There seems to be a bit of controversy over whether raw fish in general is harmful to dogs. Some say the bones are a problem, others say dogs naturally know how to avoid consuming them. Others say that, much like us, worms and other parasites could be a problem. And there is always the old adage that if wild dogs such as wolves thrive on raw fish, why can’t our domesticated canine?

However, there is one raw fish that is potentially lethal to dogs – salmon. Now, this comes as a shock to me since I live on an island on the west coast of Canada and we have salmon spawning grounds in the most unlikely of places. You would think that at some point in my years of working in the emergency vet hospital here – the largest one in Canada mind you – that at some point I would have heard of Salmon Poisoning Disease! Weird is all I can say!

Salmon Poisoning Disease actually occurs in all fish that swim upstream to breed known as anadromous fish. These fish are prone to the parasite Nanphyetus salmincola which is relatively harmless. However, that parasite can be infected with another parasite called Neorickettsia heminthoeca which is considered a rickettsial organism. This rickettsia organism is rare and limited to the Pacific Northwest area west of the Cascade mountain range says veterinary parasitologist Dr Bill Foreyt from the Washington State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine.

Only our beloved canids or dogs are susceptible to the disease which is why bears, raccoons, eagles, and cats are all fine with eating raw salmon.

Clinical signs develop within six days and consist of:

* Vomiting
* Inappetence
* Fever
* Diarrhea
* Muscle weakness
* Swollen lymph nodes
* And secondary dehydration from vomiting and diarrhea

Salmon Poisoning Disease is normally fatal within 14 days without treatment (90% fatality rate).

The poisoning is diagnosed through a fecal sample or fine needle aspirate (sampling) of a swollen lymph node. Eggs of the parasite are easily detected in a fecal sample and the rickettsial organism is detected within the lymph node.

Treatment includes antibiotics and deworming medication; antibiotics for the rickettsia organism and dewormer to kill the parasite. Depending on the severity of the condition, the dog may need to be hospitalized for IV fluid therapy but once treatment is started, a marked improvement shows within two days and the dog is expected to make a full recovery.

If your dog is showing these symptoms and you know he got into raw salmon OR got into garbage and you are not sure what he ate, tell your vet about the possibility of Salmon Poisoning Disease aiding in a quick diagnosis.

And don’t feed raw salmon to your dog unless, like sushi, it has been frozen first to ensure all parasites or nasty little organisms are dead!