Cat Food Recalled Due to Possible Bird Flu Contamination—Here's What You Need to Know

If you're feeding your cat food from Wild Coast Raw, check the label. The brand has announced a recall on its frozen Boneless Free Range Chicken Formula cat food due to potential contamination with bird flu, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

On March 1, Wild Coast LLC dba Wild Coast Raw of Olympia, Wash., announced the recall on the raw pet food for cats "because it has the potential to be contaminated with Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N1 also known as bird flu. H5N1 can be transmitted to animals eating contaminated product.”

The recall was initiated after sampling by the Oregon Department of Agriculture and Washington State Department of Agriculture revealed the presence of the same strain of H5N1 in the affected cats and these products.

The product is sold in a small round white plastic container with a green label in sizes 16oz and 24oz. It was distributed to pet food retailers in Washington State and Oregon. The impacted food can be identified by a sticker on the lid with a number of #22660, #22653, #22641, #22639, #22672 and #22664 with a Best Buy date of 12/25. The recall has been widened to include any raw material, with the same production dates and lot codes as #22660 and #22664.

The FDA advises those who fed their cats the recalled products to watch for symptoms of bird flu, 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. If your pet shows any of these signs following consumption of the recalled product, contact your veterinarian immediately.

Pet owners are urged against selling, donating, or feeding the recalled products to pets or other animals. The FDA has advised to immediately and securely discard the food to prevent animals and wildlife from consuming the recalled product. Contact the retailer where you purchased the product for a full refund.

If you have any questions, contact Wild Coast Raw at info@wildcoastraw.com or (360) 591-3543 between 8 am to 4 pm PST.