Dog owners in California are reminded to take precautions to protect their pets from Salmon Poisoning Disease.
Salmon Poisoning Disease is a potentially fatal condition seen only in dogs after they eat certain types of raw or cold smoked fish like trout and salmon that are infected with a bacteria-like organism, Neorickettsia helminthoeca, which is transmitted by the parasitic flatworm (or “fluke”) Nanophyetes salmincola.
Nanophyetes salmincola occurs naturally in waters of northern California and most of the north state can be considered the native range for the fluke. But dogs throughout the state are susceptible. Dog owners are advised to be cautious and to keep their dogs away from salmon, steelhead, trout and other freshwater fish carcasses. The parasite cannot survive in cooked fish, is not harmful to humans and does not affect pets other than dogs.
