Overview: H5N1 Influenza, Raw Diets and Pets
By Dr. Scott Weese on January 2, 2025
Posted in Cats, Dogs
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Issues with raw diets and H5N1 influenza risk in cats (and dogs) have gotten a lot of attention in the last week or two.
Like most emerging disease situations, it’s still fluid, and we’re learning more as time goes on, but we know enough at
this point to at least make some basic assessments and recommendations. Here’s my current take on it.

What are the concerns with H5N1 influenza and raw diets for pets?

The unprecedented pandemic of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has ongoing for more than 2 years.
Massive numbers of wild birds have been affected around the world. Spillover into domestic animals is an ever-present
risk where this virus is circulating in wild birds, with domestic poultry being the most severely affected. Millions of
domestic poultry have died or been depopulated due to infection, and spillover infections have also occurred in mammals,
including many cats and at least one dog.

Recently, H5N1 influenza infection has been linked to consumption of contaminated raw meat diets in at least two cats.
It’s been well established for some time that ingestion of infected birds can lead to H5N1 influenza infection in cats,
based on earlier studies and field observations. It is therefore unsurprising that infections could occur if infected
poultry makes its way into raw diets fed to cats, and unfortunately the infection in cats is often fatal. The risk to
dogs is less clear, but infection was reported in one dog that died shortly after close contact (chewing on) an infected
bird. Dogs may be less susceptible to H5N1 influenza than cats, but they are still susceptible and infection can have
dire consequences, so the same concepts apply to both species.