Why Should You Clean Your Dog’s Bowls?

by Andrew Garcia

Oct 26, 2022

3 minute read

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Why Should You Clean Your Pup’s Bowls?
How Do You Clean Your Pup’s Feeding Bowls?
How Frequently Should You Clean Your Dog’s Bowls?
Get the Right Bowls to Avoid Bacteria

Ensuring your dog eats in a clean dish is one way to keep him healthy. But only a few dog owners realize and stick to this. According to the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF), pet bowls are the fourth most potent source of germs in the home.

There are three main actors in the pet feeding process: the pet, the pet owner, and the food. The interaction among these actors comes with a mutual exchange of microbial contaminants from water, food, dishes, and the storage or preparation environment. These exchanges are usually associated with various health consequences for the pets and humans involved.

Why Should You Clean Your Pup’s Bowls?

Pets often leave tiny bits of leftover food in their bowls. Leaving these uncleaned and allowing the dog’s saliva to mix with them facilitates the growth of bacteria like E. coli and Salmonella. These germs thrive unhindered when there is no adequate disinfecting and cleaning. When you touch such dirty and contaminated bowls, the bacteria are spread to you and other people around.

It Helps With Slow Feeding

Your dog is more likely to cough if he eats very quickly. He may also chase you around for more food if he is unsatisfied. At this point, the ball can distract him and allow him to eat slowly, which not only helps digestion but also protects your dog’s stomach.

It Helps To Ease The Pressure

Dogs relieve stress in different ways, including biting things and barking, all to the owner’s annoyance. It gets even worse when you prevent your pet from barking or biting—they accumulate even more stress, leading to mental problems over time. Using a treat dispensing toy prevents all of these.

It Consumes Your Dog’s Energy

If your dog is energetic most of the time, you can help him consume energy by introducing a treat dispensing toy. The toy keeps your dog busy when he is alone, avoiding your dog’s demolition behavior. Destructive energy might be due to separation anxiety or boredom, and you can correct this using an automatic dog treat dispenser.

It Improves Your Dog’s Mental Strength

One of the ways to make your dog smarter is by introducing a treat dispensing dog toy. It teaches your dog how to get the food or treats by patiently rolling the ball.

The unwashed dog feeding bowl is an excellent breeding ground for mold and algae. While this is not associated with safety, it has a stinky smell. It would be best if you did more than swish water around your pet’s dirty dishes; you must clean and disinfect the bowls regularly.

How Do You Clean Your Pup’s Feeding Bowls?

Here are a few cleaning and disinfecting options;

Handwashing

You can clean your dog’s bowls by washing them manually and away from other household dishes. You need a separate rag or sponge for this process to ensure there is no bacterial transfer from the process. Alternatively, you may use a disposable paper towel. While this option is labor-intensive, it is perfect for dog bowls that are not dishwasher safe.

Dishwashing

You can wash your dog’s bowl in a dishwasher if it is dishwasher-safe. The process is quick, easy, and effective. You can check the compatibility of the bowl with a dishwasher from the washing instructions.

How Frequently Should You Clean Your Dog’s Bowls?

Daily cleaning is recommended if you feed your pup wet foods every day. This is the only effective way to get rid of the several bits of gunk that form when small amounts of wet food are left to dry in the bowl.

You do not have to clean often if you feed your pup dry foods. However, it is recommended to rinse the bowl every other day and scrub fully weekly. If you serve your dog fresh water daily, it is advisable to wash the water bowl weekly.

Disinfecting pet bowls should be done at least once a week using a bleach solution. Start by combining ½ cup of regular bleach and a gallon of water. Pour into the bowl and leave for about 10 minutes, then rinse thoroughly and leave to air dry. The soaking is necessary to kill parvo—a major cause of severe sickness and death in young dogs, especially those under six months.

Get the Right Bowls to Avoid Bacteria

It is easy to go for plastic pet bowls, but they are prone to accumulating tiny scratches and nicks, which become breeding grounds for bacteria. You should regularly clean your plastic pet feeding bowls and throw in a replacement every few months.

We recommend using stainless steel bowls because they are more durable, non-porous, and easy to clean and disinfect. You can use just one for the entire lifespan of your dog if you maintain it properly.

Ceramic bowls are another option. However, they are fragile and prone to cracking when dropped. It would help if you replaced cracked ceramic pet bowls once you noticed the crack.

Overall, buying a set of bowls is advisable so that there is a spare pair to use when the others are in the wash. This will ensure your pup does not have to wait for the cleaned bowls to be ready before he eats.

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