What You Need To Know About Bird Flu and Raw Pet Food

Bird Flu, H5N1, HPAI, Avian Influenza . . . What You Need To Know As A Pet Parent

This isn’t a “new” or novel virus. It is a subtype of the influenza A virus. This subtype was first found in 1961 in South Africa, then became highly pathogenic (HPAI) in 1996 in China. The first human case documented was in 1997 in Hong Kong. It is called “bird flu” because of how susceptible birds are to contracting the virus and how quickly and easily it is spread between bird species, though it has now been found in around 200 different species of mammals.

Since March 2024, and as of January 7, 2025, there have been 16 states with affected cattle according to the CDC.

The virus infects cells by binding to alpha2,3-linked sialic acid receptors. Wild birds are natural hosts and poultry flocks are at high risk due to confinement and living environments. The subtype has been found in nearly 200 mammalian species, including cows, cats, humans, and rarely dogs. It is highly transmissible in cats and often fatal. This is due to cats having the same alpha2,3 receptors in their respiratory system. Dogs have more alpha2,6 receptors, so while there is a potential risk and some dogs have been infected, it has been rare so far.

Poultry flocks in the United States are required to test flocks for live virus and antibodies to the virus. This can be done through throat swabs, swabs of the environment, or blood tests. PCR detection of viral RNA is the gold standard in testing with 95% accuracy. Testing is monitored by the USDA.

A study published in May 2024 looked at the possibility of a lab in Athens, GA performing gain of function research to increase infection of HPAI into migratory water fowl, siting the possible laboratory leaks as a reason for increased infection in birds in the United States.

Bottom line, it is transmissible to cats by eating infected raw poultry, and to cats and dogs by coming into contact with infected birds or environments where there are affected birds (ie: feathers, feces, puddles, etc.). We will talk about raw dairy milk in the next blog because it is a big topic and deserves it’s own post.

Symptoms in Cats

Symptoms in cats can include:

fever
lethargy
coughing
sneezing
difficulty breathing
neurological symptoms such as ataxia, circling, seizures
as well as possible G.I. symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea.

H5N1 is a zoonotic disease, meaning it can be spread between species, so please contact your veterinarian’s office prior to arriving to let them know that there is a potential for bird flu so that they can take proper precautions.

It is important to get care as soon as possible, because the fatality rate in cats is very high. Keeping your cats away from infected birds and environments where infected birds have been, as well as not allowing them to eat poultry from infected birds is very important, as those are the main ways in which H5N1 are spread. This may mean keeping your cat indoors and switching proteins in their raw food diets.

Feeding Raw Food to your Cats

While many veterinarians are recommending to discontinue feeding raw meat to cats, it is important to remember that cats are obligate carnivores and a raw food diet is the most biologically and species appropriate food that we can feed to our cats. That said, this is a very serious issue for cats and should not be taken lightly.

Mitigation in Raw Foods

H5N1 is an enveloped virus, so damaging the lipid membrane that surrounds its protein and DNA structure. Damaging the lipid membrane renders it inactive by no longer being able to attach or enter host cells. There are some things we can do to mitigate the risks in raw fed cats (and dogs).

Switch proteins – Stop feeding poultry for the time being and focus on other animal protein sources
Gently cook your raw meats – Check with your brand if feeding a commercial raw food to make sure that if they use bone in their recipe that the bone is ground fine enough to gently cook. Larger bone fragments are NOT recommended to cook. Recipes balanced with eggshell can be gently cooked.
Fermentation – Fermentation has been shown to inactivate similar viruses if pH levels remain between 3.5-4.0 for at least 24-48 hours (ASM Journals)
Note about fermentation: while this may work to inactivate H5N1, it is not feasible to do with pet food, as it would require a brine of 24-48 hours, making the food unpalatable for pets to consume.
One pet food company that uses fermentation has stated that the “competitive inhibition” that fermentation provides will work for enveloped viruses similar to H5N1, but another expert in fermentation in the pet food industry disagrees that fermentation alone would be effective to inactivate H5N1.
High Pressure Processing (HPP) – HPP has been shown to inactivate similar viruses with a pressure of at least 500MPa for at least 2 minutes (ASM Journals) (Springer Nature)

Commercial Pet Food Recalls for H5N1

December 2024, Northwest Naturals issues a voluntary recall of their 2 pound Feline Turkey Recipe frozen raw pet food due to H5N1 contamination.

Further investigation reveals that the Oregon Department of Agriculture did not follow protocol when they only tested the opened bag of food. In fact, Susan Thixton writes in her blog that we ended 2024 with the worst pet food regulatory failure.

To quote Susan:

“Fact: It is mandatory for regulatory authorities to test unopened samples. The protocol for USDA, FDA, and all State Departments of Agriculture is to test an unopened sample; an opened sample is not an acceptable sample to force a company to recall. An opened sample can be contaminated from outside sources prior to analysis. Laboratory analysis of an opened sample should NEVER be used to issue a press release frightening a world of pet owners.”

My heart is broken for the loss of the pet cat who passed away from bird flu leading to this recall. I hope they did not suffer and their family is at peace.

January 2025, Monarch Pet Food, sold at farmers markets in California, issued a recall due to a pet cat having become ill and diagnosed with H5N1 after consuming the raw pet food.

When it comes to choosing a pet food, whether you have a healthy cat or dog, or if you are dealing with allergies and chronic illness, seeking help with commercial options or creating custom recipes is something a canine or feline nutritionist can help you with. My preference is always for fresh food, minimal ingredients, and no synthetics.

Risk to Humans

It breaks my heart that this virus is so devastating to our beloved cats, but I know the larger concern in society is to human health. Humans are at risk for the virus, however infections have been sporadic and often the virus has been found in farm workers in the U.S. without symptoms. According to the CDC, human infection is rare and can be found when a human has had unprotected contact with an infected animal or to an environment in which infected birds or other infected animals have been present. The CDC states “Most human infections with H5N1 virus have occurred after unprotected exposures to sick or dead infected poultry.”

Critical Thinking when it comes to H5N1

We’ve learned a lot in the past few years about coercion, control, and informed consent. While I never like to get political on this page, trust in the government and governmental agencies is certainly at an all time low.

We should not leave out of the equation this fact… In July 2024, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded Moderna $176 million to accelerate the development of an mRNA-based vaccine targeting the H5N1 avian influenza virus. This funding, provided through the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), aims to enhance pandemic preparedness by supporting late-stage development of a pre-pandemic vaccine against the H5 influenza virus.

Dr. Conor Brady, Dogs First, gives an excellent run down of the data we now have from the past pandemic and how this should shape what we do moving forward. Hint: It’s exactly what we’ve known to do with viruses for over a hundred years, and the exact opposite of what we did in 2020. Viruses mutate quickly and vaccines DO NOT eradicate them, they just mutate. Don’t listen to me, follow the data.