Many dog owners tend to wash their four-legged friends' bowls not as often as they should, but the risks of bacterial contamination are around the corner, as a survey-study conducted in America on hygienic habits in households showed. with animals
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves him
When you have a dog at home, the bowls for water and his food can never be missing, but if the bowl of water is changed several times a day, proceeding to its regular cleaning, it is not always the case for that. of food that ends up being washed infrequently with a very high risk of spreading viruses and bacteria that lurk in this.
These include salmonella, drug-resistant Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterobacteriaceae and Clostridium difficile, as evidenced by numerous studies conducted in this regard over time, which can have serious consequences on the health of humans and their animals. by exchanging these to each other such microbial contamination. (Also Read: Antibiotic Resistance: Is It Really Dangerous To Get Your Dog Licking Your Face?)
For this reason, researchers at North Carolina State University investigated the Food and Drug Association (FDA) hygiene protocols that families with companion animals follow, or should follow, by administering a survey to 417 dog owners ed performing tampons out of 68 of their bowls. The results of the study were recently published in the journal Plos.
In the questionnaire lasting a total of 20 minutes, respondents were asked about hygiene habits such as washing hands after preparing the meal for your dog, washing the bowl and properly storing his food to avoid contamination.
The responses showed that 22% would wash the bowls of the animals on average once a week, 12% once a day and 18% every three months. In addition, less than 5% of respondents were aware of the existence of FDA guidelines for handling pet food.
After collecting the polls and the results of the swabs, the researchers divided the participants into three random groups where all the FDA hygiene rules were followed, respectively, including dishwashing the bowls, part of them and finally none.
The second swabs showed that in the first and second groups the presence of bacteria was significantly lower than what could be expected, the only sore point in the last group, the most subject to contamination.
How often should you wash the bowl?
According to the FDA, bowls should be cleaned after each use with warm soapy water. You can also wash them in the dishwasher if you wish.
The FDA also suggests:
- do not use the bowls as a measuring cup to avoid the passage of any bacteria
- keep dry food in a cool, dry place
- store open cans or meat intended for the animal in an airtight container
Source: Plos
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