Cloudy with a few showers. High 78F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 30%..
Cloudy early with some clearing expected late. Slight chance of a shower throughout the evening. Low 64F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph.
Updated: May 19, 2024 @ 1:14 pm
Dr. Laura Shuler (right) talks with Mike and Susan Hillyer about their dogs, Reno and Morgan, during a checkup at Safe Harbor Animal Hospital in Mount Pleasant on Dec. 1, 2023. A dog respiratory illness found in more than a dozen states has arrived in South Carolina. Laura Bilson/Staff
Dr. Laura Shuler holds a vaccine for respiratory illnesses in dogs at Safe Harbor Animal Hospital in Mount Pleasant on Dec. 1, 2023. Laura Bilson/Staff
Susan and Mike Hillyer bring their dogs, Reno and Morgan, into the clinic, where they are greeted by Wendy Dority (right) at Safe Harbor Animal Hospital in Mount Pleasant on Dec. 1, 2023. Laura Bilson/Staff
Medications, including cough tablets, sit on a shelf at Safe Harbor Animal Hospital in Mount Pleasant on Dec. 1, 2023. A dog respiratory illness found in more than a dozen states has arrived in South Carolina. Laura Bilson/Staff
Maddy Quon covers Charleston County for The Post and Courier. Most recently from Tokyo, Japan, Maddy graduated from the University of Mississippi where she studied journalism.
Dr. Laura Shuler (right) talks with Mike and Susan Hillyer about their dogs, Reno and Morgan, during a checkup at Safe Harbor Animal Hospital in Mount Pleasant on Dec. 1, 2023. A dog respiratory illness found in more than a dozen states has arrived in South Carolina. Laura Bilson/Staff
Medications, including cough tablets, sit on a shelf at Safe Harbor Animal Hospital in Mount Pleasant on Dec. 1, 2023. A dog respiratory illness found in more than a dozen states has arrived in South Carolina. Laura Bilson/Staff
It’s getting rough out there for the pups. A respiratory dog illness found in more than a dozen states has arrived in South Carolina.
The canine infectious respiratory disease has been confirmed at an unidentified animal hospital in Aiken County, according to a Facebook post from Veterinary Services of Aiken.
The illness, which first was detected in August on the West Coast, remains a bit of a mystery. It’s similar to kennel cough but doesn’t respond well to antibiotics, according to the Veterinary Services of Aiken. In some cases, it has progressed to pneumonia.
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Laura Shuler, a veterinarian with the Animal Hospitals of the Lowcountry in Mount Pleasant, wrote in an email to The Post and Courier that this is not really a new issue. There’s been an uptick in respiratory illnesses in dogs in the last few years, and it’s just a matter of identifying the underlying cause or causes, she wrote.
Multiple factors could be involved, Shuler wrote, including how the COVID-19 pandemic caused a surge in dog ownership while quarantining individuals and citywide closures disrupted the usual care routines for pets.
Other factors could include insufficiently vaccinated pets and underlying conditions that could make them more susceptible to the spreading bug.
“It’s not necessarily a surge in a new illness, but rather an escalation in population compounded with an increased awareness and dog interactions,” Shuler wrote.
Symptoms include coughing, sneezing and red, runny eyes and nose.
Dr. Laura Shuler holds a vaccine for respiratory illnesses in dogs at Safe Harbor Animal Hospital in Mount Pleasant on Dec. 1, 2023. Laura Bilson/Staff
Shuler advised for pet owners to vaccinate their dogs because the cause of the disease hasn’t been pinned down and it “may just be the usual suspects behaving badly.”
She recommended vaccinating for kennel cough, parainfluenza, adenovirus and the known canine influenza strains, H3N8 and H3N2.
Animal hospitals, pet stores and shelters have responded with preventive measures. Downtown Dog, a dog-themed pet store in Aiken, has been sanitizing its grooming areas after every appointment and has removed the community water bowl from outside the store, manager Michelle Hall said.
The Veterinary Services of Aiken posted on Facebook its response to the disease.
One of the biggest changes is that the animal hospital will no longer be accepting new boarding reservations until further notice, the post said. For those choosing to keep their existing reservations, the veterinary office will be monitoring dogs for any symptoms including coughing, fever, lethargy and nasal discharge.
They also encourage everyone to get their dogs vaccinated for canine infectious respiratory disease, commonly known as kennel cough (Bordetella), and canine influenza. These vaccines are not shown to prevent CIRD, but can help to support the dog’s immune system, the post said.
Susan and Mike Hillyer bring their dogs, Reno and Morgan, into the clinic, where they are greeted by Wendy Dority (right) at Safe Harbor Animal Hospital in Mount Pleasant on Dec. 1, 2023. Laura Bilson/Staff
In order to prevent the disease from spreading in the examination areas at the vet’s office, all dogs exhibiting symptoms of CIRD are being kept outside of the facility in the car until its examination. This is to prevent dogs from spending a long time in the waiting room, potentially spreading the infection, the post said.
The Veterinary Services of Aiken also discourages dog owners from visiting dog parks, pet stores, grooming facilities and any other places where dogs gather.
Nick Calcagno, a dog owner, said he’s not too concerned right now. It doesn’t affect his holiday plans because he has family in Charleston, But, he said, if he had to board his golden retriever Hazel, he would be worried.
Megan Mussman, owner and manager of Dog Culture in Greenville, a dog day care that does grooming and boarding, wrote in an email to The Post and Courier that any illnesses they’ve seen in the past few weeks have been pretty typical in her experience, but if they notice anything out of the ordinary they isolate the dog and call the owner immediately.
While they have always been vigilant with cleaning procedures, over the past month they’ve introduced additional cleaning steps to further protect the dogs in their care, Mussman wrote.
She added that no out-of-state dogs can visit at this time; the priority is local clients and keeping the community’s dogs healthy.
Mussman wrote that Dog Culture recently opened a second facility in Mauldin, but business in both locations has taken a hit over the past few weeks as people learn more about the disease in the news. As the owner of a dog day care and sleepover facility, her job is to provide a safe and healthy environment for dogs to socialize and have fun. In this regard, she wrote, Dog Culture hasn’t changed.
Kiersten Brown, co-owner of Brown Dog Walking Co. in Charleston, said they’re used to adopting preventative measures, as they take precautions every year when kennel cough and the flu come around. To be included in private walks, dogs need to be up to date on their vaccinations, and dog owners must inform the staff of any symptoms. The walkers are careful to wash their hands between excursions.
For now, no dogs showing any symptoms of illness are allowed to join the company’s adventures, Brown said. They can go on private walks, but must wait two weeks after receiving medical treatment before they can rejoin the group fun. The company requires a letter from a vet describing treatment and including the date it ended before the dog is allowed back in the pack.
“Not everybody has dogs that interact with other dogs, but we still want to be safe because dogs are everywhere,” Brown said. “This is a dog-loving town, and that’s what we love about Charleston. We just want to keep them safe.”
Taylor Beltz in Aiken and Emily Garcia in Greenville contributed reporting.
Reach Maddy Quon at mquon@postandcourier.com. Follow her on Twitter @MaddyQuon.
Maddy Quon covers Charleston County for The Post and Courier. Most recently from Tokyo, Japan, Maddy graduated from the University of Mississippi where she studied journalism.
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