I have 3 primary risk factors:
1. I keep an outdoor flock of chickens that do get to free range on my property. Backyard flocks have been affected and continue to be affected in all states.
2. I also have a few cats that live in my barn. Domestic cats continue to be susceptible to H5N1 exposure and cases continue to be reported. Yes, I do worry about these kitties.
3. The lean beef that I source for some of my diets does come from dairy cattle (it's very lean). Dairy cattle outbreaks have continued and have affected cattle in 19 states.
Fortunately, we don't have any cases of H5N1 in domestic dogs; therefore, I do feel their risk is quite low. Unfortunately, there have been many cases in 2025 of domestic cats, skunks, raccoons, wild cats such as puma and bobcats, weasels, rodents, seals and red fox across the US including in my state. Considering the continuation of these outbreaks, along with my lifestyle, I have opted not to take the risk. I lightly parboil the meat to 160 degrees F and then mix in my other ingredients just as I normally would when my diet was raw.
For dog-only households, I'd feel comfortable with feeding raw. With the number of domestic cats affected, I would definitely not feed raw beef (sourced from dairy cattle), or poultry to cats.
Everyone should consider their own level of risk tolerance. If you are interested in following the cases across the US, here is the link for USDA's surveillance of mammal cases:
