Will My Dog Get Sick From Raw Salmon? Salmon Poisoning Disease

Yes, dogs can potentially get sick from parasites found in some raw salmon.

You can avoid this problem by freezing raw salmon for a week before feeding it to your dog, according to an article in Dogs Naturally Magazine.

This is one of those cases where worrying about parasites in raw dog food is somewhat justified. You should be careful when feeding raw fish, and just make sure to do your own research and freeze the fish prior to feeding it to your dog.

More about salmon poisoning disease in dogs

Salmon poisoning disease in dogs can be life threatening and occurs when a dog eats raw salmon infected with the microorganism called Neorickettsia helminthoeca, according to PetMD.com. This can also be found in some trout and other fish.

Diagnosing salmon poisoning in dogs

According to petMD, symptoms of salmon poisoning can include:

• fever
• vomiting
• swollen lymph nodes
• discharge from the eyes and nose
• diarrhea

Salmon poisoning can be diagnosed through a fecal sample or a needle sample of a swollen lymph node, according to Dogs Naturally.

Can cats eat raw salmon? Can people eat it?

I love sushi and order salmon rolls regularly. Yum! So why don’t I get sick?

According to Dogs Naturally, dogs (including wolves and coyotes) are the only animals susceptible to salmon poisoning. Cats, raccoons and bears can eat raw fish regularly without consequences.

Apparently humans can too.

Freeze or cook salmon before feeding it to your dog

If you choose to feed your dog raw salmon, simply freeze the meat for a week before feeding it to your dog, and that will kill any potential parasites, according to Dogs Naturally.

You can also cook salmon prior to feeding it to your dog, but remove the bones. I’m sure some people feed cooked bones without any problems, but I’d rather not risk it.

Prevent your dog from eating fish carcasses

Obviously, if you walk your dog where there could be fish carcasses, you’ll want to be careful. If you live near water and are not sure which local species of fish could make your dog sick, make sure to ask a local veterinarian.

Dr. Karen Becker wrote that salmon, trout, lamprey and other fish native to the Pacific Northwest can be carriers of Neorickettsia helminthoeca. Sculpin, redside shiner, shad, sturgeon, candlefish and large-scale sucker can also be carriers.

What do the rest of you do? If you feed your dog any raw food, is salmon or other fish included?

Related blog posts:

• Can my dog get sick from salmonella?
• Can my dog get sick from raw pork?
• Feeding sardines to dogs