Salmon Poisoning in Dogs 2025: Deadly Risk from Raw Fish in the Pacific Northwest 🐟🐾

By Dr Duncan Houston BVSc, Ask A Vet Blog
Published: July 7, 2025

While salmon might seem like a healthy snack, raw or undercooked salmon can be fatal to dogs in the Pacific Northwest. Known as Salmon Poisoning Disease (SPD), this infectious disease is a veterinary emergency that can kill within 7–10 days if untreated. 😱

📍 What is Salmon Poisoning Disease?

Despite the name, this isn’t caused by a toxin—it’s an infection caused when a dog eats raw or smoked-raw fish (salmon, trout, steelhead) or Pacific Giant Salamanders carrying a fluke (parasitic worm) called Nanophyetus salmincola. The real threat is the rickettsial organism Neorickettsia helminthoeca that the fluke carries.

🐾 How Dogs Get Infected

• 🐟 Ingestion of raw or smoked-raw fish (salmon, trout, steelhead)
• 🦎 Rarely, ingestion of Pacific Giant Salamanders
• 💧 Found along rivers, coasts, or streams in the Pacific Northwest

Once ingested, the parasite invades the dog’s gut and releases the bacteria into the bloodstream, affecting vital organs including the liver, lungs, lymph nodes, and brain.

🧭 Geographic Hot Zones

Common in these regions:

• 🌊 Coastal areas: Washington, Oregon, Northern California, Southern Vancouver Island
• 🏞️ Inland rivers where infected fish migrate

⏱️ Timeline: How Fast It Progresses

Signs begin about 1 week after ingestion but can be delayed up to 33 days. Without treatment, 50–90% of dogs will die within 7–10 days after symptoms start. 🆘

🚨 Symptoms to Watch For

If your dog has eaten raw fish in the Pacific Northwest, watch closely for:

• 🔥 High fever
• 🤮 Vomiting (often bloody)
• 💩 Bloody diarrhea
• 🦴 Severe weight loss
• 👃 Nasal and eye discharge
• 😵 Twitching or seizures
• 📈 Rapid breathing (tachypnea) or heartbeat (tachycardia)
• 🧠 Neurological signs in severe cases

🔍 60% of dogs show visibly enlarged lymph nodes.

🔬 Diagnosis

• 💩 Fecal smear: Identifies fluke eggs (positive in 92% of cases)
• 🧪 Lymph node biopsy or cytology for rickettsial organisms
• 📜 History of eating raw fish supports the diagnosis

💉 Treatment

Early veterinary intervention is life-saving! Treatment usually includes:

• 💊 Antibiotics to kill the rickettsial infection
• 💧 IV fluids for dehydration
• 💉 Antiemetics and antidiarrheals
• 🐛 Dewormers to kill the fluke
• 🩸 Blood transfusion in severe cases

Most dogs recover within 24–72 hours of starting treatment if caught early. 🐕‍🦺

🧬 Prognosis

If treated, prognosis is excellent with most dogs recovering fully. But without care, SPD is usually fatal. In one study, 39 of 43 treated dogs survived. ✅

🚫 Prevention is Key!

• 🥩 NEVER feed raw or smoked-raw fish to dogs
• 🎣 Avoid fish scraps along rivers or shores
• 🦴 Educate guests and kids not to offer raw fish
• 🚫 Discourage scavenging during hikes or fishing trips

🧠 Immunity After Infection?

Dogs who survive SPD become immune to that specific strain. However, other strains exist and dogs can be reinfected by a different one.

📲 Need Help Fast?

Think your dog ate raw fish and shows signs of SPD? Don't wait. Visit your vet or connect instantly via the Ask A Vet app to talk to a licensed veterinarian 24/7 🧑‍⚕️🐶

🩺 Dr Duncan Houston’s Final Word

Salmon poisoning is one of the few fish-related illnesses that can kill dogs in days. Don’t gamble with raw fish—cook it fully or skip it entirely. Prevention is easy. The risk? Deadly. ❌🐟

📞 Emergency Contacts

• 🚨 Your local vet or emergency hospital
• 📞 ASPCA Animal Poison Control: 888-426-4435
• 📞 HomeAgain Emergency Hotline: 888-466-3242

Stay alert, stay safe, and keep those paws off raw salmon! 🐾🚫🐟