How to Prevent Bird Flu in Pets: Keeping Your Cats and Dogs Safe
Key takeaways:
A very contagious strain of bird flu (H5N1) is currently circulating in birds and dairy cows. Though rare, both dogs and cats can get bird flu. Cats have a much higher risk.
The best way to prevent your pet from getting bird flu is to avoid feeding them raw meat or raw milk. Keep cats indoors and keep your dog from chasing wild birds.
A cat or dog with bird flu could pass the virus on to humans. This is very rare, though.
Table of contents
If you’ve been following the news, you’ve likely heard about a major bird flu outbreak in the U.S. The H5N1 bird flu — a specific strain of avian influenza — has cropped up among wild and farmed birds. It’s also spread to dairy cows, which is raising alarms for some experts who fear another pandemic.
It’s scary to hear about any new virus that’s spreading fast. And in the case of H5N1 bird flu, you may be wondering about your dog’s or cat’s risk of getting sick from the virus. We don’t have all the answers yet, but here’s what we know about the bird flu in pets.
Can animals other than birds get avian influenza?
Yes, animals other than birds can get avian influenza. The bird flu has been found in cows at dairy farms across several states. The virus has also been detected in other mammals, including:
Cats
Dogs
Big cats, including bobcats, mountain lions, and tigers
Red foxes
Minks
Seals
Bears
Mice
Raccoons
Dolphins
Squirrels
Coyotes
Skunks
Voles
Rabbits
Opposums
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Understanding bird flu (avian influenza) in pets
The latest bird flu outbreak isn’t the first time we’ve seen an avian influenza epidemic. There are many types of avian flu that circulate from time to time. Most recently, experts are concerned with the H5N1 avian flu, which is particularly contagious among birds. But there have been cases of bird flu in cats and a few dogs.
Bird flu in cats
Cats have a higher risk of catching bird flu compared to dogs. One of the primary ways cats seem to get the virus is by consuming contaminated food.
In one case, farm cats who drank raw milk from cows infected with bird flu became sick or died.
Bird flu was detected in several cats in two South Korean shelters in 2023. Researchers found the sick cats had eaten contaminated duck in their canned food.
In another case, cats who came into contact with infected chickens became sick. This included cats who were fed contaminated chicken.
Cats who spend time hunting outdoors can get sick from catching and eating a sick wild bird or small mammals.
Bird flu is also spreading among house mice, another favorite prey for cats. In Colorado, experts believe a few indoor-only cats got bird flu from infected mice they caught inside.
Several cats in Los Angeles got sick after eating raw food from two brands — Monarch Raw Pet Food and Northwest Naturals. Both brands included raw meat that was infected with bird flu.
Cats with bird flu can also spread the virus to other cats. The virus can be spread through the air as well as through feces. Cats can become very sick with H5N1. As many as 70% of cats who get bird flu may die.
Keep in mind that the risk to most cats is still very low, especially indoor cats. The USDA is tracking which mammals get sick with bird flu. Out of 493 bird flu cases so far, 88 of them have been domestic cats. Additionally, 12 wild bobcats have gotten bird flu along with several other big cats.
Bird flu in dogs
There have been fewer reports of dogs getting bird flu compared to cats, and experts believe dogs are less at risk. Bird flu also seems to cause less serious illness in dogs than cats, and dogs are more likely to recover.
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Similar to cats, the dogs most at risk for bird flu catch or eat a sick bird or other animal. Dogs who come into contact with bird poop or other fluids from infected animals may also get bird flu. This includes bodies of water such as lakes and ponds.
Symptoms of bird flu in pets
We don’t currently have a lot of information on potential bird flu symptoms in pets. We have a few clues, but we can’t say anything for sure yet. When in doubt about your dog’s or cat’s symptoms, call your veterinarian to ask for help.
Bird flu symptoms in cats
Cats with bird flu may show symptoms like:
Sneezing
Coughing
Depression
Stiff body movements
Lack of coordination
Circling
Blindness
Lots of discharge from their nose and eyes
Fever
Difficulty breathing
Pneumonia
Tremors
Death
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Many of the neurological bird flu symptoms in cats look similar to rabies symptoms.
Bird flu symptoms in dogs
We have even less information on dogs who have gotten sick with bird flu. From the few cases we do know about, dogs with bird flu may have signs of respiratory illness. For example, one dog with bird flu developed an ongoing dry cough and a runny nose. It later recovered.
Tips for preventing bird flu in pets
The best way to prevent your pet from getting bird flu is to keep them indoors or away from potentially sick animals and raw foods.
