Q & A:
Q: How often should you clean your dog’s bowls?
A: EVERYDAY. If you feed wet food or raw food you should clean after each meal. If you are feeding dry food you should try to wash bowls daily.
Q: What about the water bowl?
A: At least once a week. If you are in a multi dog home, clean the water bowl DAILY.
WHY??
We are all guilty of refilling that water bowl day after day. We all feed our pups and simply put the bowls away until the next feeding time. AND WE ALL HAVE FELT THE NASTY SLIME BUILD UP ON OUR PET’S BOWL.
What is that “nasty slime”? It is called biofilm. Biofilm is a collection of bacteria. Some good and some bad bacteria. When I say “bad bacteria” I am talking about serious bacteria like E. Coli and Listeria. (YUCK!) Just throw a raw chicken breast in your dog’s bowl!
Has your pet has been experiencing reoccurring bladder and/ or ear infections, UTI’s, etc? Take a look at your dog’s bowls. This biofilm not only lives on surfaces but also our guts. Biofilm is like glue, that is why it can be hard to remove. Imagine removing it from your pet’s insides!
Bowl Cleaning 101:
Option 1: Simply put your dogs bowls in the dishwasher and put it on the sanitary cycle. You don’t even need to add soap. The hot water will kill that bacteria and rinse the slim away. If you do add soap, please choose a non toxic detergent or add a half cup of vinegar to the bottom of the dishwasher.
Option 2: Place your bowls in the sink with vinegar water and a non toxic dish soap. (I make my own dish soap out of Sal Suds, water and essential oils) Let the bowls soak for 10-20 min and rinse with hot water. ***NOTE: Keep in mind you just rinsed bacteria down your drain. Take a minute and clean your sink well so you do not cross contaminate.
What to know more?
