A last-ditch attempt to save a dog from a mysterious illness plaguing the nation is seemingly working -- with one vet deciding to prescribe the popular COVID-19 drug intended for humans ... Paxlovid -- and it seemed to work! The life of a bulldog named Cash -- who was struggling to breathe with inflamed lungs while coughing up blood -- was spared when Doug Swain, D.V.M., a veterinarian at Lyman Vet Clinic in Cass County, Iowa, gave him the antiviral pills. Dr. Swain tells Iowa news outlet KCCI 8 he made the decision because there was nothing to lose ... adding within days, the dog recovered after being on the brink of death. Since then, he has continued to prescribe Paxlovid to other dogs battling severe cases of the mysterious illness. Dr. Swain says he came up with the solution after noticing the owners of the struggling animals had recently been ill with COVID ... and their symptoms were similar to humans. He adds he put 2 and 2 together when he noticed the affected dogs looked just like he did when he spent 9 days in the ICU after being struck down with COVID. The American Veterinary Medical Association says the mystery illness in dogs has been reported in at least 14 States. As of now, there's no official treatment, and labs across the nation are working overtime to give an official cause to the disease.
