The Fish Dog Road Trip - Beware of Salmon
© Colleen Paige

Our dogs love to be anywhere - car, boat, train or Ferris Wheel, as long as there is some kind of action involving warm bodies, excitement and reconnaissance.  Now of course there is an advantage to having a mom who is an animal trainer but interestingly enough, they seem, for the most part anyway, to have trained themselves…although Evelyn Wood Speed Reading was mostly my idea. Good “dog behavior” makes it easy when enjoying the great outdoors and happening upon people who don’t like dogs.  Perhaps one day, good “people behavior” will be necessary as well, for people who don’t like people, when enjoying the great outdoors. And be wary, just as you will find people who are mean and nasty to others, they will be that way to your dog the minute you turn your head. In my opinion people who are cruel to animals should not be allowed to eat ice cream. You must keep your dogs’ behavior abilities in mind when planning a trip that will not involve solitary confinement.

Dogs become very excited and tend to bark at fish, so BEWARE, as there are plenty of outdoor enthusiasts who aren’t thrilled with anything loud and obnoxious hanging around, especially if it lacks a fin. It’s also not wise to allow your dog to make a ruckus, as it may annoy drunken fishermen who, in their aggressive state, may want to fillet you for allowing your dog to scare the fish. And fish, it turns out, are canny creatures. They have what’s called a lateral line system that runs along the sides of their bodies, which helps them gauge changes in water pressure. This is how schools of them are able to group together and move as one when a predator — like your furry child — is near. Hence, dogs don’t always make the best fishing partners because of the risk of their scaring Little Nemo away.

Some dogs are not willing though to give up the catch. What happens when an unstoppable force meets an unmovable object? You just may find out when you try to get a fish away from a dog that loves them and is determined to hang on. There may be nothing left but bones and a head by the time you’re through struggling (and you may also subject yourself to fines if Mr. Ranger is nearby). It’s often difficult to know what you’ve caught until you reel it in. If your dog jumps into the water and brings in something, it may turn out to be a fish that legally has to be thrown back. If the fish is injured, your wallet may suffer damage as well.

There are many fun places to fish with your dog, such as dog-friendly Lake Tahoe, which has some great hiking trails, Twin Lakes in Columbia, Missouri, and Crescent Bay Lake in Washington State. But don’t be misled by the idyllic image of fishing with your dog — it’s not always picturesque. As much fun as this sport can be with your dog involved, there can also be danger for our canine friends in the form of Salmon Poisoning Disease. For dogs living in north western States like Idaho, northern California, Washington, Oregon, parts of southern Alaska and British Columbia — and now even in some parts of the East Coast — the risk of contracting SPD is unfortunately very real and can be deadly. 

 What is Salmon Poisoning Disease?

A parasite called a rickettsial organism infects worms or snails that are eaten by salmonoid fish.  The fish then becomes the secondary host which only seems to affect dogs, not humans. It’s possible that just licking the blood of a dead fish on the shore can result in poisoning as well. Transmission by respiratory means is rare. The disease is not breed, age, or gender specific and dogs that survive SPD are immune. According to The Merck Veterinary Manual symptoms are as follows:

      • Sudden onset of symptoms five to seven days after ingestion of fish.

      • Initial symptoms include lethargy and anorexia.

      • Peaking of temperature between 104-107.6˚ F in the first two days followed by gradual return to normal.

      • Onset of persistent vomiting by the fourth day.

      • Development of bloody diarrhea within a few days of vomiting onset (the diarrhea that is normally seen is a bright yellow color).
 

How can it be prevented?

Do not allow your dog to catch or eat raw or cold processed salmonoid fish of any kind.  As even cold processing will not kill the pathogen. If you choose to feed salmonids to your dog, make sure the fish is cooked or pressure canned.  Watch your dog closely after any trip to make sure he is healthy. Needless to say, enjoy your trip but do not feed your dog raw salmonid fish. Instead, keep it, smoke it, and send it to me with plenty of bagels and cream cheese.