Think it’s cool to throw your dog a nice fresh piece of raw salmon, trout or steel head on your fishing trip? Think again.

What is SalmonPoisoning? Salmon Poisoning is actually an infection caused by the rickettsial organism Neorickettsia helminthoeca.

What causes Salmon Poisoning? The rickettsial organisms are carried by a fluke which can embed into a fish’s tissues. When the fish is eaten the larval form of the flukes set up shop in your dog’s intestinal mucosa where the rickettsial organisms are then released into your dog’s blood stream. From there they can then travel to the liver, brain, lungs and lymphoid tissue.

What geographic regions are affected? Salmon Poisoning is seen in the Pacific North West fromSan Francisco to the coast ofAlaska.  

What are the symptoms of Salmon Poisoning? Symptoms typically begin 5 -7 days after eating raw fish, but can take longer to manifest. The signs can include vomiting, diarrhea, bloody diarrhea, fever, lethargy, anorexia, possibly enlarged lymph nodes and/or spleen, possibly nasal and/or ocular discharge.

How bad is it? If left untreated, the disease can turn deadly in seven to ten days.

Diagnosis: Your veterinarian will most likely run a blood panel to assess electrolyte levels and metabolic changes, but the diagnosis of Salmon Poisoning is based upon a fecal float or smear, or a lymph node aspirate. The organism which carries the rickettsial component of the disease is a fluke whose ova is visible upon most fecal exams under the microscope. However, due to how the ova are shed, they are not present in every fecal sample your dog produces.

Treatment: Antibiotics and a deworming agent.

Prevention: Easy; just keep your dog’s lips off raw fish.

Can I get it? No. You cannot get this form of Salmon Poisoning. Oddly, it only attacks canids;  dogs, foxes, coyotes. Other wildlife, your cat and the neighborhood raccoon are not susceptible.

All in all, Salmon Poisoning is a potentially fatal disease to your dog. However, with a quick diagnosis a course of antibiotics and a dewormer can nip this infection in the bud. So, enjoy your fishing trip, just keep the raw fish to yourself. Please note: smoked raw salmon does not count as cooked when it comes to Salmon Poisoning and your dog.

If you think you get hot in the summer, think how it must feel to go through the hotter months wearing a fur coat. Heat stroke is a major concern in the spring and summer. Here are a few recommendations to prevent heat stroke:

1. Make sure your pet always has access to shade.
2. Make sure your pet always has access to plenty of cool drinking water.
3. Exercise in the early morning or evening to avoid the hottest part of the day.
4. Never leave your unattended pet in the car.
5. Dogs are more susceptible to heat than humans. Therefore, if you are feeling parched and tired, your dog is even worse off.

The signs of heat stroke are excessive panting and lethargy in both dogs and cats.

At our hospital the most common causes of heat stroke we see are going for a run in the middle of the day, and leaving a pet in the car. However, a pet left in the yard without any shade on a hot day is also quite susceptible.

If you think your pet has heat stroke, use cool water (NOT ice water) to hose him down completely, and get your pet into the shade. Then call your vet.

If you are able to take your pet’s rectal temperature, do so. Any body temperature over 102.6 is considered a fever. Any body temperature over 105.0 can cause metabolic and brain damage. Being able to relay your pet’s temperature to the veterinarian will help him decide if your pet needs medical attention. If your veterinarian decides that going into the hospital is not necessary, it is a good idea to take your pet’s temperature every half hour to make sure it is remains in the normal range, 99.8 to 102.6.

Excessive heat can cause metabolic changes in your pet that can lead to death if not caught early enough. As is usual, we advocate that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Vaccine clinics may seem like a less expensive alternative to a traditional veterinarian, but there are hidden costs behind the cheap façade.

1. One vaccine protocol does not match all animals. Vaccine clinics do not offer a thorough risk assessment prior to vaccinating. By performing a physical exam and risk assessment a veterinarian may find a reason that your pet should not be vaccinated that day (such as a fever), or at all (possibly an elderly pet), or may require an alternate protocol (such as an indoor cat). At a vaccine clinic your pet may receive an unnecessary vaccine.

2. While it may seem as though one is saving money by foregoing the annual physical, your veterinarian is often able to pick up early signs of disease when issues are treatable. Many times early treatment can save money in the long run.

