(WJW) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is alerting pet owners that more cat food is being recalled because it could be contaminated with bird flu, also known as highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1.
The most recent recall applies to certain lots Savage Cat Food‘s large and small chicken boxes, which were sold at retailers in California, Colorado, New York, Pennsylvania and Washington.
According to the alert, in February, the company became aware of one cat in Colorado who contracted H5N1, got sick and recovered. The product in question was removed from the market while testing took place. Then, on March 13, Savage Pet was made aware of an additional case in New York in which a kitten contracted avian flu.
Earlier this month, the FDA alerted pet owners of a similar recall for certain lots of Wild Coast LLC’s raw, frozen “boneless free range chicken formula” which was sold at retailers in Washington State and Oregon.
“People who fed cats the recalled products should watch for symptoms of bird flu, including fever, lethargy, low appetite, reddened or inflamed eyes, discharge from the eyes and nose, difficulty breathing, and neurological signs like tremors, stiff body movements, seizure, lack of coordination, or blindness,” according to the most recent recall. “People with cats exhibiting these signs after feeding this product should immediately contact their veterinarian.”
The recalls come shortly after the American Veterinarian Medical Association issued a warning explaining that cats are at risk of contracting the infection, especially due to their diets and desire to hunt.
“Cats appear to be particularly susceptible to severe illness, often resulting in death,” the AVMA said in a statement. “The risk of cat-to-human transmission is considered extremely low, but may increase with prolonged, unprotected exposure to infected animals.
According to the FDA, no human infections have been identified among people handling raw pet food products, but people can become infected if the virus gets into a person’s eyes, nose or mouth.
Here are the recalled cat food products:
- Product: Savage Cat Food Chicken – Large and Small Boxes
- Size: 84 oz. and 21 oz. boxes
- Lot code/best by date: 11152026
- Product: Wild Coast LLC ‘Boneless Free Range Chicken Formula’
- Size: 16oz and 24oz
- Lots: #22660, #22653, #22641, #22639, #22672 and #22664
- Best by date: 12/25
Click here to view the latest recall notices from the FDA.
