I don’t know about you, but I’m guilty of not cleaning my pets’ bowls as frequently as I should. I recently read an article in the Your Dog Newsletter from Tufts University that said pet dishes contained the ninth highest levels of bacteria in our homes–even higher in some cases than toilet bowls.

Perhaps for many of us, this doesn’t seem to be an issue. Our pets are healthy, and we ourselves show no signs of illness. But many households contain immunocompromised individuals (at least 2.7 per 100 people). Pregnant women and children under five years of age are also at higher risk for developing serious illness when exposed to certain food-borne bacteria. Hardly a day goes by when we don’t hear of a pet food recall due to salmonella or listeria. Good pet food handling habits become even more important if you feed a raw diet to your pets, as the risks of exposure to such bacteria is even higher.

A study in the Plos One Journal examined the habits of pet owners regarding the storage and distribution of food, and discovered most people did not wash their hands before handling their pet’s food. One in five participants reported washing their pet’s dishes only once a week. Many said they didn’t wash their pet’s bowls more than once every three months–if ever.

As I said before, I’m guilty of practicing less than perfect pet food hygiene, even though there are some parts of the FDA guidelines I know and recommend.

But after doing a little research to write this post, I realize I need to do a better job. The FDA guidelines are pretty basic:

1. Wash your hands before handling your pet’s food (at least 20 seconds with soap and water). If you sing “Happy Birthday” or recite the opening sequence of the original Star Trek series (“Space: the Final Frontier. These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise… etc), that is the perfect length of time to wash your hands.
2. Use a designated utensil for scooping food (not your pet’s bowl) and wash both the scooping utensil and the bowl after EACH USE.
3. Throw out old, spoiled food in a manner than your pet cannot access it. Bag it and place in a trash can either outside or with a locking lid.

Food storage is also critical.

1. Promptly refrigerate or throw out unused or leftover canned and pouched pet food. Tightly cover refrigerated pet food with the correct-sized lid Make sure your refrigerator temperature is set to 40 F or below.
2. Store dry pet food in a cool and dry place. The temperature should be less than 80 F. Excess heat or moisture can cause spoilage. Keeping your pets’s food in the garage is NOT a good idea.
3. Store dry pet food in its original bag and keep the top of the bag tightly folded down with clips or tape.
4. Keep pet food in a secure location to prevent your pet from eating an entire supply at once. A locking trash can is a good option.

One of the most common mistakes I see people make is purchasing food and dumping it into plastic bins for ease of storage

Lamb based dog food in particular can mold in as little as a few weeks, so if you feed lamb, you probably should buy smaller bags to use it up more quickly. One of the most common mistakes I see people make is purchasing food and dumping it into plastic bins for ease of storage (and prevent mice from getting into it). The problem with this is that you never completely remove all the crumbs from your bin before dumping the next bag on top, increasing the risk of developing mold. It is best to keep your pet’s food in the original bag and roll the top down tightly. You can still put it in your storage bin–just keep it in the original bag.

I’ve also had clients who store their pet’s food in the garage, and high, humid temperatures in the summer can destroy the value of the food as well as promote spoilage.

So bottom line, wash your hands before and after handling your pet’s food, be sure to wash bowls and utensils daily. Take steps to store your pet’s food properly. These simple steps can help keep you and your pet safer and a lot healthier.