NorCal Dog Owners Urged To Protect Pets From This Deadly Disease

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, CA — Dog owners in the northern reaches of the Golden State were urged to protect their furry friends from a potentially fatal condition, Salmon Poisoning Disease, wildlife officials said this week.

The disease occurs naturally in waters of Northern California, a native range for fish that carry the illness. Owners were urged to keep their dogs away from salmon, steelhead, trout and other freshwater fish carcasses, The California Department of Fish and Wildlife said in a statement on Friday.

The bacteria-like parasite, Nanophyetes salmincola, cannot survive in cooked fish and is not harmful to humans or other pets, but it can be fatal for dogs.

Owners whose dog may have eaten raw fish were cautioned to watch out for the following symptoms.

- Rising body temperature

- Loss of appetite

- Vomiting

- Diarrhea

- Listlessness

- Rapid Weight Loss

Dogs with these symptoms should be taken to a veterinarian immediately. The condition is treatable if it's caught in time. If left untreated, a dog can die within two weeks of eating the infected fish. Up to 90 percent of untreated dogs die from the disease, officials said.