Some lots of raw pet food sold in two states are being recalled after two indoor cats became ill with bird flu earlier this month and were euthanized due to the severity of their illnesses.
Officials in Oregon and Washington issued public health alerts late last week after tests confirmed highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in the felines, which lived in different households in Multnomah County, Oregon.
Both cats had eaten the same brand of raw pet food before becoming ill, according to the notices. The virus was found in both the cats and food samples, including unopened containers, they said.
As a result, Wild Coast Pet Foods is recalling Boneless Free Range Chicken Formula Lot #22660 and #22664 with a best-buy date of December 2025. People with the recalled product should dispose of immediately and contact the place of purchase for a refund.
Washington Department of Agriculture
“If you currently feed our chicken formula and are concerned, I recommend cooking until 165 degrees, replacing with a non-poultry formula or replacing with a gently cooked formula,” Tyler Duncan, founder of the company said in a statement posted on the company’s website.
Wild Coast’s products are sold at retail stores throughout Washington and Oregon, with plans to expand to California, according to its website.
Cats and HPAI
Domestic and wild cats are particularly sensitive to bird flu. Dogs can also contract HPAI, but usually exhibit mild clinical signs and low mortality compared to cats, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “At present, HPAI has not been detected in dogs in the United States, but there have been fatal cases in other countries,” the FDA stated.
The agency in January cited several recent investigations indicating the virus had been transmitted to cats through food, with more than a dozen cats killed or sickened by HPAI, most often by consuming unpasteurized milk or raw meats.
The Oregon Department of Agriculture offers the following tips to protect pets:
- Do no feed your pet undercooked or raw meat, including uncooked or freeze-dried meat-based diets, treats or animal products.
- Do not feed your pet raw (unpasteurized) milk or colostrum.
- Stop pets from eating birds or other wild animals.
- Wash your hands after touching raw meat or interacting with poultry, livestock or animals outside your home.
- Consider changing clothing and shoes after interacting with animals or birds and before interacting with your pets.
- Contact your veterinarian if your pet appears sick and let them know of potential exposures.
Pets with HPAI infections may experience fever, lethargy, low appetite, reddened or inflamed eyes, discharge from the eyes and nose, difficulty breathing, and neurological signs like tremors, seizure, incoordination, or blindness. If your pet has consumed this product and has any of these symptoms, contact your veterinarian immediately, The Washington State Department of Agriculture advised.
The current human health risk is low, but people exposed should watch for symptoms like eye redness or irritation (conjunctivitis), cough, sore throat, sneezing, runny/stuffy nose, muscle/body aches, headaches, fatigue, fever, trouble breathing, diarrhea, nausea and/or vomiting, and pet owners or handlers showing these signs should contact their healthcare providers.
The Wild Coast recall is not the first of its kind, with Northwest Naturals recalling a batch of pet food in December after a cat died of bird flu in Oregon.
That late 2024 action involved 2-pound bags of Feline Turkey Recipe raw frozen pet food, marked with best if used by dates of 05/21/26 B10 and 06/23/2026 B1. The product was sold in a dozen U.S. states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Washington. It was also sold in British Columbia in Canada.
