Commonly overlooked pet cleaning mistake could cause you and your dog to fall ill
Neglecting to wash your dog's food bowl regularly could not only affect their health, but yours too.
Maintaining a clean and hygienic kitchen is crucial for food safety, but a new study highlights a commonly overlooked source of potential danger.
Neglecting to wash your dog's food bowl regularly could not only affect their health, but yours too.
Research conducted by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sheds light on the hygiene habits of dog owners and the concerning implications of unclean dog food dishes for both pets and their owners.
The study, which surveyed 417 dog owners, reveals alarming statistics about the frequency of washing dog bowls.
Only 12 percent of participants reported washing their dog's dish daily, while 22 percent cleaned it once a week, and another 18 percent admitted to washing it every three months or not at all.
Read More: 'Beware' of five common but 'dangerous' spring flowers that may be growing in your garden
Such lax hygiene practices create an environment conducive to the growing of harmful bacteria, including salmonella and listeria, which can pose significant health risks to both pets and their owners.
Salmonella and listeria are known pathogens that can cause a range of symptoms in humans, including diarrhea, fever, stomach cramps, and nausea.
These symptoms can be particularly severe in vulnerable populations such as pregnant women, children, the elderly, and individuals with weakened immune systems.
The study also found concerning behaviors related to food storage and preparation.
DON'T MISS:
This homemade fertiliser using kitchen scraps will make your produce flourish [EXPLAINER]
Cats will flee your garden and leave flowers alone if you grow these four plants [INSIGHT]
Fruits and veg to plant in May for a big summer garden harvest [LIST]
Forty-three percent of participants stored dog food within 1.5 meters of human food, while 34 percent failed to wash their hands after feeding their dogs, and 33 percent prepared dog food on surfaces intended for human use.
The FDA has set out a list of guidelines for owners to follow to lower their risk of developing an illness from contaminated pet food and treats.
The study added: “Exposure to contaminated dog food can have implications for canine and human health. For example, there have been multiple outbreaks of both humans and dogs becoming ill after exposure to dog food contaminated with pathogenic bacteria.
"These risks may be amplified in households with children and/or immunocompromised individuals, which were over a third of respondents’ households."
