Fido Friendly Travel Blog

WHAT DOG OWNERS NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT SALMON POISONING - Deadly Disease Usually Found in Pacific Northwest Turns Up in Orange County

Southern California pet owners may not even know that a deadly disease known as Salmon Poisoning Disease (SPD) is lurking outdoors near lakes that can result in death if the symptoms are not diagnosed properly or treated quickly. A recent occurrence of SPD in Orange County affected a 10-month-old Yorkie named Gigi and her mother Ruby who is 2 years old and is believed to be the first case diagnosed in the southland. Pet owners need to be aware of the potential risks involved in allowing dogs to be exposed to an environment where raw salmonid fish may be present and can infect their pets.

SPD is an acute, infectious disease that affects dogs, wolves, ferrets and foxes, when they ingest uncooked salmon, trout, steelhead, and similar freshwater fish. The disease has surfaced locally from a dog ingesting raw fish from Santa Ana River Lakes, however, the disease is indigenous to the Pacific Northwest (Washington, Oregon and northern California). Pet owners in the greater Los Angeles area need to be aware of how dogs can contract this disease and what treatment is required to keep pets safe and healthy.

Symptoms of SPD include vomiting, loss of appetite, fever, diarrhea, weakness, swollen lymph nodes, and dehydration.

“Most people in this area are unfamiliar with the symptoms of this disease, which appear within five to seven days after eating infected raw fish. Left undiagnosed, SPD can be fatal within several weeks,” explained Mike Moore, DVM, MS, DACVIM, at VCA All-Care Animal Referral Center in Fountain Valley. “SPD is treatable if diagnosed quickly. If your dog has been around raw salmonid fish or you are unsure of what they have ingested and symptoms appear, consider SPD a possibility and see your veterinarian immediately for evaluation and treatment,” he added.

In order for a dog to become infected with this disease a rather unique set of conditions must be present. The disease is caused by a bacterial organism called Neorickettsia helminthoeca. In turn this organism is associated with a parasite called Nanophyetus salmincola. This parasite completes its life cycle in a snail called Oxytrema plicifer. This snail is then eaten by fish and the cycle begins again. This snail seems to be unique to the northwest including northern California and is the limiting factor in the geographical distribution of this disease. It is therefore unlikely that SPD will be able to establish itself in southern California. The trout in this case are thought to have come from stocks in northern California where the conditions for completion of the life cycle are favorable. Conditions in southern California are not favorable for this disease to perpetuate, however, dog owners should be aware that the fish in the Santa Ana River Lakes currently may be infected. It should be noted that this disease does not affect humans and that proper cooking of the fish does kill the organism.

The standard diagnosis for SPD is the presence of fluke ova, which are found through a fecal examination in the majority of cases. Left untreated, animals play black jack online freedeuces wild video pokerfree online casino craps,free online craps,casino craps free gambling onlinebaccarat free internet,free online baccarat,free baccaratplay free casinobest casino bonusriverbelle online casinoplaying blackjackfree download slotsamerican rouletteplay free casino game for fun,free casino game,free casino game no downloadlearn to play crapsfree video pokerplay free online slotssultan online casinoonline gambling casino,gambling casino online,online casino gamblingdownload roulettecasino game online,free online casino game,best online casino gamefree kenovideo poker payoutfree blackjack card game,free blackjack casino game,free blackjack gamemultiplay video pokerfree on line casinoblack jack,free online black jack game,black jack gamblingplay free black jackcasino 1 heure gratuiteswww casino en ligneplay slots onlinejeu poker casinoroulette de casinobonus de casino sans depotnew casino bonustelecharger video poker gratuitescasino le jeujouer a la roulette gratuitementcasino en ligne argentbonus pour casino 770www casino folies comforum jeux casinovideo poker online,video poker,video poker downloadcasino jeux en francewww casino 770 comcasino en ligne,online casino,casino internetwww casino gratuites comcasino video pokercasino bonus bienvenuejeu baccaratjeux casino gratuits,jeux gratuits casino machines a sous,jeux gratuits du casinoplay slotsplay black jack online usually succumb due to dehydration, electrolyte and acid-base imbalances, and anemia. Therefore, general supportive therapy to maintain hydration and acid-base balance, while meeting nutritional requirements and controlling diarrhea, are essential. Treatment generally involves antibiotics and a “de-wormer,” as well as intravenous fluids. Upon receiving treatment, most dogs show initial improvement within a few days, but the course of antibiotic treatment usually lasts for three weeks.
While SPD symptoms can be confused with other gastrointestinal conditions, due to the serious nature of the disease, it is critical to obtain a timely diagnosis and initiate supportive veterinary treatment to minimize the serious risks of this disease.
About VCA Antech, Inc.

