Dangerous bacterial disease reported in multiple dogs in Southern California

The Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control has issued an animal health advisory after four dogs tested positive for a potentially deadly bacterial disease.

The advisory was issued earlier this month after four infected dogs arrived at an emergency veterinary center in Pasadena between June 2023 to this past March.

It’s called salmon poisoning disease and is caused by a bacteria found in a parasite found in wild fish.

Despite its name, it’s not a poisoning and, in Southern California, the culprit is more likely to be trout caught in local lakes.

Infected dogs can become seriously ill with symptoms ranging from lethargy, fever, vomiting, diarrhea and, in some cases, death. Dogs with the disease often need hospitalization, DACC officials said.

The four dogs who have tested positive for salmon poisoning disease have all recovered, officials said, but required hospitalization.

“Thankfully, all four dogs responded well to treatment and made full recoveries,” said Sarah Garrity, a veterinarian at Thrive Pet Healthcare in Pasadena where the dogs were treated.

Two of the dogs live in Los Angeles County and the other two live in the Inland Empire. Three were exposed to raw trout in San Bernardino County lakes and the fourth was exposed in L.A. County.

Dogs usually become sick after about five days and treatment with an antibiotic is crucial, officials said.

Dog owners are urged not to feed their pets raw trout from sport fishing or allow them to drink water that was used to clean fish. If an animal has been exposed, pet owners need to monitor their dog for up to two weeks and keep an eye out for potential symptoms.

Any trout should be cooked thoroughly before consuming and those who handle raw fish should always wash their hands afterward.

Additional resources and information regarding salmon poisoning disease can be found here.