(WJW) – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is alerting pet owners that some raw cat food is being recalled because it could be contaminated with Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N1, also known as bird flu.
According to the notice, Wild Coast LLC, which operates as Wild Coast Raw, voluntarily issued the recall for certain lots of their frozen ‘Boneless Free Range Chicken Formula’ which was sold at retailers in Washington State and Oregon.
Here’s what pet owners should look for:
- Product: Fozen ‘Boneless Free Range Chicken Formula’ raw pet food for cats
- Size: 16oz and 24oz
- Lots: #22660, #22653, #22641, #22639, #22672 and #22664
- Best Buy date: 12/25
“People who fed pets the recalled products should watch for symptoms of bird flu in their pets, 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. People with pets exhibiting these signs after feeding this product should contact their veterinarian,” read the notice.
The alert comes 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.
Consumers who handled the recalled product are advised to watch for symptoms of bird flu, which the FDA said includes eye irritation, cough, sore throat, sneezing, runny/stuffy nose, muscle/body aches, headaches, fatigue, fever, trouble breathing, seizures, rash, diarrhea, nausea, and/or vomiting.
The product should be “immediately and securely” discarded to protect animals, including wildlife, from consuming the recalled product.
Those who purchased the product can get a full refund. Click here for more details.
