NOTE: Due to one nasty person out there - I feel the need to put in a quick note. Please look at the picture below. See that this 'pond' is not part of the river. It was frozen solid and only 6- 18 inches deep. There was no chance of the dogs falling through or being lost under the ice. Also, the ice was covered by a thin layer of sand that offered quite a bit of traction. Additionally if you look carefully at the pictures you can see that we were GENTLY tossing the ball - which did not cause them to run break neck after it - we also stuck to the end where there were small round rocks sticking up - giving them more traction. After reading some of the kind emails from people nicely sharing with me thoughts on the dangers this may impose - looking back on it I wish I had not taken the risk with my dogs ligaments, tendons etc - I truly did not think they could be hurt. The pictures are fun - but this is not something I would do again in the future.
The temperatures have been bitterly cold. When this happens the river level drops as the snow melt in the mountains decrease. Large pools of water on the river are cut off from the flow and freeze beautifully. Slick, smooth and solid. Perfect for skating and hockey (once you get away from the rocks on the edge).
When we first found this frozen section - the dogs ran out then started slipping and sliding around. They did not avoid it and seemed to enjoy playing on it. Safety First: We checked the entire 'pool' determining it was a safe enough thickness for a adult to walk on.
Then Grace threw the first ball....thus, the creation of
ICE BALL!
Ice, Ice ball baby
Ooomph...
Aghhhhhhhhh.....
Weeeeeeeeeeeeeee.....
Whoops...where did it go?
Can't stop...
Yo camera lady...watch out....INCOMING!
Lets try this again...
Uh oh...competition
BACK OFF, IT'S MINE!
(click picture for larger view of Ranger Rage)
Bonnie asks herself "Is that what I look like when I am angry?"
Dumb girls are cramping my style.
A dog needs to fetch his ball in peace.
ITS MINE - I SAID BACK OFF!
What do we have here?
Is that Bonnie....FETCHING A BALL?
GO Bonnie, GO Bonnie
Did you see me Mom, I GOT THE BALL!
We love ICE BALL!
WATCH OUT! LAND SHARK!
(click on image for larger view)
Lets get a closer look at Bonnie Jaws. Doesn't it look like the blast of air from Bonnie's mouth is flattening the side of Brynn's face.
*SIGH* Bonnie...KNOCK IT OFF!
Beth is such a good girl - see her in the back ground - staying out of it?
I am a good girl, but my feets don't stay where I puts them
I got my legs wrapped in stuff, because I keep skidding in the rocks and ripping the backs of my legs up.
We are all doing much better playing nice (except for Ranger Rage and Bonnie Jaws)
The girls are starting to relax around each other again.
It helps that mom keeps us too tired to care about fighting
Mom is the most impressed with me. She says that I have made the biggest change of all.
She is proud of me.
Mom is even proud of Mr. Spit Head
Enjoy more pictures of the dogs playing Ice Ball. View the slide show on Flickr
"Behind me I have whole army of my packmates, here in defiance of tyranny!"
"We have come to take back our river!"
"Fight fishermen and you may drown. Run and you will live... at least awhile."
"You come to our river, take all the salmon, leave your litter behind. McDonalds bags, beer cans, cigarette butts, fishing line & hooks that can hurt wildlife. What is wrong with you?"
"I will not die with regrets."
"When I am dying in my bed many years from now, I will not regret taking this chance, as a young dog, to show our enemies that they may take our fish but they will never take our river!"
"It's our wits that make us border collies
The test of a border collie is not in his speed, it is here... in his head."
"Go back to your homes, and tell them there that this River's sons and daughters are yours no more.
Tell them the Carbon River is free to dogs once again!
Uhhhooohhh. Who is that? "
"Oh, that is Dad in his fishing gear. He doesn't look happy."
"Oh Hiya Dad, don't listen to Ranger, he is an idiot."
"Well Ranger, you do have a few points. It is sad that so many of my fellow fishermen do not respect our beautiful river, or the bounty it provides. It is a darn shame that they litter and leave so much garbage behind. We have all worked so hard to restore the salmon in our rivers, then humans treat our landscape like this. It is sad."
"Ranger, why don't you come out in the river with me and I can show you some fish? Fresh salmon will not harm a dog (do not bite them), but the dead smelly fish will, so you have to stay away from those. They can make a dog very sick."
