#Dog who died of ‘acute illness’ confirmed positive for COVID-19

A North Carolina dog whose owners said died of an “acute illness” tested positive for COVID-19, health officials confirmed this week.

The male Newfoundland, around 8 years old, showed signs of illness and struggled to breathe on Aug. 3, Mick Kulikowski, spokesman for NC State University, told The News & Observer.

The dog’s owner first brought the pet to the vet, who referred it to the NC State Veterinary Hospital in Raleigh, according to the report.

The family pet died of its “acute illness” within a few hours of arriving at the hospital, Dr. Steve Marks, associate dean and director of veterinary medical services, told the paper.

Using samples taken from the dog, the National Veterinary Science Laboratories confirmed that it tested positive for the disease, according to the report. The dog is the first canine to test positive for COVID-19 in the state.

It was not immediately clear whether the pet died as a result of the coronavirus, or another factor was at play. Autopsy results are pending.

“Right now, there’s not a definitive cause of death,” Marks told the paper.

Vet school staff was told that a family member initially tested positive for the coronavirus and later tested negative, according to the report.

Last month, a South Carolina dog needed to be euthanized after it tested positive for the disease.

A 2-year-old Fort Worth-area canine also became the first dog in the Lone Star State to test positive for COVID-19.

In April, two pet cats in New York tested positive for coronavirus. Lions and tigers at the Bronx zoo have also contracted the bug.