3. It is always a good idea to maintain a consistent patient-client relationship with your veterinarian. A veterinarian needs to see a patient at least once a year to legally prescribe medications (including refills of therapeutic drugs such as thyroid medication) to your pet. In addition, the better informed your veterinarian is about your pet, the better medical decisions he/she is able to make on your pet’s behalf.

4. Avoid unnecessary services. Many vaccine clinics may offer additional services for which you may never see the results, ie, a fecal test. Sure, it seems quick and easy to pay for a fecal to check for intestinal parasites, but are you really going to take the time out of your weekend to go back to a vaccine clinic that only happens once a month? Statistics bear out that most people will not return to a vaccine clinic with a fecal sample the following month and then you have paid for a test for which you will never receive results. Furthermore, if your pet has been on a consistent schedule of heartworm prevention, then a fecal exam may not be necessary.

Therefore, we feel that your pet and your wallet are best served by going to your veterinarian for routine vaccines and preventative care.

2. Puppies are babies. They need to eat more often and eliminate more often than a full-grown dog. They sleep a lot and play in bursts. Puppies should have three meals a day. Most puppies will need to eliminate every three hours, and also within thirty minutes of eating. Knowing this little fact can help you potty train your puppy. Take your puppy outside thirty minutes after eating, and keep him outside under your supervision until he eliminates. You may want to add a phrase, such as, “Do your business,” when he eliminates. This will train your puppy to go on command when needed. Repetition is the key. It takes about three hundred repetitions for your pet to concretely learn a new command. Therefore, after a couple months, your puppy may have this one down pat.
3. Get your puppy in for a physical exam with your veterinarian. Your veterinarian will be able to set up an appropriate vaccine protocol, perform initial deworming and parasite testing if warranted, check for undescended testicles and umbilical hernias (which can complicate the spay and neuter process), and answer any questions you may have regarding your new puppy.
4. Socialize your puppy. It is really important in the first months of your puppy’s life that he is well socialized with people and other pets. Make sure to introduce him to people of all ages, sizes and shapes. If he shows a marked dislike for a certain person, say a child, you should consult your veterinarian ASAP to nip any behavior issues in the bud. Stay away from dog parks for socialization until your puppy has finished his full vaccine series – usually by the age of sixteen weeks.
5. Get your puppy fully vaccinated. Puppies require a series of vaccines during the first 16 weeks of their lives. Parvo is a potentially life-threatening disease for a puppy and is transmitted through fecal material or contaminated dirt that your puppy ingests. Spending the money on the DHPP vaccine series now can save your puppy and your wallet from a world of hurt down the road. Rabies is a legal requirement as it is a disease that can be passed from your dog to a human through saliva. Your veterinarian can perform a risk assessment to help you decide if your puppy needs other specific vaccines such as Bordetella, Lyme, or Leptospirosis.
6. Handle your puppy. Handle your pet’s muzzle, body paws and ears as much as possible. Getting your puppy used to being touched all over can minimize the stress of having a paw or an ear checked at the veterinary office.
7. Take your puppy to school. Good manners are a must! Teaching your puppy basic commands such as ‘sit’, ‘stay’, ‘off’, ‘come’ and ‘lie down’ are helpful in the clinic, at home or out on the town. In addition, there is usually some puppy playtime and socialization built in to these classes.

There are volumes to be written about puppies, but taking these few steps will definitly make the transition to having a puppy much smoother. Oh, the fun to be had!

“We’re especially concerned about some of the new types of lepto, such as grippotyphosa, that we first documented in the New York City metropolitan area in dogs, but which probably is not confined there. We’re finding grippotyphosa in the Northeast and in other areas of the country,” said Patrick McDonough, a veterinary bacteriologist at the Cornell Diagnostic Laboratory. That laboratory is the official diagnostic center for animal disease control in New York state and each year conducts more than 700,000 diagnostic tests for animals of all species, including humans.

Worldwide, there are more than 200 known serovars of leptospirosis infecting many kinds of mammals, including rodents and cattle.

Leptospirosis is spread by a spirochete (or spiral shaped) bacteria called leptospires in the urine of rodents and other infected animals, as well as in water, such as pond water. The leptospires enter the body through mucous membranes or through abraded skin.

For dog owners, the first signs of leptospirosis in a pet often are several days of anorexia, vomiting, lethargy, depression, muscle pain and sometimes diarrhea or bloody urine. Veterinarians examining dogs with leptospirosis find depression, fever, dehydration, jaundice and abdominal pain. The disease damages the animal’s liver and kidneys, sometimes resulting in renal failure and death.

If the disease is caught in time, McDonough said, it can be successfully treated with penicillin and — when the kidneys have recovered — with a lengthy course of tetracycline drugs. During their recovery, dehydrated animals need intravenous fluids and “good, supportive nursing care,” he added.

“… we’re advising dog owners to watch for flulike illnesses in their pets,” McDonough said. “If the dog has been exposed to the urine of another domestic animal or a wild animal, either directly or in ponds or run-off water that collect urine, and if you notice these flulike signs, the pet should be tested for lepto.”

Noting that leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease that can pass from animals to humans, Cornell Diagnostic Laboratory Director Donald Lein said the infection can be an occupational hazard for people who work with animals. “This used to be called ‘milkers’ disease,’ and there is real potential for its spread among dairy farm workers, as well as people handling other animals.” He said that personnel in large dairy farms, where hundreds of cows are milked several times a day, must work in pits at eye-nose-and-mouth level to a continuous stream of cows — and to an aerosol form of their urine that could contain leptospires.

“Leptospirosis is a disease that’s been around for a long time,” McDonough said. “Now we’re recognizing new types. Certainly in different areas of the country there are endemic types of lepto that aren’t found in other areas, and each area might have its unique lepto problem.”

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Lepto Facts

from the Diagnostic Laboratory

College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University

What causes leptospirosis?

Leptospirosis is caused by spirochete (or spiral-shaped) bacteria called leptospires. The leptospires live in fluids from infected animals, including urine, saliva, blood and milk. The disease-causing organisms are transmitted by direct contact with the fluids or with an infected animal, as well as by indirect contact, including contamination on vegetation, food and water, soil and bedding materials. Disease transmission is increased in crowded conditions. The disease may be carried for years in animals that serve as host reservoirs without the animals showing clinical signs of the disease. The leptospires enter the body through mucous membranes or through breaks in the skin.

Where are leptospires found?

The leptospires cannot survive for long outside their ideal environment: water or other fluids, moderate temperatures around 25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees Fahrenheit) and neutral or slightly alkaline pH. Stagnant water or slowly flowing streams may carry the leptospires; worldwide, leptospirosis infection increases with flooded conditions. A 1996 outbreak of leptospirosis among white-water rafters was traced by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to contaminated river water in Costa Rica. Leptospires are known to survive in urine-soaked soil for six months. Summer and early fall are the most likely times for leptospirosis transmission to dogs. Milk from infected dairy cows may carry leptospires, although heat from the pasteurization process should kill the microorganisms.

What are the symptoms of leptospirosis?

In general, the disease resembles the flu with fever, headache, chills and myalgia (muscle pain). Dog owners may notice vomiting, lethargy, depression, muscle pain and sometimes diarrhea or bloody urine in the pets. The disease damages the liver and kidneys and, if untreated, may cause death.

How is leptospirosis treated?

Dogs are treated with a course of antibiotics and with intravenous fluid to overcome dehydration. Diagnosis is based on clinical signs and laboratory tests, including tests for the disease-causing organism, urinalysis and blood tests.

Can vaccination prevent leptospirosis in dogs?

Currently available vaccines for dogs cover  the icterohaemorrhagiae, grippotyphosa, pomona and canicola forms of leptospirosis.

Do humans catch leptospirosis?

Leptospirosis is a so-called zoonotic disease that can be transmitted from animals to humans. People can catch the disease from water that is contaminated by infected wild or domestic animals, as well as from more direct contact with animals, such as rodents, raccoons, skunks and cattle.  Public health authorities suggest keeping dogs away from children’s play areas, including sandboxes and wading pools.

Why are cats not affected by leptospirosis?

Tests for antibodies show that some cats are exposed to the disease, but cats almost never show clinical signs of leptospirosis. Some experts believe that cats have developed a kind of immunity to leptospirosis from their longtime association with rodents.

At Marin Pet Hospital, our current vaccine recomendation is that any hunting dogs, dogs which go on hikes, or will otherwise be exposed to standing water, ponds or rivers be vacinated on an annual basis.

1. A Dog’s Life by Peter Mayle

2. If Wishes Were Horses  by Anne McCaffrey

3. Simon’s Cat by Simon Tofield

4. How to be YOur Dog’s Best Friend by the Monks of Newskeet

5. The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

6. All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot