Once while Tipsy was being examined, I asked my vet, "What do you wish every dog owner was better about?" She told me lack of excercise and overfeeding was her first concern and that after that, she wished people were better about washing food and water bowls.
Okay, so I've been guilty of feeding my dogs in not-so-clean bowls. Maybe it’s a busy day, and the dogs are hitting me up for supper the minute I walk in the door, or it’s the morning feeding, and I’m half asleep, but it happens. I pick up the already used bowls off the floor and feed them in those bowls. I mean they licked it clean the night before, right? Besides, these are creature who, when given the chance, will chew on sticks, dirty shoes and well, lick the cat in places I won’t speak of here. But the truth is that all of these might be safer than a bowl that hasn’t been washed.
Well, I’ve changed my ways, and if you’re guilty of this and want your dog to be her healthiest, be proactive about cleaning her feeding and drinking bowls regularly.
I’m not alone in my occasional neglect. Studies have shown that pet food and water bowls (along with pet toys) are on the list of household items harboring the most bacteria (NSF).
An article in Vetstreet explained, “microbes that normally live in your pet’s mouth can be transferred to any leftover bits of food in the bowls the pet eats and drinks from, creating an area where the bacteria can flourish” (Dr. Sarah Wooten DVM). Biofilm is the slimy stuff (groupings of various bacteria) that grows on the sides of your pet’s water bowls. Yeast, mold, and coliform bacteria have been found growing in pets’ water bowls, this includes Salmonella and E. coli (Stanley Coren PhD., DSc, FRSC). Though some think that some of the bacteria in biofilm may be beneficial, the FDA says much of it is not, and that water bowls should be washed every one-to-two days (Wooten DVM). Pet food bowls can grow a list of unhealthy bacteria, depending on the environment and the individual dog and should be washed daily, if not after every feeding.
Another consideration for healthy food and water bowls is from the materials the bowls are made.
Using a plastic bowl for your dog’s food or water, especially if the bowl is made with p-benzylhydroquinone, (a chemical that produces melanin, responsible for dark pigment in the body) can cause problems. According to Dr. Coren, in an article called What’s Lurking in Your Dog’s Water Bowl, bowls made with p-benzylhydroquinone can cause Plastic Dish Nasal Dermatitis in dogs. This is the loss of pigment on the nose and sometimes around the mouth (Stanley Coren PhD., DSc, FRS). Plastic bowls might also contain Bisphenol A (BPA) which with continued exposer is related to health problems in humans, including diabetes, cancer and neurological disfunctions, so probably not good for fur babies. Plastic bowls are also prone to deep scratches which makes them harder to wash.
Ceramic bowls are nice, however, according to Dr. Coren, ceramic bowls that are sold for human use, must be certified safe for food use, but not so with bowls intended for dogs. Depending on where the ceramic bowl was made, it may contain lead, which of course is no good. So, if you can’t find enough information on your plastic or ceramic bowls, opt for stainless steel. Stainless steel doesn’t have any scary chemicals, out of the three choices, it accumulates the least number of bacteria and is easy to clean (Coren PhD., DSc, FRSC).
The takeaway here is that if you’re feeding your dog healthy food in a contaminated bowl, you are defeating your efforts. The best practice is for watering and food bowls to be washed with warm soapy water once a day. “If you're guilty of leaving your pet's food and water bowls out for days without cleaning them,you run the risk of spreading dangerous bacteria and contracting a foodborne illness” (Wooten DMV). And toss those toys in the sink for a scrubbing or the washer for a spin while you’re at it.
References:
National Security Agency. “2011 NSF International Household Germ Study”, The Public Health and Safety Organization. Retrieved from: https://www.nsf.org/newsroom_pdf/2011_NSF_Household_Germ_Study_exec-summary.pdf . 19 March 2020.
Coren, Stanley, PhD., DSc, FRSC. “What’s Lurking in Your Dog’s Water Bowl”. Psychology Today. 20 Sept. 2018. Retrieved from: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/canine-corner/201809/what-is-lurking-in-your-dogs-water-bowl. 19 March 2020.
Wooten, Sarah DVM. “How Often Should I Wash My Pet’s Food Bowls?”, Vetsreet. 12 April 2017. Retrieved from: http://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/how-often-should-i-wash-my-pets-food-bowls. 19 March 2020.
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