A cat in Oregon died from bird flu traced back to contaminated raw pet food. This is the first known case of an indoor cat dying from consuming raw food contaminated with the virus. The maker of the cat food, Northwest Naturals, has issued a recall. While rare, there have been over 25 cases of cats infected with bird flu in the US since 2022, mostly on dairy farms. Experts warn that raw pet food and unpasteurized milk can be contaminated with bacteria and viruses, stressing the safety of commercially prepared pet food.
against raw pet food s after a cat in Oregon was found to have died from a product contaminated by bird flu . The maker of that cat food, Northwest Naturals, has since recalled, either getting sick or dying, for years. There were no cases in the United States until 2022, experts say. “By late 2024, there had been over 25 cases reported,” said Dr. Jane Sykes, a professor of small animal internal medicine at the University of California-Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.
But “freezing is just a good way to preserve viruses,” said Dr. J. Scott Weese, a professor at the Ontario Veterinary College and director of the Center for Public Health and Zoonoses at the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada. “So you can’t say stick it in the freezer and that will get rid of the virus.”NBC News reached out for comment to three makers of freeze dried raw cat foods including Instinct, Stella & Chewy’s and Vital Essentials. They didn't respond.
In the meantime, the FDA warns against feeding raw foods that might have come from farms with infected animals, Goodwin said. “If you’re not sure of the origin of your products, it’s safest to thoroughly cook or pasteurize it to inactivate the virus.”On Dec. 20, Los Angeles County issued an advisory confirming bird flu had been detected in four domestic cats that had consumed recalled raw milk and in one that had consumed Northwest Naturals.
It’s likely that there have been more cats sickened by contaminated raw food, Scholz said. “This owner was very interested in knowing what had happened,” he said. “Not everyone does that. I expect we will probably find more cases either looking backward or looking forward.”“I’m fairly confident this is the tip of the iceberg,” he said. “There aren’t a lot of people who are going to pay $100 to $200 to get their dead cat tested.
Bird Flu Pet Food Raw Diet Cat Death Salmonella
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Raw Farm Raw Milk and Dairy Products Recalled Due to Bird Flu VirusRaw Farm LLC voluntarily recalls all raw milk and dairy products after bird flu virus detections in their supply. California public health officials advise against consumption of these products and have placed the farm under quarantine.
Read more »
California's Raw Farm expands raw milk recall after tests detect more bird flu virusA California farm expanded a recall of raw milk sold in stores and halted production after state health and agriculture officials found bird flu virus in more milk samples.
Read more »
Bird Flu Be Damned: Raw Farm Is Doubling Down On Selling Raw Milk At ScaleRaw Farm, the country’s biggest producer of raw milk has seen its sales grow exponentially to more than $30 million, despite the health risks of forgoing pasteurization. With RFK Jr. nominated to lead HHS under Trump, it hopes to sell even more.
Read more »
California farm placed under quarantine after bird flu found in raw milkA California farm's voluntary recall of its raw milk products has now been widened after bird flu was found in more samples.
Read more »
California farm placed under quarantine after bird flu found in raw milkA California farm's voluntary recall of its raw milk products has now been widened after bird flu was found in more samples.
Read more »
California farm placed under quarantine after bird flu found in raw milkA California farm's voluntary recall of its raw milk products has now been widened after bird flu was found in more samples.
Read more »