Food and water dishes are easily overlooked in the pursuit of pet cleanliness. People who feed their pets dry food may think those dishes don’t need washing. They may notice the water in the dish needs changing, but not realize that just pouring the dirty water out and replacing it with fresh isn’t enough. Just because dishes only hold water doesn’t mean they’re clean; water dishes can get slimy. Wipe the water dish before refilling, and wash with soap and water every couple of days. If dishes are washed after each meal, caustic cleaning agents like bleach aren’t needed.
It isn’t just a little leftover kibble that attracts bacteria. Microbes that live in your dog or cat’s mouth and saliva can be transmitted to any food and moisture residue in the dish. This helps create a potential breeding ground that, paired with the right conditions, can be a home for nasty bacteria like salmonella and E. coli — among others.
William (Bill) Burkholder, DVM, PhD, DACVN, and Charlotte Conway, MS, from the Center for Veterinary Medicine at the Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, also recommend washing your hands with hot water and soap before and after handling your pet’s food to help prevent passing any contamination.
The best dishes for your pet are porcelain, glass, or stainless steel. Plastic dishes are economical, but plastic can’t be thoroughly sterilized. And plastic dishes can be chewed…to bits, which can then be swallowed.
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