For cats who enjoy spending time out, Feah says leashed walks are a good option. She also encourages cat owners to consider building safe catches or locked and covered outdoor areas, to allow the animals to still get fresh air and the sensory stimulation of being out, but without the risk of contact with wild animals and their drops.
Because there are concerns that bird flu could also be passed to dogs, Faeh recommends holding dogs violently when outside as well. The AVMA also advises against nutrition raw and sub -corrected food or sweets to dogs.
Faeh says cats owners should seek veterinarian attention if they have concerns about their pet’s health. Symptoms of bird flu to pay attention include loss of appetite, lethargy, fever, cunning nose, rolling eyes and tremors. If you have a sick pet and make a veterinary rendezvous, be sure to let the clinic be told when you plan that you care about bird flu. Your veterinary team may ask you and your pet to wait outside until your appointment time, and may take additional precautions in-tin to prevent possible spread of the disease.
How to protect pets
Keeping court chickens have become a popular hobby, including in large cities across the United States, and with the growing price of eggs, more and more Americans will start keeping herds. If they spend time outside, court herds risk catching bird flu now.
For those who consider becoming chicken owners, Faeh recommends first contacting local health and agricultural departments to discuss the risks of bird flu in the local area, before bringing any chickens home. If the risk of infection is high where you live – for example if explosions have been reported in herds nearby – considering delaying to become an owner.
If you are still aiming to get chickens, or if you already have a yard flock, there are precautions you can take, Faeh says. Chickens may not ride wandering for free in your yard, she says; Instead, keep them in a covered coop or run to prevent exposure to wild life. Faeh also encourages owners to limit the exhibition of their chickens to guests, who could unintentionally introduce the disease to the flock.
Symptoms of H5N1 in court chickens can be harder to be seen than in cats, because the birds can quickly die from the disease. It is important to have established maintenance with a local veterinary, which practices with chickens, Faeh says. If you notice some disease in your flock, contact your vet immediately. Likewise, if one of your chickens passes and you suspect bird flu, call your vet and your local public health.
Owners also have to take their own precautions when working with, caring for and handling courtyard chickens. Wash your hands and change your clothes after engaging with your birds, even if they seem in good health, Faeh says. If you have a pet or bird that seems sick, consider masking, she adds.
Although the spread of H5N1 from cattle to humans is rare, the virus has shown that it is capable of making this jump. Seventy people in the United States have been infected since the start of the blast, and one man died. Most human cases, however, have been reported in rural workers working with infected cattle, with most of the delivery appearing to occur in the milk industry, where people meet infected cattle and unpasteurized milk. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that the current risk for H5N1’s human health is low.
But of course, the point of good hygiene is to try to stop the virus to move in both directions. If you handle sick chickens, you may not catch the virus, but you could hand it over. Wash your hands and change clothes after spending time with your birds is not just for your advantage, but for the protection of other animals that you may contact – maybe your pets, or those of people you know. “The risks are much lower for people than cats,” says Faeh. “We are more inclined to bring it to them than they will bring it to us.”
