Cooked Salmon

Cooked salmon contains protein and fat. A small amount may be shared after all bones are removed and the fish is cooked thoroughly without seasoning. A fish treat is not equivalent to a diet or supplement prescribed for joint or heart disease. If your dog has a medical condition, discuss the whole diet and portions with the treating veterinarian. Raw or undercooked salmon and trout can carry the fluke Nanophyetus salmincola, which harbors the rickettsial organism Neorickettsia helminthoeca. A dog that eats infected fish develops salmon poisoning disease, which is fatal in up to 90 percent of untreated dogs within 7 to 10 days. A single infected fish can be enough. The disease is documented in the coastal Pacific Northwest — Oregon, Washington, northern California and coastal British Columbia — which makes fishing trips, riverbank scavenging and raw-fed diets the classic exposures. Outside that range, the general rule against feeding dogs raw fish still holds. The timing is what catches owners out. Signs begin 5 to 7 days after the meal, and can be delayed as long as 33 days. Expect high fever, anorexia and weakness first, then persistent vomiting from about day 4 to 5 of illness, bloody diarrhea, swollen lymph nodes, and nasal and ocular discharge. By then the fish is far enough back that many owners never mention it, which is exactly why you should. The treatment of choice is doxycycline, and dogs treated in time generally do well. Cook salmon all the way through. Freezing does not remove every pathogen and is not a substitute for cooking. Remove all bones and omit salt, butter, garlic and sauces. Do not apply these nutrition or portion values to smoked salmon or salted canned products. If your dog ate raw salmon, trout, sushi, or scraps and guts from a catch, call your veterinarian now and tell them what was eaten and when, even if the dog looks completely fine. The delay is the danger. Do not induce vomiting at home; that is a veterinary decision.