The pets most at risk amid Australia’s bird flu outbreak - and how to keep them safe

Bird flu has well and truly arrived in Australia, with more than 300 positive events in wildlife across several states, and pet owners are being urged to do what they can to stop the spread and keep their animals safe.

“With the spread of bird flu around Australia ... the risk to your pets is quite low. But there are definitely still some risks, with cats being more susceptible to the disease than dogs are,” Dr Suzie Fowler, RSPCA chief science officer, told nine.com.au.

“There’s certainly a greater risk from their exposure [to birds], because cats are obviously hunters and also scavengers, so sick and injured birds and dead birds tend to be preyed upon by cats. But also they’ve got different receptors, so they’re more prone to picking up the virus than dogs are, and they can replicate the virus, which is why they get sicker as well.”

The best way to keep cats safe is to contain them inside if you’re not already doing so.

While dogs have a lower risk of bird flu, it’s still important to keep them on a leash to prevent them interacting with sick or dead wildlife. This is particularly important on the beach, even in off-leash areas, given the number of seabirds that have contracted bird flu.

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It also helps to move their water bowls inside or undercover where native animals have less access to it.

“Dogs can shed the virus, but there’s not a huge amount of evidence out there about how much they spread it to other dogs or to people. But they could perhaps spread it through other mechanisms if they’re left to roam around, they could pick up a dead bird and move it to another spot, and things like that,” Dr Fowler said. 

“Unfortunately, they don’t show as many signs of illness, which is a good thing, but it means that you don’t necessarily know that they’re carrying the virus. Whereas cats will get much more significant clinical signs and, unfortunately, can die from the virus as well, which is why it’s so important for dogs and cats that we keep them away from our wildlife. Not just now, but obviously that’s the best advice at all times to protect our native wildlife.”

There is more concern for pet birds and backyard poultry, with Dr Fowler advising they are “very much at risk”. Moving their food and water undercover and the birds inside their coops is also important, where possible.

“It’s really important to still look after the welfare, because they’re often used to scratching around your backyard and having more space to move. There are other things you can do, like making sure they’ve got really good perching in their enclosures and also somewhere to bathe and scratch around still.

“But that’s the best way to keep them protected so that they have less exposure to wildlife, and in particular wild birds, which would be the biggest risk for your backyard chickens and other poultry species.”

If you happen to see a sick or injured animal in the backyard, the advice is to avoid touching it and report it to the Emergency Animal Disease hotline on 1800 675 888.

Dr Fowler warned we’re likely to live with bird flu in Australia for a long time to come and there will be more mortalities of native wildlife, so the little things we can do with our own pets is vital.

“Making sure that you minimise your interaction between your pets and wildlife is always good advice anyway because it’s not just bird flu, there are other diseases. But also it’s best for protecting our native wildlife so that they’re not spooked and impacted by our pets,” she said.