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The Fish Dog Road Trip
by Colleen Paige
 Our dogs
love to be anywhere - car, boat, train or Ferris Wheel, as long as there
is some kind of action involving warm bodies, excitement and
reconnaissance. Now of course there is an advantage to having a mom who
is an animal trainer but interestingly enough, they seem, for the most
part anyway, to have trained themselves…although Evelyn Wood Speed Reading
was mostly my idea. Good “dog behavior” makes it easy when enjoying the
great outdoors and happening upon people who don’t like dogs. Perhaps one
day, good “people behavior” will be necessary as well, for people who
don’t like people, when enjoying the great outdoors. And be wary, just as
you will find people who are mean and nasty to others, they will be that
way to your dog the minute you turn your head. In my opinion people who
are cruel to animals should not be allowed to eat ice cream. You must keep
your dogs’ behavior abilities in mind when planning a trip that will not
involve solitary confinement.
Dogs become very excited
and tend to bark at fish, so BEWARE, as there are plenty of outdoor
enthusiasts who aren’t thrilled with anything loud and obnoxious hanging
around, especially if it lacks a fin. It’s also not wise to allow your dog
to make a ruckus, as it may annoy drunken fishermen who, in their
aggressive state, may want to fillet you for allowing your dog to
scare the fish. And fish, it turns out, are canny creatures. They have
what’s called a lateral line system that runs along the sides of their
bodies, which helps them gauge changes in water pressure. This is how
schools of them are able to group together and move as one when a predator
— like your furry child — is near. Hence, dogs don’t always make the best
fishing partners because of the risk of their scaring Little Nemo away.
Some dogs are not willing
though to give up the catch. What happens when an unstoppable force meets
an unmovable object? You just may find out when you try to get a fish away
from a dog that loves them and is determined to hang on. There may be
nothing left but bones and a head by the time you’re through struggling
(and you may also subject yourself to fines if Mr. Ranger is nearby). It’s
often difficult to know what you’ve caught until you reel it in. If your
dog jumps into the water and brings in something, it may turn out to be a
fish that legally has to be thrown back. If the fish is injured, your
wallet may suffer damage as well.
There are many fun places
to fish with your dog, such as dog-friendly Lake Tahoe, which has some
great hiking trails, Twin Lakes in Columbia, Missouri, and Crescent Bay
Lake in Washington State. But don’t be misled by the idyllic image of
fishing with your dog — it’s not always picturesque. As much fun as this
sport can be with your dog involved, there can also be danger for our
canine friends in the form of Salmon Poisoning Disease. For dogs living in
north western States like Idaho, northern California, Washington, Oregon,
parts of southern Alaska and British Columbia — and now even in some parts
of the East Coast — the risk of contracting SPD is unfortunately very real
and can be deadly.
What
is Salmon Poisoning Disease?
A parasite called a
rickettsial organism infects worms or snails that are eaten by salmonoid
fish. The fish then becomes the secondary host which only seems to affect
dogs, not humans. It’s possible that just licking the blood of a dead fish
on the shore can result in poisoning as well. Transmission by respiratory
means is rare. The disease is not breed, age, or gender specific and dogs
that survive SPD are immune. According to The Merck Veterinary Manual
symptoms are as follows:
• Sudden onset of
symptoms five to seven days after ingestion of fish.
• Initial symptoms include lethargy and anorexia.
• Peaking of
temperature between 104-107.6˚ F in the first two days followed by gradual
return to normal.
• Onset of persistent vomiting by the fourth day.
• Development of bloody diarrhea within a few days of vomiting onset (the
diarrhea that is normally seen is a bright yellow color).
How can it be
prevented?
Do not allow your dog to
catch or eat raw or cold processed salmonoid fish of any kind. As even
cold prcessing will not kill the pathogen. If you choose to feed salmonids
to your dog, make sure the fish is cooked or pressure canned. Watch your
dog closely after any trip to make sure he is healthy. Needless to say,
enjoy your trip but do not feed your dog raw salmonid fish. Instead, keep
it, smoke it, and send it to me with plenty of bagels and cream cheese.
 For
more information on behavior issues, purchase your copy of
"The Good Behavior Book for Dogs" by Colleen Paige at
Amazon.com
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