How Often Should You Wash Your Dog’s Food Bowl?
Ask five dog owners how often they wash their pet’s bowl and you’ll probably get five different answers. While there are likely several reasons for this, one of them is that despite the fact that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued hygiene protocols for dog food contamination, few people, including veterinarians are familiar with them. a recent study published in the journal PLOS ONE.
If you fall into this category, here’s what you need to know about the importance of washing your dog’s food bowl and how often you should do it.
Why is it important to wash your dog’s food bowl?
Like other foods, dog food and treats can be contaminated with harmful bacteria that cause foodborne illnesses such as salmonellosis and listeriosis , according to the FDA . But your dog isn’t the only one at risk of getting sick: people exposed to dog food contaminated with E. coli or Salmonella can also get sick.
“Dirty dog food bowls can harbor bacteria that can harm you or your pet,” Jamie Wittenburg (DVM) , SeniorTailWaggers.com veterinarian and director of the Kingsgate Animal Hospital in Lubbock, Texas, tells Lifehacker.
How often should you wash your dog’s food bowl?
If you have a habit of not washing your dog’s food bowl for weeks or even months, it’s time for a change.
“Regardless of the type of food, you should treat your pet’s bowl the same way you would a dinner plate and wash it with soap and water after every meal,” explains Wittenburg. To reduce bacterial contamination, she recommends washing your dog’s food bowls either by hand with warm soapy water or in the dishwasher.
The FDA Dog Food Safety Guidelines also recommend washing the scoop (or other utensil you use to dispense food) with soap and hot water after each use.
And don’t forget your dog’s water bowl. “Water bowls that aren’t washed often form a biofilm—a sticky slimy residue around the edges,” Wittenburg notes. She recommends thoroughly washing your dog’s water bowl every three days.