What Is Salmonella in Dogs?

Salmonella is a type of bacteria that primarily attacks the gastrointestinal tract, frequently causing severe diarrhea in humans. Though salmonella infection in dogs—known as salmonellosis—is relatively rare, it can occur, especially in puppies or dogs with weakened immune systems.

Most salmonella strains are host-specific, meaning they tend to cause illness only in particular species. For instance, a cow suffering from salmonella is unlikely to transmit the infection to a healthy dog, and vice versa.

However, even when dogs show no symptoms of salmonellosis, they can still shed the bacteria through their saliva or feces, potentially transmitting the infection to humans. Notably, the salmonella strains that affect dogs are often the same ones that can infect people, making this a zoonotic disease.

While salmonella infections in dogs are uncommon, the risk significantly increases when pet parents include raw or unprocessed meats in their dog’s diet.

In all species, salmonella-related diarrhea and illness can be severe, potentially leading to dehydration, sepsis, or even death if left untreated. It is critical for pet parents to seek veterinary care immediately if their dog experiences diarrhea along with reduced appetite, lethargy, fever, or blood in the stool.

Symptoms of Salmonella in Dogs

Salmonella can affect various body systems, but its symptoms most commonly arise from gastrointestinal disturbances. Typical signs of salmonellosis in dogs include:

• Sudden onset of severe, watery diarrhea
• Bloody diarrhea (hematochezia)
• Vomiting
• Lethargy and weakness
• Elevated fever
• Reduced appetite, sometimes accompanied by weight loss
• Dehydration

Since these symptoms overlap with other causes of severe diarrhea, veterinarians often suspect salmonellosis based on a dog’s diet, recent travel, illness history, or immune system stress.

Though rare, salmonella can spread beyond the gut, potentially causing pneumonia if it reaches the lungs or leading to pregnancy loss in breeding female dogs if the reproductive system becomes infected.

Causes of Salmonella in Dogs

Salmonella typically enters a dog’s system when they ingest feces from infected animals or consume contaminated products. Dogs living around farms or those fed raw chicken or beef are at higher risk. Additionally, dried pig ears are a common source of salmonella infection in dogs.

An occasional small amount of raw meat usually won’t lead to salmonellosis, though mild gastrointestinal upset such as enteritis might occur. Such mild issues often resolve without veterinary intervention, but pet parents should remain vigilant for worsening symptoms.

Maintaining strict hygiene when handling pet waste is essential to prevent spread, and feeding raw diets should be avoided to reduce the risk of repeated salmonella exposure, which threatens both dog and family health.

How Veterinarians Diagnose Salmonella in Dogs

Diagnosing salmonellosis can be challenging because its symptoms closely resemble many other illnesses, and dogs often don’t exhibit clear signs. Veterinarians typically consider salmonellosis when symptoms align with a history of raw meat consumption or if human family members show similar symptoms.

Other causes of severe gastrointestinal inflammation—like ingestion of foreign objects, parasitic infections, Addison’s disease, or viral illnesses—must be excluded through blood tests, X-rays, and fecal examinations before confirming salmonella.

Testing for the specific salmonella strain is usually reserved for repeated infections or when the source of contamination remains unknown.

Treatment of Salmonella in Dogs

Treating salmonellosis mainly involves supportive care to help your dog recover comfortably. Key components include:

• Rehydration through fluids administered intravenously or subcutaneously
• Medications to control nausea and vomiting
• Antibiotics to combat systemic infection and prevent sepsis

In severe cases, additional treatments such as feeding tubes, fever-reducing drugs, probiotics, or even fecal transplants may be necessary to restore a healthy gut microbiome.

Recovery and Management of Salmonella in Dogs

The outlook for dogs with salmonella depends on the severity of the infection. Mild cases often improve after a few days of supportive care, while dogs with severe infections and bloodstream involvement may require weeks of intensive treatment, including intravenous fluids, antibiotics, and nutritional support.

Prevention of Salmonella in Dogs

The best defense against salmonellosis is feeding your dog balanced commercial diets and thoroughly processed treats. Raw food diets carry documented risks, including contamination with salmonella, E. coli, and even tuberculosis, with no credible research proving they are healthier than cooked, commercial pet foods.

At a minimum, all meat and eggs should be fully cooked before feeding. Keep an eye on FDA pet food recalls to avoid products that may be contaminated.

Can dogs get salmonella?

Salmonella infection in dogs is uncommon but can be serious when it occurs. More commonly, dogs act as carriers of the bacteria and can unknowingly spread salmonella to humans, where it may cause severe illness.

Can dogs get salmonella from raw chicken?

Yes, raw chicken and dried pig ears are among the most frequent sources of salmonella contamination in dogs, especially due to the growing yet ill-advised trend of feeding raw meat to pets.

Is salmonella fatal to dogs if left untreated?

Salmonellosis can cause extreme illness in dogs. Without treatment, dogs may succumb to dehydration and the spread of bacteria into the bloodstream (sepsis), which can be fatal.