Buddy, the first dog to test positive for coronavirus in the United States to die. The German Shepherd began to have difficulty breathing during the month of April.
After months of illness, Buddy's owners and vet made the difficult decision to euthanize, according to an exclusive report from National Geographic. The German Shepherd died on July 11 in Staten Island, New York.
Buddy first showed symptoms of the virus in mid-April, just before his seventh birthday. He had difficulty breathing, lost weight, and became increasingly lethargic.
After several visits to three different vets, heart medications, steroids and other medical procedures, Buddy tested positive for the coronavirus on May 15.
But it wasn't until June 2 that the New York Department of Health called the Mahoney family to tell them that their dog had indeed contracted the virus.
On the morning of his death, Buddy was vomiting clotted blood in the kitchen. According to the magazine, vets found from blood tests that he almost certainly had lymphoma.
Buddy's family and doctors have not been able to confirm whether it was the lymphoma or the virus that ultimately claimed his life.
Advice from veterinary groups, including the American Veterinary Medical Association, has remained largely the same since early June: Pets do not appear to be easily infected with the coronavirus, and no evidence has been found to suggest that animals can transmit the disease to humans.
Twelve dogs and 10 cats have tested positive for coronavirus in the United States, according to National Geographic.
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