12/30/2024
From Alison Schwartz, Owner of All Pets Considered:
I wanted to take a moment to address our customers regarding the recent Northwest Naturals Recall for their turkey cat food that was recalled due to a concern over exposure to H5N1 (Avian Influenza) that occurred on Christmas Eve. Due to this matter occurring during the holidays, the ability to collect accurate information (and be careful to w**d out the misinformation) has been delayed. We do not carry Northwest Naturals pet food in our stores however we felt that given the implication of raw pet food in this matter, a response from us was prudent. Here are the facts we know to this point:
-Cats are showing sensitivity to Avian Influenza and can get symptoms and even die from the virus. It is generally passed through coming into contact with bird p**p. So outdoor cats and cats that live with dogs that go outdoors are at potential (though minimal at this time) risk of contracting it if they come into contact with the p**p of an infected bird. Evidence of cats contracting the virus through ingestion of meat of an infected animal has not previously been documented.
-A cat fell ill on Christmas Eve that lived in California. While it is an indoor cat, it did go outdoors on a leash and visited many places with doggie fur siblings.
-The food that the cat had been eating was Northwest Naturals Frozen Turkey 2 # Raw. The same lot code produced 2000 # of cat food and has been on the market for 5 months without any known deaths or issues. No other bags of that lot code have tested positive for H5N1 at this time.
-All consumable meat that is available through USDA inspected facilities is tested at the supplier level for H5N1 before they are processed. Manufacturers do not have the ability to test for H5N1 but they do test and hold for results for all major pathogens like E. Coli, Listeria, and Salmonella, but viral testing is done at the supplier level.
-Northwest Naturals does use HPP (High Pressure Processing) as a kill step which is known to eliminate major pathogens and viruses, including Avian Influenza. So at this point there is an in-depth investigation as to how the virus remained in the food despite testing at the supplier level and the HPP used at the manufacturer level.
-At this time, this appears to be a very isolated event that requires a significant amount of continued research to see how this came to be. We will continue to keep asking those questions and seeking the answers for all of you.
I have been asked this weekend if I feel that feeding a raw diet remains safe. I want to be clear that feeding any diet — kibble, canned, freeze-dried, gently cooked, home cooked, raw — comes with a risk of contamination of bacteria or an excess of vitamins and minerals that can be harmful. Our goal is to always work with pet food companies that use the strictest measures available to ensure food safety. We do not live in a sterile world and feeding any diet comes with some level of risk. I continue to believe that a raw diet is a healthy diet for pets. I believe that this is an extremely isolated event and I await further testing to know exactly what did occur (if we can find out) so that it can be prevented in the future.
If you are a raw feeder and you are concerned — here are my suggestions:
-Feed a freeze-dried raw diet and rehydrate.
-Avoid feeding poultry diets.
-Take precautions at home with your cats to avoid exposure to bird p**p (wiping the bottoms of shoes before entering, wiping dog paws before entering, etc.)
-Recognize that there are a lot of places you can gather misinformation regarding this event and the investigation is ongoing. Please turn to trusted sources as there is a lot of conflicting information about the circumstances surrounding this cat’s death and raw pet food in general.
-Dogs seem to be far less susceptible to H5N1 at this time.
