The Shocking Truth About Dog Bowls: 1,000 Times Dirtier Than Toilets

Where do you think is the most germy place in your home? Probably many people’s first thought is: the toilet? Or other dirtier corners of the home. But for pet-owning families, the dog’s food bowl and love toys at home may or may not be dirtier than the toilet at home.

Just how dirty are dog bowls?

An NSF International survey on the bacterial counts of common household household items revealed:

Dog bowls, in fact, ranked as high as #3 in the number of bacteria in a household unit, behind dishcloths and toothbrush holders! Dog bowls are used by dogs every day to dry food, but they are also a collection of bacteria! Data survey shows that the dog bowl per 10 square centimeters of bacteria number is 473,828, we think very dirty toilet, per 10 square centimeters of bacteria number is only 266. That is to say, the bowl used by the dog is more than 1,000 times dirtier than the toilet bowl …… Such shocking data, subverted the knowledge of the shoveling officer.

So the question is, why are there so many bacteria in dog bowls?

Food debris breeds bacteria

Every time a dog eats, there will always be some food residue left in the food bowl, which can easily harbor bacteria. Even if the bowl is licked clean by the dog, there will still be residues such as crumbs and grease, which combine with saliva, bacteria in the mouth, and bacteria in the environment to provide a favorable environment for bacterial reproduction.

Environmental exposure and bacterial biofilm growth

The dog’s bowl is always exposed to the environment, and all kinds of tiny objects such as dust and hair in the air can easily accumulate in the bowl and continuously breed a lot of bacteria. Careful pooper scooper may find that the dog’s water bowl is always slippery to the touch, this layer of slippery slimy film, called bacterial biofilm, which can adhere to any wet surface, is the aggregation of microbial growth. You can understand it as a home for bacteria, and your pet’s water bowl is the best petri dish for them!

The Hidden Dangers of Low Frequency and Simple Rinsing

Compared to human dishes, pet food bowls are cleaned much less frequently. Many owners clean their dog’s food bowl only a few days or even a month, and when they do, they simply rinse it, which leads to a constant growth of bacteria and the third dirtiest item in the house.

What are the problems associated with unclean dog bowls?

According to incomplete statistics unhygienic dog bowls will directly increase the probability of black chin, diarrhea, gastritis, kidney failure and other diseases, affecting the health of the dog.

• Gastrointestinal problems: dangerous bacteria such as E. coli and salmonella can be found in bowls, which may cause gastrointestinal problems in dogs when they accidentally eat pet food and water mixed with bacteria.
• Oral problems: unclean eating utensils can also easily aggravate existing oral inflammation. Painful stomatitis can affect appetite and can easily lead to other complications. If you can not get timely treatment, there will be periodontitis, dental calculus, and even need to pull out a full mouth of teeth.
• affect the dog’s appetite: a bowl with a lot of bacteria will make the dog’s food and water accelerate bacterial infection. Dogs may have diarrhea after consuming it, and over time, it will affect the dog’s appetite!
• Human-pet co-disease: If the pet owner does not clean the dog bowl in time, then the bacteria that breed inside the dog bowl will exchange and reproduce with the bacteria inside the dog’s mouth. It may spread to the pet owner through the dog’s mouth and tongue.
• Dirty food bowls will also affect the home environment. Dog food bowl residues, food grease, it is easy to attract the body with a variety of bacteria cockroaches. This not only pollutes the home environment of people and pets, but also buries hidden dangers to the health of pet owners and dogs.

Choosing the right material for dog bowls

• Ceramic bowl smooth and easy to clean, plus the weight of the ceramic itself is not easy to be knocked over, is a very good choice, but once accidentally broken, be sure to clean up, do not hurt the dog Oh.
• Stainless steel bowl advantage is resistant to chewing and biting, not easy to break, the disadvantage is that the stainless steel material itself is lightweight, easy to knock over, so choose the base of the high stability. PUPPHUB ‘s No Spill Dog Bowl series has a variety of water bowls.The Zero Splash Lock&Lock No Spill Dog Bowl is one of them. The Zero Splash Lock&Lock No Spill Dog Bowl is one of them. It is made of high quality stainless steel, which is stronger and has better corrosion resistance. And it has 4 non-slip rubbers on the bottom to keep the bowl stable and prevent the dog from sliding when drinking. Most importantly, it is easy to clean, with a floating disk and silicone stopper that can be removed for cleaning.
• Plastic Bowl Plastic material itself is not able to withstand gnawing, and when you wash it with a steel ball, it will also show scratches, and it is very easy to hide dirt and grime.

How often should dog bowls be cleaned?

Some pet owners will neglect to clean their dog bowls because they are busy at work! The result is that dog bowls are cleaned at most once or twice a week, and toys are even cleaned only when they see obvious dirt! So, as a qualified pet owner, how often should you clean dog bowls and pet toys?

Cleaning frequency

• Bowls for staple food and dry food should be cleaned at least once a day.
• Bowls for wet food and meat should be cleaned every meal.
• Drinking fountains also need to be cleaned, once a week is recommended.
• Pet toys and kennels should be cleaned at least once a month.