Raw Pet Food Recalled as FDA Issues Bird Flu Warning

The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that Wild Coast LLC, operating as Wild Coast Raw of Olympia, Washington, is voluntarily recalling multiple lots of its frozen Boneless Free Range Chicken Formula raw pet food for cats. Testing revealed potential contamination with Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N1, commonly known as bird flu. The affected products were distributed to pet food retailers in Washington State and Oregon.

Newsweek reached out to Wild Coast via email on Sunday for comment.

Why It Matters

This recall highlights growing concerns about bird flu transmission through the pet food supply chain. The contamination was discovered through testing by state agriculture departments, which found the same H5N1 strain in both affected cats and these products.

This represents a significant public health concern as the virus can spread to animals that consume contaminated products.

What To Know

The recalled products are packaged in small round white plastic containers with green labels, identified by lot numbers #22660, #22653, #22641, #22639, #22672, and #22664, all with a Best Buy date of 12/25. The recall has expanded to include any raw materials sharing similar production dates and lot codes as #22660 and #22664, which were previously included in a Washington State Department of Agriculture public health alert issued on February 14.

Pet owners should watch for symptoms in animals, including fever, lethargy, inflamed eyes, respiratory difficulties, and neurological signs like tremors and seizures. While no human infections have been identified from handling these products, people should wash their hands after handling the raw product and sanitize contact surfaces.

People who handled the products should watch for symptoms including eye redness, cough, fever, and respiratory issues.

How to Protect Your Cat from Bird Flu

Owners should not feed their pets raw meat—especially poultry—or unpasteurized dairy products, veterinarians advised.

Cats should be kept indoors and away from potentially infected birds, livestock and wildlife, especially in areas with known bird flu outbreaks.

Pet owners should also ensure that their felines’ rabies vaccinations are up to date to avoid the risk of confusion between the two viral infections.

Finally, owners should avoid handling dead birds where possible—and if essential, wear personal protective equipment, including gloves and a mask, when doing so. If coming into contact with livestock or poultry, owners should change their clothes and wash their hands thoroughly before interacting again with their cats.

What Happens Next

Wild Coast Raw and the Washington State Department of Agriculture continue to work collaboratively to address the source of the problem.

Consumers are instructed not to sell, donate, or feed the recalled products to pets or other animals. The products should be immediately and securely discarded to prevent animals and wildlife from consuming them.

Wild Coast Raw is offering full refunds through the original place of purchase and has established a contact line at (360) 591-3543 or email at info@wildcoastraw.com for consumers seeking additional information between 8am-4pm PST.