Hilton Head-Bluffton dog owners beware: Contagious infection is spreading, vet warns
Pet owners should be aware of a spike in the number of cases of dogs coughing over the last week, warned a Hilton Head Island animal hospital.
In fact, Heritage Animal Hospital posted on Facebook, dog owners in Hilton Head and Bluffton may want to avoid grooming appointments and boarding facilities until more is known about the respiratory infection that seems to be spreading.
Veterinarian Tracy Duffner said the clinic saw five dogs with the illness on Monday and another three dogs by early afternoon Tuesday, but she believes cases have been on an upswing over the past two weeks.
Lab tests have been done to check for 11 viruses and bacteria that can cause this type of coughing illness in dogs, Duffner said. Until test results come back from the lab, it’s impossible to pinpoint the culprit.
Test results are expected to be available sometime between Wednesday and Friday.
As far as symptoms, some dogs may have fever and seem less active or lethargic, Duffner said.
“Right now, what we seeing first and foremost is coughing,” she said, explaining that the coughing may be mild for some dogs, but bad enough to cause vomiting for others.
Either way, dogs who are coughing should be considered contagious.
Duffner said pet owners should keep an eye on their dogs, especially if they’ve been around other dogs recently or in areas where dogs typically are. She said dogs should be checked out by a vet at the first sign of being “under the weather.”
Dillon Cooper, manager of Bark Shack doggy day care in Bluffton, said employees there have been made aware of the vet’s warning.
“We’ve always been a social kennel, so we are all about socializing the dogs,” he said. “We’re keeping an eye out and making notes.”
He said the business has posted the vet’s warning in the lobby where pet owners can see it.
Duffner said only dogs — not cats — are being affected by the respiratory infection.
This story was originally published August 7, 2018 at 4:29 PM.