"I dunno Dad, there are things moving around in that water. LOTS OF BIG THINGS THAT WILL EAT MY LEGS! Mommy...."
"I will be brave... I will look around and see"
OMG WHAT WAS THAT?
I GOT ONE!
DAD, THEY ARE EVERYWHERE! (see the large salmon swimming right in front of Ranger, then another to the right?)
Aggggghhhhhhhh! Five of them getting away! DAD!
"Ranger, pace yourself. The more you run around in this water the less salmon will come up the river. They are all waiting below the rapids for you to leave. You need to be quieter Ranger."
"Ranger can't be quiet, he is an idiot"
"Hey, maybe you all shouldn't be out there, the fishermen up river might get angry when all the fish stop swimming."
Cant beat'em, join'em.
Oh, my....Ranger pounced on one with his paws. DO NOT BITE IT! (We shooed him away before he could get his teeth into it *PLEASE SEE IMPORTANT NOTE BELOW*)
Ranger, we practice what we call "Catch and Release". After we catch the fish we let them go so they can finishing spawning. We have plenty of fish at home in the freezer, there is no need to be greedy."
Ranger liked the idea of letting his fish go - so he could pounce on more!
Dad has a new fishing buddy.
Watch Ranger fishing on YouTube
If you make a trip to a Pacific Northwest River during salmon spawning season it is essential your dog has a reliable "LEAVE IT" and you keep your eyes on your dog every minute. The dead and decaying carcasses are a tempting delicacy for most dogs and they can contain a lethal organism which has deadly consequences.
IMPORTANT NOTE: SALMON POISONING DISEASE (SPD)
Salmon Poisoning Disease
This information is not meant to be a substitute for veterinary care. Always follow the instructions provided by your veterinarian.
Fishing can be wonderful recreation, but sharing the catch with your dog can be an act of kindness that kills.
Salmon Poisoning Disease is a potentially fatal condition seen in dogs that eat certain types of raw fish. Salmon (salmonid fish) and other anadromous fish (fish that swim upstream to breed) can be infected with a parasite called Nanophyetus salmincola. Overall, the parasite is relatively harmless. The danger occurs when the parasite itself is infected with a rickettsial organism called Neorickettsia helminthoeca. It’s this microorganism that causes salmon poisoning.
“Salmon poisoning occurs most commonly west of the Cascade mountain range,” says Dr. Bill Foreyt, a veterinary parasitologist at Washington State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. He adds, “Canids (dogs) are the only species susceptible to salmon poisoning. That’s why cats, raccoons and bears eat raw fish regularly with out consequence.”
Generally clinical signs appear within six days of a dog eating an infected fish.
Common symptoms of salmon poisoning include:
vomiting
lack of appetite
fever
diarrhea
weakness
swollen lymph nodes
dehydration
If untreated, death usually occurs within fourteen days of eating the infected fish. Ninety percent of dogs showing symptoms die if they are not treated.
Thankfully, salmon poisoning is treatable if it’s caught in time. A key to its diagnosis is telling your veterinarian that your dog ate raw fish. If you have a dog that wanders, or raids trashcans and you are unsure of what it’s eaten; consider the possibility of salmon poisoning. Salmon poisoning can be diagnosed with a fecal sample or a needle sample of a swollen lymph node. Detecting the parasite’s eggs as they are shed in the feces confirms its presence. The rickettsial organism can be detected in a needle sample from a swollen lymph node. The combination of symptoms, and the presence of parasite eggs or the rickettsial organisms, are enough to justify treatment.
Given the severity of the condition, treatment is relatively simple. Your veterinarian will prescribe an antibiotic and a “wormer”. The antibiotic kills the rickettsial organisms that cause the illness, and the wormer kills the parasite. If the dog is dehydrated, intravenous fluid are given. Once treatment has been started, most dogs show dramatic improvement within two days.
Next time you are fishing or purchase raw salmon and you hear the familiar begging whine of your dog, ignore it. They may not understand it, but not sharing the fish is the best thing for them. This will save them from suffering salmon poisoning, and save you from a veterinary bill.
This Pet Health Topic was written by Sarah Hoggan, Washington State University, Class of 2001.
