You can keep your pets safe by avoiding raw food or treats. Raw animal food that has NOT been heat-treated to kill germs can increase health risks for pets, including risk of bird flu. DO NOT feed dogs or cats raw pet food, treats, or milk.
Thanks for the great thread Chise! I wanted to mention besides avoiding raw foods and keeping cats indoors etc, I believe you can use HOCl sprays which are non-toxic to sanitize your pets’ paws after walks, if you have both dogs and cats living together since dogs have to go outside.
Was going to ask a question but found answers myself:
"Getting a seasonal flu vaccine does not protect against H5N1 bird flu. But if a person may have frequent exposure to potentially infected birds or other animals, it is still important..."
I got that vaccine last October.
My government says it doesn’t have the deadly H5N1 in it :/
There’s no shortage of bad flu so no regrets but that D1.1.6 is out there and nobody seems to have a shot for that 🪦
I hope I’m not too late to ask this question, but if not:
How long would it realistically take for the H5N1 vaccine to be available to the general public, separate from the question of whether RFK Jr. can or will ban the vaccine nationwide?
So we currently have two H5N1 vaccines stockpiled. It would really just depend on when those would be deployed, and considering who is in the place to deploy them. We also have others in the works going through trials.
IMHO... as long as Covid best case scenerio. US stockpile i 10/2024 reported to e 4.8 million doses (2.4 million people) less than 1% of the US population, &news was we were going to try to stockpile 10 million doses (5 million people) by spring. The US has over 334 million.
Growing up with German/American country folk heritage food (like meat) was supposed to be thoroughly cooked. Not “barely sanitized, still bloody” but dead, dead, dead. With the new war on science and epidemiology I feel like this may be the only way.
I had assumed freeze-dried raw treats would be safe, but searched for info after seeing this thread & confirmed that they are not. Very good to know! I will check the specifics on my dog’s treats tonight; I know we’re not seeing reported cases in dogs as of yet but she’s elderly and precious to me
Great info! I’m in the Delmarva where the virus is prevalent. Snow geese are infected and on my property. Walking the dog feels risky due to droppings. If they get it on their paws, seems it could be ingested when cleaning them. Suggestions?
Yes! I would definitely clean them! Just some gentle soap and water on their paws! They also have some sanitizer for paws or Wet Ones paw cleansing foam!
Now if I could only keep her nose out of the grass. Dogs will be dogs! And thank so much for all of your great work!! It's appreciated more than you can know!
My cat with a sensitive tummy really started liking raw freeze dried chicken treats and now I’m just 😬 I’m guessing cooked and freeze dried would be better
Are you able to provide an explainer on what happens once someone has a flu swab done and it is sent to a lab for typing and sub typing? I know a group that could use this bit of education.
Comments
LIMIT THEIR EXPOSURE.
ONLY Consume Pasteurized Dairy Products
I heard that cats shouldn't really have dairy products at all, they can't digest it properly.
"Getting a seasonal flu vaccine does not protect against H5N1 bird flu. But if a person may have frequent exposure to potentially infected birds or other animals, it is still important..."
via https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/public-health/8-things-doctors-wish-patients-knew-about-flu-vaccines
My government says it doesn’t have the deadly H5N1 in it :/
There’s no shortage of bad flu so no regrets but that D1.1.6 is out there and nobody seems to have a shot for that 🪦
How long would it realistically take for the H5N1 vaccine to be available to the general public, separate from the question of whether RFK Jr. can or will ban the vaccine nationwide?
Your thoughts?
As always, your info is crucial and I am deeply grateful for you and your work.
I recommend using a crock pot.
I had to do raw because one of my cats has IBD and had a lot of allergies and intolerances to commercial food.
I know it's a pain to cook, but safe pets!
We too have a cat with severe IBD/pancreatitis who also has food allergies and raw was one of the best ways to control what he eats.
Soon as we learned about bird flu spreading via raw pet foods we made sure to cook everything.
The slow cooker has been a lifesaver for large batches!
Are you able to provide an explainer on what happens once someone has a flu swab done and it is sent to a lab for typing and sub typing? I know a group that could use this bit of education.