Colorado vet, dog owners weigh in on "Goldens in Golden" during canine virus

Some dog owners are raising questions just ahead of the fourth annual Goldens in Golden event. Many pet owners have taken precautions with the canine respiratory virus that has been going around since last year. The virus was causing many dogs across the country to get sick for long periods of time.

The event is known to bring in thousands of golden retrievers and their owners every year.

One local veterinarian said he believes the event is a safe gathering to bring your animals to. Some owners agree, while others are choosing to stay home and stay safe this year.

Dr. Sam Lane is the owner and a veterinarian at Golden Paws Animal Hospital located in Golden. He said many dogs were coming in with the virus over the summer, but the number of cases has gone down recently.

"In the last several months, we really haven't been seeing any of those cases, and frankly, haven't been seeing a lot of respiratory cases at this time of year, which is actually abnormal because a lot of times we'll see a lot of respiratory cases after the Christmas and Thanksgiving and we haven't been seeing that happen," said Lane.

He's still encouraging animals to have updated vaccines and owners to take preventative precautions.

"Really, I've been telling my clients these days to return to life as normal," said Lane.

As goldens plan to take over Golden this weekend, James Featherstone is keeping his one-and-a-half-year-old dog home. She's been sick with a cough for the past few weeks.

"After doing some antibiotics, that didn't clear anything up, so we're more worried that it's actually the virus," said Featherstone.

Featherstone added that he had been wanting to go to the event until his dog got sick. Now, he wants to keep his dog safe and not risk it.

"We just ultimately decided that we weren't going to do it seems because we were too worried about possibly getting anybody else sick," said Featherstone. "Other than when she gets excited to see other dogs or other people, she starts coughing up a bit. So we're just worried about that. And anything respiratory can always be pretty contagious."

On the ride up from Texas, Nancy Thompson had a conversation with her husband about whether to bring her 12-year-old golden retriever to the event.

"As long as pets are fully immunized, it should be OK. We love Nala very much and would never do anything to harm her. So, we decided to go ahead and come," said Thompson.

Thompson added that since the event is outdoors, she feels her dog is safe.

"Because the pathogen being airborne, even though there are going to be a lot of dogs together, I feel more comfortable than if it were an indoor event," said Thompson. "We're going to attend and if there is a golden who seems to be ill, we will try to separate her from that dog."

If you are concerned about your pet's health or if they're coughing or having trouble breathing, it's encouraged to take them to the vet and skip this year's event.

As for the weekend weather, the event will only be cancelled if it's too extreme.

Visit Golden issued a statement on keeping the community safe being a top priority for the event by saying: 

"The safety and health of our community, including pets, is our top priority. Visit Golden consulted with local veterinary and animal organization partners in regard to the possible impact of canine respiratory illness. All our partners are in support of the Goldens in Golden event for healthy, vaccinated dogs, including Dr. Sam at Golden Paws Animal Hospital, who shared this message. If you are concerned about your pet's health, we encourage you to consult with your veterinarian or skip this year's event as Goldens in Golden attendance is at your own risk."