Dog’s Unusual Silence During Singer Shania Twain Songs Helps Detect Health Crisis

A dog named Jax, who developed a persistent cough after inhaling grass, was saved when his owners noticed he wasn’t “singing along” to Shania Twain songs as he usually did. The five-year-old Border Collie, known for howling to hits like “Man! I Feel Like A Woman” and “That Don’t Impress Me Much,” suddenly lost his bark, prompting owner Ellana Farrow to seek help, the New York Post reported. 

Ms Farrow took Jax to Northwest Veterinary Specialists (NWVS) in Sutton Weaver, Cheshire, where a CT scan revealed a 5cm grass seed lodged in his lungs. Vets used a bronchoscopy-a procedure involving a tiny camera on a tube-to remove the seed. Ms Farrow, a respiratory physiotherapist from Preston, Lancashire, initially thought Jax’s cough might be a virus, but when symptoms persisted, she became concerned.

She said, “At first, I thought it might be a virus, but after a couple of weeks, I visited our local vet. They treated him for lungworm, but when symptoms lingered, he was referred to NWVS. The CT scan confirmed a grass seed as the likely culprit, which was a relief compared to other possibilities.”

She added, “I was shocked by the size of the seed-it was 5cm long, like a full seed head of long grass. But Jax is back to his usual self, running, chasing frisbees, and even ‘singing’ again. After his treatment, Shania Twain came on the radio, and he just started singing.”

Veterinarian Chantal Rosa told the media outlet, “We avoided surgery by performing a bronchoscopy, using a thin, flexible tube with a camera, light, and small tools to remove the seed. At 5cm, it would have been a significant irritation for Jax. The procedure went smoothly, and Jax recovered quickly, going home the same day.”