that a German shepherd in New York state was the first dog who tested positive for COVID-19 coronavirus in the US but did not identify the owners of the dog.
The Mahoneys told National Geographic that Buddy’s health declined slowly after he developed breathing problems and thick nasal mucus in April. He was euthanised on July 11 after he started vomiting clotted blood.
It is still unknown if the COVID-19 played a role in Buddy’s death. Veterinarians told the family that blood tests have shown that Buddy likely had lymphoma, which is a cancer of the immune system.
A spokesman of the New York City Department of Health has said that the arrangements were made to take Buddy’s body for a necropsy, but the body had already been cremated when the instructions were shared with Buddy’s veterinarian.
A USDA database of the confirmed cases of the coronavirus in animals in the United States includes 12 dogs, a tiger, ten cats and a lion.
The agency has said that there is currently no evidence that the animals play a significant role in spreading the COVID-19 coronavirus. Still, it seems like the virus can spread from people to animals in some scenarios.
Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.