VCA Antech, Inc. (Nasdaq:WOOF), operates the largest network of freestanding, full-service animal hospitals and diagnostics laboratories across the country and employs more than 1,600 qualified veterinarians at more than 435+ animal hospitals in 38 states. VCA Animal Hospitals offer a full range of general medical and surgical services for companion animals, as well as specialized treatments including oncology, ophthalmology, cardiology and neurology. Dedicated to the provision of compassionate and comprehensive veterinary care, VCA also provides advanced diagnostic services. For more information, visit the Web site at www.vcapets.com.

Fido Friendly’s Arden Moore is UNLEASHED on America!

Arden Moore, Fido Friendly’s managing editor and best-selling pet author, is traveling coast

to coast this summer to promote her two latest books: The Dog Behavior Answer Book AND The Cat Behavior Answer Book. The tour, called “Arden Moore Unleashed for a Pet-Friendly America,” is making stops at bookstores, animal shelters and pet boutiques with the goal of helping people better understand why dogs (and cats) do what they do. At each stop, Arden signs her books and hands out plenty of gifts provided by tour supporters, including Fido Friendly! Learn more about the tour, Arden’s books, and more by visiting her website: www.ardenmoore.com.

Minneapolis opened its first off-leash downtown dog park Wednesday, June 27 in Loring Park!  

The new 10,000 square foot site features an enclosed area where dogs and humans can socialize and play.  

What differentiates this park from other dog parks from around the country are the exquisite features that were designed specifically for this project. Ray Harris-a private donor, commissioned two pieces of art for the park; the Bridge to Erehwon, (nowhere spelt backwards) installed today, is an approximately two ton steel bridge that is 20ft. x 4ft. for dogs to run and play on, and the other piece of art features a concrete bowl holding 65 gallons of filtered water at the base of a 10ft. tall totem sculpted with carvings of dogs.  

Also within the walls of the park, are benches and sculptures made of 80 tons of limestone. With the high-tech features and one of a kind public art, Dog Grounds will be the most spectacular off leash Dog Park in the country.  Dog Grounds is an incorporated non-profit organization and will be responsible for the administration and maintenance of the site. 

http://www.doggrounds.org/ 

      We are planning to move our basset hound to Hawaii some time within the next 12 months and are very reluctant to ship her in cargo.  If we could find a half dozen similarly situated dog owners, we would be willing to share the costs of a charter flight which would allow the dogs to travel in the passenger cabin.

We are planning at trip to Niagara Falls, ON with our dog at the end of June. We already have our hotels booked but we’re looking for suggestions on things we can do with our dog while we’re there. Any ideas?

Currently on newsstands is the June issue of Fido Friendly, The Travel Magazine For You & Your Dog!

We love this cover! Current cover is of a golden Retriever speeding across Lake Placid in a boat with our country’s flag waiving behind him. Once you start turning the pages, you won’t be able to stop reading about all the great places to travel with your dog. Destinations for review include: New England, Micronesia, Toronto, Atlantic City and Portland, Oregon. For those readers with discerning taste, a luxury suite awaits you at the High Hampton Inn located in North Carolina.

And if you think B&B’s are not for you and your dog, think again! At Beside Still Waters Farm in Willits, CA, you and Fido have over 20 acres to roam. Resident dog Anderson welcomes you and your furry companion and a full breakfast is delivered each morning to your cottage.

An exclusive interview with Jack Hanna is the icing on the cake as he tells Fido Friendly readers all about his passion for animals and raising awareness in Rwanda. All in all, the June issue of Fido Friendly magazine ranks high on the list of must reads this summer. Call your local Barnes & Nobles, Borders and PetsMart to see if they carry Fido Friendly and if not, go online and order your June issue today!

www.fidofriendly.com and Happy Travels!

Fido lifts his nose, sensing the subtle shift in the air: a briskness that signals fall is near. The change in season from sunbaked days to crisp, cooler ones gives a certain bounce to Fido’s step. He’s off on the trail of fall adventures—and you should be right behind him. The six states that comprise New England—Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine—each have a distinct personality, but they share the common thread of exquisite fall foliage. Touring these states precisely to enjoy the transformation of its trees should be an American right of passage. There is almost no region in the country that is so distinctly American.

To read more of this article, check out the May/June 2007 issue of Fido Friendly Magazine.

In Portland, Oregon, there is about one dog for every four people, making this Pacific Northwest city rank high in Fido friendliness. Looking from a dog’s perspective, where do all these Portland dogs go for fun? Portland is home to 46 pet-welcoming parks with 21 being dedicated dog parks and the other 25 open to other mammals.

Relax. We at Fido Friendly have sniffed out the following four major hotel chains who put the “D” in dependability when it comes to accepting—heck, beckoning—well-behaved dogs.

To read more of this article, check out the May/June 2007 issue of Fido Friendly Magazine.