ODFW Reminds Pet Owners to Keep Dogs Away from Dead Salmon
By Garrett Christensen on Tuesday, September 26th, 2023 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
OREGON – For dog owners that enjoy taking their four-legged friends on outdoor excursions or that just live near a river/stream, be aware of the major health risk dead salmon may pose during fall and early winter. According to ODFW, salmon carcasses may contain a bacterial organism known as “Neorickettsia helminthoeca” that, when ingested by a dog, will cause salmon poisoning. Symptoms, as listed in a recent ODFW recreation report, include, “severe vomiting and diarrhea.” Without treatment, salmon poisoning can often prove fatal though is mostly survivable with treatment.
Salmon carcasses may wash up naturally along rivers and streams across Oregon as adult fish die and complete their life cycle during the fall spawning seasons. In addition, carcasses from hatchery salmon are being deliberately distributed across Oregon as part of ODFW’s Stream Nutrient Enrichment Program. As the title suggests, the program aims to introduce additional nutrients to river ecosystems by returning the carcasses of hatchery salmon.
In either case, dead salmon are likely to be more common this time of year and can be deadly if dogs try to eat them. ODFW have attempted to avoid recreation areas as part of the enrichment program, but the carcasses may still wash up in popular areas depending on where currents take them. Dog owners are advised to keep their pets away from carcasses and not hesitate to take them to the vet if they believe their dog may have ingested a dead salmon.
More information on the enrichment program and risks to dogs can be found at https://www.dfw.state.or.us/news/2023/09_Sep/091223.asp
