For most pet owners, they only think of their pet's water bowl when it needs refilling.
Trouble is, new and previous studies show a pet's water bowl is likely the third most contaminated surface in most homes.
The latest study comes from Hartpury University in the United Kingdom. Never heard of it? Consider that Hartpury University and Hartpury College are among the U.K.'s leading specialist education providers in agriculture, animal, equine, sport and veterinary nursing. Located about three hours west of London in Gloucester, Hartpury boasts some 3,300 students and graduate students.
The study published in Phys Org, was conducted by Aisling Carroll, an animal scientist, and veterinarian Coralie Wright. They asked a basic question: Does the material a pet water bowl is made of make a difference in how clean it stays?
The short answer is stainless steel, but there is more to know. Guessing stainless would be too easy since it's basically all one sees in veterinary facilities and hospitals.
The U.K. duo looked at plastic, ceramic and stainless steel bowls. They were able to isolate several very dangerous species of bacteria, including E. coli, salmonella and MRSA. As a result, they make it clear a pet's water bowl is a potential health hazard to both humans and animals.
To keep things in perspective, consider that we are surrounded by deadly bacteria every day. Fortunately, most of us have an intact immune system, a consciousness for general food safety, sanitation and cleanliness, and access to definitive health care. So, we blissfully skip through life with little worry for what stalks us at the microscopic level.
The U.K. researchers are quick to point out they did not test every kind of plastic or ceramic bowl. They also did not examine cleaning protocols and their effectiveness by surface type. So, of course, they admit, more work needs to be done.
Think of all the ceramics you have ever seen. Some are made with course sand components and clay resulting in surfaces that, while watertight, are still porous and can harbor bacteria.
Plastics vary widely in both their surfaces as well as their surface durability. With the advent of every human carrying a water bottle, awareness of plastic surface durability and hygiene has increased. It just hasn't carried over to our pet's water bowls.
Here's the best advice for the common household - meaning not a kennel facility or a veterinary hospital. Get a minimum of two sets of bowls, three are better, in case you get lazy. Always swap out clean ones for dirty ones at least every 24 hours.
Use one set for feed and water today. The food and water bowls are picked up immediately after the pet finishes feeding and drinking. The water bowl is replaced with a clean one.
Waste is disposed of and both dirty bowls are either washed in hot water with a disinfecting dishwashing liquid or it goes in a household dishwasher set to the sanitize setting.
The water bowl stays down until the next feeding. If you leave food out constantly, in a word, don't, especially if it is wet food or a multiple pet household.
At the next feeding, a new feed and a new water bowl goes down. Now you are in a good sanitation sequence. The third set of bowls also helps this work if you feed twice daily.
Please don't write and tell me about childhood dogs that drank from the gutter or worse and ate cow pies and they never got sick. They did, we (me included) just thought they didn't.
Charlie Powell is the public information officer for the Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine, which provides this column as a community service. For questions or concerns about animals you'd like to read about, email cpowell@vetmed.wsu.edu.
