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Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) Feline Letter to Veterinarias 3/25/2025
The Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) is issuing a warning to veterinarians and pet owners regarding a recall of Savage Cat Food, Chicken variety sold in Maryland due to potential contamination with High Path Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N1, more commonly known as Bird Flu. For a full list of products affected, please visit Savage Cat Food’s website. If you have purchased a product involved in the recall, immediately discontinue feeding it to your pet and return the product to the retailer where it was purchased for a full refund. For questions regarding recalled products, please contact Savage Cat Food’s customer service line at 619-270-0295. Cats are highly susceptible to HPAI, which can lead to severe illness and high mortality rates. Potential sources of exposure to HPAI for cats include raw diets, raw (unpasteurized) milk, raw or undercooked meat contaminated with the virus, infected birds or animals and contaminated environments or objects (fomites) used on affected premises. Common symptoms of HPAI in cats include lethargy, loss of appetite, fever, and upper respiratory signs such as eye, nose and mouth discharge, sneezing, coughing and difficulty breathing. In severe cases, the virus can cause neurological symptoms, including seizures, circling, uncoordinated movement and blindness. If your cat has consumed the recalled product or has been potentially exposed to HPAI and shows any of these symptoms, contact your veterinarian immediately. Notify the clinic in advance so that the veterinary team can take precautions to reduce the risk of transmission to staff, other clients and animals. Several confirmed cases of HPAI in cats have been reported throughout the United States, including a recent case in New Jersey confirmed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Veterinary Services Laboratory. Additional cases have been reported in states including New York, Kansas, New Mexico, South Dakota, Montana, Colorado, Oregon, California and Washington. HPAI continues to present a low risk to the public and there have been no reported human or feline cases in Maryland. Furthermore, there have been no confirmed cases of human infection linked to exposure from cats. MDA continues to advise against feeding raw pet food or raw milk to animals. The department is actively monitoring the situation and encourages veterinarians and pet owners to report any potential cases of HPAI to the department at 410-841-5810 or via email MD.birdfl[email protected] Dr Jennifer Trout, DVM Maryland State Veterinarian August 15, 2024
From: Maryland Department of Agriculture Animal Safety Alert This notice is to provide an Animal Safety Alert issued by the State for the non-tidal Potomac River due to toxic algal mats. Anatoxin was detected at higher levels than seen before. No animal cases have been reported to date, however, animal contact with algal mats that have washed up on the shoreline should be avoided. These harmful algae are native to the Chesapeake Bay and occur in higher abundances mostly during low flow, high temperatures and when specific nutrient levels are present. Toxic algae mats are currently located in the Potomac River in the area from Edwards Ferry to Great Falls, Montgomery County, below Williamsport to Rileys Lock. These toxins can be quickly absorbed when ingested and are harmful to animals. Potential signs in dogs include tremors, muscle rigidity, paralysis, convulsions, coma, cyanosis, hypersalivation and/or death Dog owners are advised to keep pets on leash, prevent them from eating algal mats (in water or on shore), wash them after being in affected areas, give fresh water to drink and contact your veterinarian if signs are noted. For more information use this link, https://www.cdc.gov/harmful-algal-blooms/about/index.html?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/habs/pdf/algal_bloom_tall_card.pdf CURBSIDE SERVICE Due to our Fear Free approach to our patients and the continued spread of COVID variants, we kindly ask clients to follow our curbside policy. This means you will be asked to remain in your car with your pet until your exam room is ready.
Gouri Krishna, DVM, Carrie Benton, DVM, and the staff at Silver Spring Animal Hospital |
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