Cat owners beware as pet food with bird flu risk is recalled

Cat owners person been alerted to a imaginable wellness threat.

Savage Pet of El Cajon, California, is recalling 66 ample chickenhearted boxes (84 oz.) and 74 tiny chickenhearted boxes (21 oz.) with the batch code/"best by" day of 11.15.2026, arsenic these products person "the imaginable to incorporate H5N1, besides known arsenic vertebrate flu," according to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA). 

The Savage Cat nutrient products were distributed to retailers successful 5 states: California, Colorado, New York, Pennsylvania and Washington, the FDA's website says.

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"People who fed [their] cats the recalled products should ticker for symptoms of vertebrate flu, including fever, lethargy, debased appetite, reddened oregon inflamed eyes, discharge from the eyes and nose, trouble breathing, and neurological signs similar tremors, stiff assemblage movements, seizure, deficiency of coordination oregon blindness," the announcement says. 

Anyone whose felines grounds these signs aft consuming the merchandise "should instantly interaction their veterinarian," the FDA advises.

Anyone whose cats grounds definite symptoms, including fever, lethargy and debased appetite, "should instantly interaction their veterinarian," the FDA's website says. Pet owners request to support themselves from imaginable corruption arsenic well, the tract indicates. (iStock)

The FDA indicates that "while nary quality infections person been identified among radical handling earthy favored nutrient products, humans tin go infected if [the] unrecorded microorganism gets into a person’s eyes, chemoreceptor oregon mouth." 

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Regular handwashing and cleaning of interaction surfaces is highly recommended, the announcement besides indicates.

"People who handled the recalled products should ticker for symptoms of vertebrate flu."

"People who handled the recalled products should ticker for symptoms of vertebrate flu, including oculus redness oregon irritation (conjunctivitis), cough, sore throat, sneezing, runny/stuffy nose, muscle/body aches, headaches, fatigue, fever, occupation breathing, seizures, rash, diarrhea, nausea and/or vomiting."

The New York City Health Department issued a connection astir 3 cats (not pictured) perchance becoming infected with vertebrate flu. (iStock)

The announcement besides says, "People exhibiting these signs aft having interaction with this merchandise should interaction their healthcare supplier and section wellness department."

In February, Savage Pet said it was "made alert of 1 feline successful Colorado that contracted H5N1, got sick and recovered."

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The laboratory astatine Colorado State University "tested sealed packets of Savage Cat Food utilizing PCR investigating for H5N1," the FDA's tract says.

The PCR trial results were "non-negative," according to the aforesaid source.

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"The merchandise with ‘non-negative’ PCR results was sent to the National Veterinary Services Laboratory successful Ames, Iowa, for microorganism isolation testing" — and the merchandise was taken disconnected the marketplace pending last trial results, the tract says.

The institution added, arsenic the FDA tract indicates, "To guarantee maximum safety, we are modifying our marketplace withdrawal to a callback … The merchandise with batch code/'best by' day of 11.15.2026 was distributed successful November 2024." (REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo)

The microorganism isolation investigating was recovered "to beryllium negative," it besides says.

On March 13, "Savage Pet was made alert of an further lawsuit successful New York of a kitten" that ate from batch 11.15.2026 and "contracted avian flu. Further investigating is ongoing."

Previous studies person suggested that H5N1 could beryllium transmitted among cats.

The institution added, arsenic the FDA tract indicates, "To guarantee maximum safety, we are modifying our marketplace withdrawal to a callback … The merchandise with batch code/'best by' day of 11.15.2026 was distributed successful November 2024."

"The boxes are cardboard and incorporate idiosyncratic integrative packets inside. The batch code/'best by' day is stamped connected the bottommost and connected each packet."

Potential cat-to-cat transmission

Previous studies person suggested that H5N1 could beryllium transmitted among cats, and a March 15 connection from the New York City Health Department seems to enactment that possibility. 

The connection provided details of 2 cats that contracted vertebrate flu and a 3rd feline suspected to person it.

"Avian influenza (bird flu) microorganism was detected successful 2 cats and a suspected 3rd feline implicit the past 2 months, each connected to Savage Cat Food, poultry packets batch fig 11152026," the alert read.

"Avian influenza (bird flu) microorganism was detected successful 2 cats and a suspected 3rd feline implicit the past 2 months, each connected to Savage Cat Food, poultry packets batch fig 11152026," work an alert from the New York City Health Department. (iStock)

The archetypal cat, feline A, became sick and died aft eating chickenhearted packets from Savage Cat Food.

"Testing for H5 vertebrate flu was performed astatine the Cornell Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, and confirmatory H5N1 investigating by the U.S.D.A. National Veterinary Services Laboratory (NVSL) is pending."

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A 2nd cat, feline B, was diagnosed with H5N1 and besides died arsenic a effect of infection, wellness officials said – but "this feline did not devour the earthy nutrient merchandise but was exposed to a sick cat, feline C. Cat C became sick with fever aft consuming Savage Cat Food batch fig 11152026."

"Cat C survived and H5 investigating was not performed and cannot beryllium performed, arsenic excessively overmuch clip has passed."

This suggests that feline B whitethorn person been infected aft interaction with feline C.