Last month we finally got away. Peg and I left it all behind us
to go to Oregon and Washington for that proverbial change of
scenery. On our trip, we had a chance to talk with folks about lots
of different topics.
Last month we finally got away. Peg and I left it all behind us to go to Oregon and Washington for that proverbial change of scenery. On our trip, we had a chance to talk with folks about lots of different topics. And we met some very interesting people and their very cute furry friends. Some of our conversations gave us a chance to find out what a few of them think about California.
One of the great things about travel is learning how other people view things. It’s all about perspective. And opinions and ideas reflect personality and background. Five different people might give you five different opinions … that’s human nature. But is this unique only to humans? Not at all. In fact, some pets think independently and don’t always agree with the views of their owner. Here’s an example.
We were in Astoria, Ore. for part of a day. This is an exceptionally pretty town with lots of Scandinavian heritage. While Peg was busy catching up on some reading, I decided to go to town and do a little looking around. As luck would have it, I found a doughnut shop that was popular locally. It was jammed with people. Two dogs were outside, waiting patiently for their owners to come out. I stopped to greet them, and went in to get a cup of coffee and a snack.
The talk was about town growth and development. And a rather large gentleman was loudly proclaiming that part of their problem was the outsiders that were moving up from California. “They’re changing everything,” he said. And he made it clear that he didn’t think much of anyone from the Golden State. This guy was in a grouchy mood.
I must have looked like a tourist (maybe it was the Hawaiian shirt), but eventually one of the others asked where I was from. When I described San Martin and South County, they all seemed interested … except for the grouch. “What brings you here?” he asked. And it didn’t seem to make him any less agitated to hear that I was only visiting.
The conversation only got worse, and by the time I finished my coffee and Danish, I realized this guy really had a chip on his shoulder. He hated California and all it represents. And he wasn’t afraid to tell anyone. I was glad to get out of there and get some fresh air.
Outside, the dogs gave me a king’s welcome. They wagged their tails and seemed genuinely happy to see me again. I sat on a bench to talk with them. One was a shepherd named Nick.
A few moments later, the grouch came out with half of his doughnut. “Nick, get over here,” he demanded. The pooch slowly walked over and sat in front of him. On command, he sat, rolled over and was rewarded with the doughnut. I nodded acknowledgment. “Nice dog. You know, he sure is friendly to Californians,” I said.
“Yeah, he’s too dumb to know any better. C’mon Nick. Let’s go home,” the grouch said. I decided I liked Nick and his perspective on people a lot more than his owner’s. And I figured it wasn’t a good time to tell the grouchy guy that doughnuts aren’t a healthy treat for his pooch. That just wouldn’t have been fair to that poor dog.
Different regions of our country have unique problems, even when it comes to medical issues. Foxtails, those horrible weeds that plague dogs and cats here in California, are almost non-existent in the northwest. People up there don’t even know what they look like. But Oregon and Washington have their own unique problems. And one of these was the subject of a question I answered while I had my coffee in Astoria. This is an interesting one.
Q: What’s salmon poisoning? Are these fish really toxic to dogs?
A: Salmon poisoning refers to an infectious disease that’s transmitted by an intestinal parasite called a fluke (or trematode). This fluke, Nanophyetus salmincola, can carry an infectious organism that causes symptoms similar to distemper. It’s a bad one. Salmon poisoning is fatal if not diagnosed and treated quickly.
Dogs can pick up this parasite if they eat raw salmon or trout that carry it. Cooking (but not smoking) destroys the organism. These fish actually act as vectors for this disease.
Once ingested, the fluke makes its way to the victim’s liver and lungs. The disease is dangerous because the organism is difficult to detect. It’s easy to miss a diagnosis unless a veterinarian is aware of its possible presence and looks for it. The good news is that salmon poisoning is treatable with proper antibiotics and most patients fully recover.
Interestingly, this disease is seen only in extreme Northern California and areas above there. Vets in northern states are always on the lookout for it. Fortunately for us, the parasitic fluke that transmits the disease doesn’t exist in South County. But I once saw a local dog with this disease and it took a little extra sleuthing to make a diagnosis.
Randy was a Labrador that came in very sick. He had a fever (105 degrees) and looked miserable. His symptoms and his blood work left us without a clear diagnosis. But his background gave us an idea of what might be his problem.
I asked Randy’s owner, Mark, if his dog had eaten any raw or smoked fish. Turns out he had, but they hadn’t traveled to the north part of the state for more than a year. His dog had eaten raw fish, but only some that was recently caught in a local private fishing hole.
Any of you who go fishing know that most trout in our rivers, lakes and streams aren’t native. The Department of Fish and Game regularly stocks public waterways. Private fishing holes also get their stock from a supplier. So I made a call to the owner of this particular fishing spot, and … you guessed it. The fish in this waterway were from a hatchery up near Mount Lassen in Northern California. Randy was immediately started on proper treatment and he recovered to go home in just a few short days.
It was tough lesson, but Mark would never again give Randy any raw fish. If only I could have convinced the grouchy guy in Astoria that Nick shouldn’t eat those doughnuts.
