For cats who like to spend time outside, Feah says that walks on a leash are a good option. It also encourages cat owners to consider building secure catios or locked up and covered outdoor areas, to allow animals to always obtain fresh air and sensory stimulation to be outside, but without risk of contact with fauna and their excrement.
As we fear that the bird flu can also be transmitted to dogs, Faeh recommends keeping dogs on a leash outside too. AVMA also advises to feed Raw and insufficient food or treats with dogs.
Faeh says that cat owners should request veterinary attention if they have concerns about the health of their animal. The symptoms of the bird flu to be monitored include loss of appetite, lethargy, fever, flowing nose, flowing eyes and tremors. If you have a sick pet and make a veterinary appointment, be sure to inform the clinic when you plan that you are concerned about the bird flu. Your veterinary team may ask you and your waiting animal outside until your time of appointment and can take additional precautions in the clinic to avoid a possible spread of the disease.
How to protect pet chickens
Keeping the backyard chickens has become a popular hobby, including in the major cities of the United States, and with the increase in the price of eggs, it is likely that more and more Americans will start to keep the herds. If they spend time outside, the backyard herds are at high risk of catching the bird flu at the moment.
For those who plan to become chicken owners, FAEH first recommends contacting local health and agricultural services to discuss the risks of bird flu in the region, before bringing chickens home. If the risk of infection is high when you live – for example if there have been epidemics in nearby herds – a considerable delay to become the owner.
If you are still ready to get chickens, or if you already have a flock of backyard, there are precautions that you can take, says Faeh. Chickens should not be allowed to wander freely in your court, she says; Instead, keep them in a covered cooperative or run to avoid exposure to wildlife. Faeh also encourages owners to limit the exposure of their chickens to guests, who could involuntarily introduce the disease into the herd.
H5N1 symptoms in backyard chickens may be more difficult to spot in cats, because birds can quickly die from the disease. It is important to have established care with a local veterinarian who practices with chickens, says Faeh. If you notice a disease in your herd, contact your veterinarian immediately. Likewise, if one of your chickens passes and you suspect the bird flu, call your veterinarian and your local public health service.
The owners should also take their own precautions when working, taking care and handling backyard chickens. Wash your hands and change your clothes after engaging with your birds, even if they seem healthy, says Faeh. If you have a pet or a bird that seems sick, consider masking, she adds.
Although H5N1's propagation of human livestock 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 epidemic and a person has died. Most of the human cases, however, have been reported in agricultural workers working with infected cattle, most of the transmission seeming to occur in the dairy industry, where people meet infected cattle and non -pasteurized milk. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that the current risk to H5N1 human health is low.
But of course, the point of good hygiene is to try to prevent the virus from moving in both directions. If you manage the sick chickens, you cannot catch the virus, but you can transmit it. Washing your hands and changing clothes after spending time with your birds is not only for your advantage, but for the protection of other animals with which you could get in touch – maybe your pets or those you know. “The risks are much lower for people than cats,” says Faeh. “We are more likely to bring them that they are not to bring it to us.”
