A Washington state pet food company is recalling one of its products due to possibility of it being contaminated with bird flu, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced. It’s the third recall related to H5N1, also called avian influenza, in just four months.
Wild Coast Raw has recalled its frozen Boneless Free Range Chicken Formula in both 16oz and 24oz sizes.
If you have either of these products with the following numbers on a sticker on the lid, you should dispose of them immediately.
- #22660
- #22653
- #22641
- #22639
- #22672
- #22664
According to the announcement, the recall includes other raw items from the company with the codes #22660 and #22664.
A message on the company’s website states that after discarding the product, you should return to the place of purchase in order to receive a refund. The company also states that it has, “transitioned to fully cooked poultry recipes to eliminate any potential risk. Cooking raw products to an internal temperature of 165 degrees kills bacteria and viruses, including H5N1, according to the CDC. These new recipes will be in place indefinitely and will be available starting next week.”
Wild Coast Raw recall is the third in four months
In December, another company, Northwest Naturals, recalled its raw turkey pet food due to bird flu contamination after one cat died. In that same month, Los Angeles County released a statement urging pet owners to avoid Monarch Raw Pet Food products after stating that samples of them also detected the virus.
As bird flu continues to spread among poultry and cattle, cat owners are on high alert because cats have a higher mortality rate when infected with the virus in comparison to dogs. Here’s how to keep them safe.
How do cats get infected with bird flu?
Bird flu is transmitted from an infected animal’s saliva, mucous and feces. Feeding your cat a raw food diet increases the risk of them contracting the virus, and it is more likely for cats to catch the virus than dogs, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.
“The ideal thing is to get [food] to whatever that cooked temperature is and cook it long enough to kill the organism,” Dr. Athema Etzioni, veterinary clinical pathologist at Tuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine, previously told CNET. For example, poultry should be cooked to 165 degrees F to cook out any possible bird flu contamination.
Pets that go outdoors can also contract the virus from eating or touching a bird that is infected with bird flu.
“I’m not a big fan of raw diets in general,” Etzioni said.
How to protect your cat from bird flu?
Experts say one of the best ways to protect your cat from bird flu is to keep them indoors. This mitigates the risks by lessening their exposure to wild birds or other animals that may have contracted the virus. Many, including Etzioni, also do not recommend raw food diets for your pets. There is currently no vaccine to protect cats against bird flu
What does bird flu look like in cats?
According to the AVMA, the symptoms of bird flu infection include, but are not limited to, lethargy, loss of appetite, inflamed eyes and discharge from the eyes.
“If it goes neurologic, they may also begin to circle, which is something that birds can do as well,” Etzioni said. Other neurologic signs may include seizures and incoordination.
If you suspect your cat has contracted bird flu, contact your veterinarian immediately to ask about what steps you should take. The likelihood of you contracting bird flu from infected raw pet food and/or an infected pet is very low, according to the FDA, but it is not entirely impossible.
“While no human infections have been identified among people handling raw pet food products, people can become infected if the virus gets into a person’s eyes, nose, or mouth,” the most recent announcement from the FDA states, adding that if you handled raw pet food, you should wash your hands and thoroughly sanitize any surface that had contact with it.
According to the CDC, mild symptoms of bird flu in humans include conjunctivitis, cough, sore throat, mild fever, runny or stuff nose, muscle or body aches and headaches.
