Bird Flu and Our Pets: What To Know

A pet dog in Canada died after testing positive for bird flu contracted by chewing on infected wild geese, but there are no reports of deaths in California so far.  photo: Brian Lawless/PA

Avian flu or H5N1, more commonly known as bird flu, has been in the news a lot lately. As a veterinarian, I’m increasingly asked about it by my clients. Here’s my take on the current state of things.

How Worried Should I Be?

In my opinion, not very worried, as long as you understand how to keep your human and four-legged family members safe. Under 75 human cases have been reported in the U.S. so far and most have been among dairy workers. Their infections have been mild and no deaths or severe illness has been reported so far in California. There is also no evidence of human-to-human transmission. The one human death in the U.S. reported to date was an immune-compromised individual over 65 years old in Louisiana who was directly exposed to infected birds.

Are Dogs Affected?

No dog cases of avian flu have been reported in California to date. No dog-to-dog or dog-to-human transmission has been reported anywhere. The few reported canine cases in the U.S. and Canada have been in hunting dogs who ate infected waterfowl. In a recent study of 194 bird hunting dogs in Washington state, just four dogs tested positive, but none showed signs of illness. Dogs who shared homes with the positive dogs did not test positive.

What About Cats?

The majority of infections we have seen in domestic animals have been in cats and most of those have been from consuming raw milk. Others have been infected by ingesting sick birds and some from consuming raw poultry. A recent infection was reported in Half Moon Bay where a stray cat was likely infected from contact with wild birds. The cat was euthanized.

The mortality rate in cats with avian flu is as high as 67%, according to the University of Maryland’s School of Public Health. The sick cats may present with listlessness, loss of appetite, depression, fever, difficulty breathing, neurological disease, and digestive issues.

Veterinarian Jane Sykes, who specializes in infectious diseases in cats and dogs at the University of California-Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, says people should not assume it’s bird flu if their cat is sick, even if their animal spends time outdoors or eats a raw diet. Upper-respiratory illnesses are common in cats, while H5N1 is “still pretty rare,” according to Dr. Sykes. If your cat appears sick, a veterinary exam should be done, with testing, if indicated.

Is Raw Poultry a Problem?

San Francisco has a very large and informed raw feeding community, and many of my clients feed raw diets to their dogs and cats. However, to avoid the risk of H5N1, I recommend against feeding raw unpasteurized poultry.

The Oregon Department of Agriculture discovered an indoor cat who had contracted H5N1 and died after consuming a frozen turkey product made by the raw pet food brand Northwest Naturals. The department stated that “tests confirmed a genetic match between the virus in the raw and frozen pet food and the infected cat.”

In addition, two cats from separate homes in Oregon were euthanized after consuming Wild Coast Raw, a brand from Washington state. Testing of samples from both the cats and the raw pet food confirmed the presence of bird flu.

What About Beef?

No H5N1 cases have been reported from raw beef consumption in humans or animals to date. Prior to January 20, 2025, the USDA had a rigorous meat inspection process, and so far no infected meat from culled dairy cows has entered the food supply. But that is the human food supply and, depending on the source, culled animals could potentially make it into the animal food supply so this is something to keep a close eye on. I also have no confidence that federal USDA inspections will remain at the same level going forward.

Stay Safe: Do NOT Feed Raw Milk or Poultry

Cooking to an internal temperature of 165˚F will kill the avian flu virus so consider cooked, canned, or pasteurized balanced poultry diets as an alternative to unpasteurized raw food. Pasteurization (heating to over 160 degrees) will also kill the virus. But a balanced raw food diet usually contains some bone, which can become brittle and hard with cooking and make digestion more difficult. It’s best to consult with your raw food company to see if cooking is a possibility.

Be Vigilant

Keep your dogs and cats away from any dead or sickly birds. Try to keep your cats indoors but if they must go outside, keep a bell on them to at least decrease the chance of them killing birds that could be infected.

Lastly, if your dog or cat is showing signs of illness, please bring them to your veterinarian. Like all viruses, this one is subject to mutation and medical advice may change. In the meantime, it’s up to all of us to try to contain it and keep our pets safe.