What to Know About Bird Flu and Pet Food

Key points:

• Dogs have a low risk of catching bird flu, but it’s still possible.
• The main ways dogs can catch the illness are through sick or dead birds, unpasteurized dairy products, and raw (or undercooked) meat.
• The Farmer’s Dog food is cooked to a temperature that kills bacteria and viruses—including bird flu.
• If you notice any signs of illness in your dog, call your vet.

Reports of animals becoming sickened by bird flu have alarmed pet owners around the United States. Right now, veterinarians say dogs are at a low risk. Here’s what you need to know to protect your own pets.

The Farmer’s Dog is always fully cooked

Recently, cats have been sickened after eating raw food infected with bird flu. Experts say that cooked meat is the safest choice for avoiding bird flu—because cooking food to internal temperatures set by federal guidelines is effective at killing pathogens. The Farmer’s Dog food is thoroughly cooked at a temperature that eliminates bacteria and viruses, including bird flu.

More generally, we have a team of credentialed food-safety experts, including a full-time dedicated microbiologist, focused on screening, monitoring, and verifying the safety and quality of all of our products. Every step of our sourcing, cooking, packaging, and storage processes meets the same standards required for human food.

Unpasteurized dairy is a concern

Like raw or undercooked meat, dairy products that have not been pasteurized may also run the risk of infecting a dog with bird flu.

Dogs should stay away from wild animals

Per the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), people should keep their dogs away from “wild birds, poultry, and cattle and their environments.” Dogs can catch bird flu from direct contact with infected animals, or through their feces. 

Regular vet care is key

If you notice any signs of illness in your dog, call your veterinarian and see whether they think it’s appropriate to bring them in for a checkup. Be sure to mention if your dog has been exposed to a sick or dead bird, or been in an area with wild fowl or poultry.

Bird flu is rare in dogs

While you should be careful, don’t panic. Keep in mind that, according to the AVMA, the risk of a dog becoming sick with bird flu is very low. Flu viruses can change rapidly, so that might not always be the case. But right now, dogs don’t seem as vulnerable to the virus as birds—or even cats.

It’s very unlikely for a human to catch bird flu from a dog

In theory, you could catch bird flu from a sick dog. In practice, the AVMA says, the risk of being infected by your pet dog or cat is “extremely low.”

The post What to Know About Bird Flu and Pet Food appeared first on The Farmer’s Dog - Digest.