Bird Flu Discovery Prompts Raw Pet Food Recall in Pacific Northwest

The voluntary recall announced by the FDA impacts Wild Coast’s boneless, free-range chicken formula distributed in Washington state and Oregon.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in White Oak, Md., on June 5, 2023. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

The ongoing outbreak of avian influenza in the United States has prompted the recall of a type of raw pet food, the company announced via the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Wild Coast Raw, based in Olympia, Washington, said that certain batches of its frozen raw cat food were recalled after an investigation into cat illnesses in Oregon and Washington state revealed that H5N1 avian flu, also known as bird flu, was found in some of its products, according to the FDA announcement.

“H5N1 can be transmitted to animals eating contaminated product,” the statement said.

The recall impacts Wild Coast’s boneless, free-range chicken formula distributed in Washington state and Oregon. Six of the affected lots have a best buy date of Dec. 25, 2024, and they were in 16 oz and 24 oz packages.

“People who fed pets the recalled products should watch for symptoms of bird flu in their pets, including fever, lethargy, low appetite, reddened or inflamed eyes, discharge from the eyes and nose, difficulty breathing, and neurological signs like tremors, stiff body movements, seizure, lack of coordination, or blindness,” the recall notice stated. “People with pets exhibiting these signs after feeding this product should contact their veterinarian.”

The recall was voluntarily initiated after the Oregon Department of Agriculture tested samples and discovered the same strain of bird flu that had affected cats. Sampling carried out by the Washington Department of Agriculture also made a similar finding, the FDA announcement said.

The statement said that so far, no infections in people have been linked to the handling of the raw pet food products. However, officials say that people can be infected with avian influenza if the virus enters the nose, eyes, or mouth.

Anyone handling the raw pet food products should wash their hands and sanitize any surfaces the product may have contacted, including bowls, utensils, counters, or refrigerators.

They are also advised to be wary of bird flu symptoms such as conjunctivitis—which causes eye redness and irritation—as well as fever, body aches, headaches, a cough, sore throat, seizures, rash, diarrhea, nausea or vomiting, trouble breathing, and fatigue.

So far, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 70 human cases of avian influenza have been reported, leading to one death. The death occurred in December and involved a person over the age of 65 with underlying health issues, officials have said.

While the CDC has said that the risk of transmitting bird flu to people is low, H5 strains are “widespread in wild birds worldwide and causing outbreaks in poultry and U.S. dairy cows with several recent human cases in U.S. dairy and poultry workers.”

In response, officials have culled millions of egg-laying chickens in recent months, leading to a surge in egg prices. Federal data released last month said that egg prices hit a record high of $4.95 per dozen in January 2025, the highest on record.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) warned last month that prices are likely going to increase even more in 2025, while Trump administration officials recently released a plan to combat the problem.