Can dogs eat raw fish?
Do not feed raw salmon or trout, particularly in the Pacific Northwest — they can carry a parasite that causes a fatal illness in dogs. Cooked fish is fine.
What to do
See a vet and specifically mention raw fish — the disease is easy to treat and easy to miss if the vet does not know to look for it.
Signs to watch for
- high fever
- vomiting
- diarrhoea, often bloody
- swollen lymph nodes
- loss of appetite
- severe weight loss
When: 5–7 days, sometimes up to two weeks.
What makes it harmful
Neorickettsia helminthoeca, carried by a fluke; also thiaminase
Salmon poisoning disease is a rickettsial infection carried inside a parasitic fluke found in raw salmonid fish. It is fatal in up to 90% of untreated dogs but responds very well to prompt antibiotics. Separately, some raw fish contain thiaminase, which destroys vitamin B1 over time.
How much matters
How to prepare it
Never in this form
Raw or undercooked salmon, trout and other salmonids.
How confident is this
established
Well established in the veterinary literature and consistent across sources.
- Sykes JE. Salmon poisoning disease. In: Canine and Feline Infectious Diseases. Elsevier, 2014.
- Merck Veterinary Manual, Toxicology of Food-Associated Hazards
Further reading
Check another food
Informational only, and not a substitute for veterinary advice. Individual dogs vary, and this page cannot account for your dog's age, size, health conditions or medication. If you are worried, phone a vet — that call is always the right call.