Salmonellosis in Dogs

Salmonellosis is an infection found in dogs caused by the Salmonella bacteria. It often leads to disorders, including gastroenteritis, spontaneous abortions, and septicemia. This bacterial disease is also zoonotic, meaning it can be transmitted to humans.

Salmonellosis affects both dogs cats. If you would like to learn how this disease affects cats, please visit this page in the PetMD health library.

Symptoms and Types

The severity of the disease will often determine the signs and symptoms that are overtly present in the dog. Symptoms commonly seen in dogs with salmonellosis include:

• Fever
• Shock
• Lethargy
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Anorexia
• Weight loss
• Dehydration
• Skin disease
• Mucus in stool
• Abnormally fast heart rate
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Abnormal vaginal discharge
• Miscarriage or spontaneous abortion

Chronic forms of salmonellosis may exhibit some of these same symptoms; however, they will be more severe. These include symptoms:

• Fever
• Weight loss
• Loss of blood
• Non-intestinal infections
• Diarrhea that comes and goes with no logical explanation, which may last up to three or four weeks, or longer

Causes

There are more than 2,000 different types of Salmonella, a Gram-negative enterobacteria. Typically, a host animal carrying the disease will have two or more different microorganisms or types of Salmonellae bacteria that cause this disease.

Risk factors include the dog's age, with younger and older animals most at risk due to their underdeveloped and/or compromised immune systems. Similarly, dogs with weak immune systems or immature gastrointestinal tracts are at risk.

Dogs receiving antibiotic therapy are also at risk because the healthy bacteria that line the digestive tract (or florae), may become imbalanced, increasing the risk of salmonellosis.

Diagnosis

To confirm a diagnosis of salmonellosis, your veterinarian will examine your dog for different physical and pathological findings.

Unfortunately, a dog infected with the bacteria will typically not show any clinical symptoms. However, some dogs do have gastroenteritis, a disease affecting the gastrointestinal system that presents with an inability to eat, general poor health and fatigue, depression, and a chronic fever that may stay as high as 104 degrees Fahrenheit.