Keeping a clean kitchen is vital for food safety, but unseen hazards can still be present. A recent study shows that failing to regularly wash your dog's food bowl could pose health risks not only to your pet but also to you. The research, carried out by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), explored the feeding habits of dog owners and evaluated the impact of FDA's hygiene protocols on contamination in dog food dishes.
Alarmingly, only 12% of the 417 dog owners surveyed washed their dog's dish daily, while 22% cleaned it weekly, and an additional 18% washed it every three months or not at all. According to the FDA, this lack of cleanliness "poses significant health risks to pets and pet owners" as it creates a breeding ground for harmful bacteria like salmonella and listeria. Both these bacteria can cause symptoms such as diarrhoea, fever, stomach cramps or pain, and nausea in humans, with more severe symptoms in pregnant women, children, adults over 65, and those with weakened immune systems.
Regarding food storage and preparation, the study discovered that 43 per cent stored dog food within 1.5 meters of human food, 34 per cent washed their hands after feeding their dogs, and 33 per cent prepared dog food on surfaces intended for human food preparation. The study uncovers a troubling pattern, highlighting: "It was found the vast majority of study dog owners were not aware of and did not follow FDA pet food handling and storage guidelines.
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