Clients recently have been asking me about the bird flu and their cats and dogs.
Cats and dogs can catch bird flu from eating undercooked or raw meat, sick or dead infected birds, or drinking unpasteurized milk, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.
A house cat in Oregon died after consuming Northwest Naturals’ Feline Turkey Recipe raw frozen pet food that later tested positive for H5N1 bird flu virus.
The contaminated batch was distributed across multiple states — including Arizona and Washington, as well as British Columbia, Canada — and the company issued a voluntary nationwide recall on Dec. 24.
Click here for additional details about the recall.
The cat was strictly an indoor cat, and it was not exposed to the virus in its environment. Results from the genome sequencing confirmed that the virus recovered from the raw pet food and the infected cat were exact matches.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is advising residents not to feed their pets Monarch Raw Pet Food, which is sold at several farmers markets, due to detection of H5 bird flu virus in product samples.
A house cat that consumed this product has been confirmed H5 bird flu-positive. Four other house cats from the same household are presumed to have also been positive for H5 bird flu after consuming the product.
Last month, authorities confirmed bird flu in four house cats in another household. They consumed raw milk, became sick and died, officials said.
There have been no human cases of bird flu identified yet as associated with exposure to these cats.
After the raw pet food recall, a virus in raw milk and a cluster of H5N1 bird flu-infected cats, Los Angeles County public health officials have warned against feeding pets raw food and raw milk.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also warns pet owners to stop feeding their dogs and cats raw pet food.
Although cases of infection are rare, cats seem especially susceptible to the bird flu virus, or Type A H5N1.
Since March 2024, dozens of cats have caught the virus. These include barn and feral cats, indoor cats, and big cats in zoos and in the wild.
Safeguarding your cat from the bird flu begins with following recommendations from the AVMA, the CDC and the Los Angles County Public Health Department to stop feeding your dog or cat raw pet food until the bird flu outbreak investigation is resolved.
Bird flu has been spreading for years in wild birds, chickens, turkeys and many other animals.
It was first confirmed in the United States in dairy cattle, but even before the cattle outbreak, there were feline cases linked to wild birds or poultry.
“Cooking meat or pasteurizing raw milk destroys the bird flu virus and other disease-causing germs,” said Dr. Michael Bailey, president-elect of the American Veterinary Medical Association.
“Raw milk and raw meat products can be and are a vector for carrying this virus.”
He added that dogs “seem to be less vulnerable than cats, but they should eat only thoroughly cooked foods.”
It is a good idea, for now, to try to keep your cats away from wild birds, livestock and poultry. Outdoor cats often catch wild birds, which can be a source of bird flu.
Cats that are sick with bird flu might experience loss of appetite, lethargy, respiratory issues, red irritated eyes typically with discharge, possibly tremors, seizures and diarrhea.
If you have any concerns, isolate your cat from other cats and bring your cat to your veterinarian for an examination.
Health officials say the overall risk of H5 bird flu to the public remains low. Most human cases of bird flu in the United States involve people who had direct contact with infected cattle or livestock.
Overall, there have been 66 confirmed cases of bird flu involving humans across 10 states, according to CDC data. California has the highest number of cases with 37.
Federal health officials have begun testing raw cow’s milk, cheese and raw milk nationwide to test for bird flu. Most bird flu cases affecting humans in the United States have been mild, and patients have typically recovered after receiving antiviral medication.
I hope this information helps. If you have additional questions, please contact your veterinarian.