ROSS TOWNSHIP, Pa. — The last 24 hours have been busy for Dr. Tiffany McCarty and the staff at Allegheny North Veterinary Hospital in Ross Township. They’ve already noticed some of the negative effects the wildfire smoke is having on their four-legged patients.
“[We’ve heard] more harsh, we call it, lung sounds, so they’re a little more efforted to breathe, maybe some inflammation in the lungs,” Dr. McCarty said. “I have had some asthmatic cats that have come in.”
Channel 11 met Buster, a two-year-old French bulldog, which is a brachycephalic breed. Dr. McCarty said Buster and other types of bulldogs are predisposed to upper airway inflammation, which means the smoke can make it hard for them to breathe.
“They have a flatter face and narrowed airways, so if you can see, his nose is a little bit thinner than a lot of other dogs’,” McCarty said. “With the heat recently, and combined with the air quality, don’t take them outside for too long.”
Until the air quality improves, Dr. McCarty recommends short leash walks, keeping your pet occupied with indoor activities, keeping your windows closed, and investing in an air purifier. Dr. McCarty said while those brachycephalic breeds and animals with chronic conditions, like bronchitis, are most at risk with the lingering smoke, it’s important to keep an eye on your pet, regardless of breed or health.
“The biggest things to watch for are difficulty breathing, upper and lower respiratory, kind of, distress, that would be a medical emergency at that point. You might see some discharge from the nose, the eyes, sometimes they can get some ocular inflammation as well,” McCarty said.
Hollywood Casino at the Meadows has canceled live racing for Friday, saying the health and safety of its horses, drivers, and trainers are a top priority.
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