Good food hygiene protects dogs and their humans

Good food hygiene protects dogs and their humans


You wouldn’t put a dirty bowl in front of a family member at dinnertime. Researchers say you shouldn’t do that to a dog, either.

Proper food hygiene protects a beloved pet — and it just might protect its owner’s health, too.

A recent study that surveyed more than 400 dog owners found that almost none knew anything about FDA pet food handling and dog bowl hygiene guidelines. Those include washing hands after handling pet food and washing bowls and anything used to scoop food with soap and hot water.

Researchers then examined the real-world impact of following safe practices. They separated 50 owners who owned a total of 68 dogs into three groups. One followed guidelines for safely handling pet food and bowls. The second group followed more-stringent recommendations for both pets and their humans. The third wasn’t told to follow any rules at all.

The pet food bowls were then tested to measure levels of bacteria that could be potentially harmful to a dog or their owners. Food dish contamination was far lower in the first two groups that followed guidelines. In fact, contamination was 90 to 99% lower in those dishes washed with hot water or a dishwasher, compared with those cleaned with cold or lukewarm water.

Previous studies have shown that pet bowls are sometimes the most bacteria-ridden items in a household, even giving our toilets a run for their money. Yuck.

Salmonella and E. coli are among the nasty things that can flourish in a doggie bowl. And researchers say that friendly dog that jumps on your lap and licks your face might just pass along these invisible passengers to its owner.

That’s probably not what you had in mind when you told Spot to fetch.

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