Salmon Tail

This was the 6th's meal.

Conker did not eat that salmon tail. I ended up giving it to Sasha since she hasn't had one yet.

This is Oncorhynchus nerka, Suk-kegh, or more commonly known as Sockeye. It is wild-caught fish but I do not know it's exact origin, only that is does come from the Pacific Northwest. 

There is a type of sickness that can be caused by eating raw salmon (or other salmonoids like trout) called salmon poisoning. This type only affects canids. 

Salmon poisoning is caused by a combination of two things. First, the fish needs to be carrying a fluke called Nanophyetus salmincola. The fluke carries a bacteria called Neorickettsia helminthoeca, a type of rickettsia. If the fish is carrying this fluke that is carrying the bacteria, the dog that eats it will most likely get infected.

Symptoms can develop a week after eating the fish and can include: diarrhea, vomiting, depression, loss of appetite, fever, and enlarged lymph nodes. Salmon poisoning is treated with antibiotics (to kill the bacteria) and a chemical such as fenbendazole (to kill the flukes).

90% of dogs that do not receive treatment die from the condition. However, many dogs that are treated will be immune from developing the condition again.

Salmon poisoning can be prevented by not feeding any raw salmon(oids) other than those caught in far northern Alaskan waters, by freezing fish below -0 degrees for two weeks, or by cooking the fish. My salmon scraps have been frozen for several weeks.

Many dogs die from contracting salmon poisoning during or after the yearly salmon runs. This is a common occurrence in the Rouge Valley and the vets warn against taking dogs to the rivers and creeks during salmon season since the dogs could eat an infected fish they find on the banks.