Prevent bird flu in cats
To protect your cat from bird flu:
Prevent your outdoor cat from roaming free, where they’re more likely to catch an infected prey animal, especially birds. If possible, it’s best to keep your cat indoors at all times.
Don’t feed your cat raw milk or raw meat or raw diets. Raw foods are more likely to be contaminated by bird flu. It’s best to avoid raw foods you might buy at a pet store as well. This includes frozen raw food and freeze-dried raw foods and treats.
Keep your cat from going into areas where wild birds are common, such as bird baths, houses, and feeders as well as ponds or lakes.
Don’t put your cat’s food or water outside where wild animals like raccoons or birds can access it. Sharing food or water with an infected animal may increase a cat’s risk of getting sick.
Do your best to prevent mice from entering your house. This can help reduce the risk that your indoor cat catches and eats an infected mouse.
Change your clothing right after you come into contact with an animal — wild or domestic — you don’t know. Also be sure to wash your hands thoroughly before interacting with your cats.
Do not touch dead or sick animals to avoid bringing a virus home to your cat. Report dead animals to your local or state government.
If you spend time around cows, poultry, or wild birds, remove your shoes before entering your home. Disinfect shoes that are accessible to cats. You can also wear shoes covers if you’re working in and around animals likely to be sick with bird flu.
Prevent bird flu in dogs
To protect your dog from bird flu:
Keep your dog leashed while they’re outside. Keep an eye on what they’re chasing to prevent them from catching an infected animal. Make sure they’re not inspecting dead birds or animals, and keep them away from them.
Avoid allowing your dog to swim in ponds, lakes, or other bodies of water that may contain bird poop or other bodily fluids from infected animals.
Don’t feed your dog raw food, since these foods are more likely to contain bird flu-contaminated meat.
Prevent your dog from drinking or eating from shared water or food bowls. This is especially true of water bowls left outside that can be accessed by birds and other animals.
Wash your hands and change your clothing after interacting with a wild or domestic animal you don’t know. This can help minimize any risk of passing on an infection to your dog.
Do not touch dead or sick animals. Call your local or state government to remove the animal.
Can humans get bird flu from pets?
Yes, but so far it's not common. The CDC suggested that in a few cases, cats spread bird flu to a human. In another instance, a person sick with bird flu may have spread it to their cat.
We do know that humans can get the bird flu from other animals. There have been 68 cases of humans getting bird flu from sick cows or chickens and turkeys. It’s believed that more people than this have gotten sick from other animals; their cases were missed or not counted.
In other bird flu outbreaks — such as one in New York in 2016 — a couple people got sick after handling infected cats. Those people only had minor symptoms and recovered. Keep in mind, though, that this was a different strain of bird flu (H7N2) than the one currently circulating (H5N1).
What should you do if you have direct contact with infected animals?
If you believe you’ve come into contact with an animal infected with bird flu, start by thoroughly washing your hands. Use warm water and soap, and wash any other areas of your body that may have come into contact with the animal. Disinfect your clothing and shoes using a bleach solution (1 part bleach to 10 parts water).
Starting from the time you’re exposed to an infected animal, monitor yourself for potential bird flu symptoms for 10 days. Potential symptoms of bird flu in humans can include:
Cough
Shortness of breath
Sore throat
Runny nose
Pink eye
If you do develop symptoms, call your healthcare team for potential testing and treatment. Stay away from other people, including members of your family, until you are no longer sick or test negative for H5N1 bird flu.
Frequently asked questions
It’s possible, but we don’t really know. So far the risk seems very low. The CDC recommends keeping pets (and your bare skin!) away from wild birds and their poop and other fluids. This extends to bodies of water that birds or other animals may poop in.
The most common symptoms of avian flu in birds include:
Lack of energy
Loss of appetite
Swelling in different parts of the body
Purple discoloration on their body
Coughing
Sneezing
Runny nose
Misshapen eggs
Coordination issues
Death
If you find a sick or dead bird, call your state or local wildlife agency. You can also call the USDA’s hotline at 1-866-4USDA-WS.
The bottom line
The current H5N1 bird flu epidemic has been making headlines as it spreads from birds to cows and other animals. Dogs and cats can be at risk for getting bird flu, though it’s rare. Cats have a higher risk of getting bird flu and getting very sick from the virus compared to dogs.
You can protect your pets from getting the avian flu by keeping them indoors and away from wild animals as much as possible. Avoid feeding your dog or cat raw foods, which are more likely to be contaminated with bird flu. If you have concerns about your pet’s risk for bird flu, talk with your veterinarian for guidance.
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References
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