How often have we heard the phrase, “He’s a dog. They eat things. Some even eat poop.” Why then, do we worry so much about dogs having a clean water and food bowl? There are many reasons for this practice.
When a dog goes outside and licks or sniffs something on the ground, typically his tongue will come up and bring that piece of food or garbage into his mouth. Once the dog brings that into his mouth and goes to drink water from his bowl, he is contaminating his bowl with all the bacteria and microbes he has come into contact with. Particularly in the summer, this can become a breeding ground for protozoa, microbes and bacteria. Water bowls should be changed and cleaned typically twice a day with soap and water or put in your dishwasher to be sterilized. This will prevent contamination by bacteria and other microorganisms. If you have a particularly drooly dog, consider changing out the bowl more frequently. The same holds true for food bowls. Although you might figure that dog’s mouths are not clean, they are actually far cleaner than humans or cats. But the bacteria or microorganisms will take over in very short time and begin to divide in your pet’s food or water bowl. Food bowls should be scrubbed and cleaned between uses.
