Can a dog catch the bird flu? | Guide Dogs for the Blind Skip to main content
Dr. Kate Kuzminski kneeling next to a yellow Lab on a green grass with trees in the background.

A message from Guide Dogs for the Blind Medical Director, Dr. Kate Kuzminski:

Over the past few years, we have heard quite a bit about the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 virus.  Since 2020, when today’s HPAI H5N1 was created through gene-swapping between poultry and wild bird viruses, we have seen this disease spread from a small corner of Europe to a worldwide threat, resulting in the death of over 300 million birds worldwide.  As the disease has crossed species barriers, we have seen it move into commercial dairy operations and wildlife.  H5N1 has now been found in 70 mammals, including badgers, lynx, otters, polar bears, elephants, cows, foxes, coyotes, skunks, raccoons, and seals.  This leads us to the question - can a dog catch the bird flu?

As with any emerging disease, our knowledge grows over time as new and changing pathogens reveal themselves.  We know now that this HPAI H5N1 avian influenza can impact dogs.  We first learned about H5N1 and dogs back in 2004 when a dog died after eating an H5N1-infected duck during an outbreak in Thailand.  Since 2022, we have had a couple of reported cases in the UK and Canada after the consumption of affected meat and wildlife.  What is important to note is that even though we are seeing a global outbreak of the disease, reports of confirmed cases in dogs are scant. This suggests that dogs are less susceptible to the current H5N1 virus.  At the time of this publication, H5N1 infections in dogs are rare and restricted to dogs with high exposure to an infected bird (e.g., eating a dead bird). Clinical signs of avian influenza in dogs include fever, lethargy, and severe respiratory distress.  Dogs can die from H5N1, but some can also recover. Some may get and eliminate the virus, but we may not even know.  A couple of studies have identified antibodies to H5N1 in healthy hunting dogs working with waterfowl.  At this time, there is no evidence to suggest dog-to-dog transmission occurs, and no cases of dog-to-human transmission have been reported. 

Overall, the risk of people catching HPAI H5N1 from dogs or cats is currently considered extremely low. To date, there have been no reports of humans acquiring HPAI from a mammalian pet, and overall, the risk of infection with avian influenza is low for the general public, which has limited contact with infected birds.  What we also know is that avian influenza viruses modify over time.  This can impact how a virus spreads and to whom it spreads, and it can also change the severity of the clinical illness.  So, while dogs seem less susceptible to H5N1 than cats, they can still get very sick.  We will see more work done to understand better the potential impact of HPAI on dogs and cats.  In the meantime, here are some suggestions to keep you and your dog and cats safe:

Tips to reduce the spread of H5N1 to dogs and cats:

  1. Don’t feed raw or undercooked food products.
  2. Don’t feed raw milk.
  3. Keep your dogs away from areas with wild birds and poultry.  
  4. Keep dogs away from sick or dead birds.
  5. Wash your hands when handling raw animal products.
  6. Report dead/sick birds to your local public health department.
  7. And obviously, don’t let your dog eat dead birds.

If your dog is experiencing concerning symptoms, please get in touch with your veterinarian for advice. 

If you are a GDB client and have questions about your dog's health or specific precautions you can take at this time, please get in touch with our Support Center at 800.295.4050.


To learn more about GDB's industry-leading veterinary program and how you can support our work, visit guidedogs.com/veterinary.

Categories: Dog Care & Health