Dog Bowls are a staple in your house. Water, food, treats, lots of goodies are put inside your dog’s bowl. Your friends at Dog is Good have done some research on how to choose the best bowls for your dog. Here’s what we found out:
Dog Bowl Germs
Yes, there could be danger lurking in your dog bowl right now. Researchers declare that dog bowls are the third most contaminated items in your household! Your dog bowl may be a breeding ground for worms, parasites and viruses if not cleaned regularly. Here’s the worst part, not only could these germs be affecting your dog, they can also spread to humans. EEEK! E. Coli and Salmonella are bacterias easily transferred from dog to dog mom or dog dad.
Wash That Bowl
It may seem like overkill, but you should be washing your dog’s food and water bowl daily. Get into a routine as soon as your dog has their breakfast or dinner to pick up the bowls and give them a good scrub. Your dog also needs clean water throughout the day. On top of regular dishwashing soap, you can also disinfect your dog’s bowl with bleach once a week. Make sure to give them a good rinse to remove all the cleaning chemicals.
Dog Bowl Placement
Most dogs, not Princess Fifi, are a bit messy when they eat. I’m sure you know the type! Splash, spill, water and food everywhere! Pet placemats are great for containing most of the spillage. But remember to keep those clean as well, you don’t want a bacteria breeding ground on the placemat. Here are the top pet mats for your pup’s bowls!
Size Matters
The bigger the dog, the bigger the bowl? In theory, yes. But in actuality, the dog food bowl should only be as large as necessary for the dog’s snout to comfortably grab the food. Bigger dogs might also benefit from elevated dog bowls to help with digestion. Older dogs might really benefit from elevated bowls as there’s less strain on their neck, hips and shoulders.
Best Dog Bowls
Plastic bowls are generally not recommended for dog bowls. Plastic bowls tend to be turned into chew toys with nicks and cuts that can eventually harbor bacterias. In addition, some dogs can even develop allergies to plastic bowls and end up with rashes or bumps on their chin and face. Glass and ceramic bowls are also not highly recommended as they can break easily and chipped surfaces are a danger for your dog.
The easiest type of dog bowl to maintain and keep clean is stainless steel for your dog’s water and food. In addition to be the best to keep clean, stainless steel bowls are relatively light and easy to carry and are fairly indestructible in case Fido gets crazy with their bowl. Stainless steel bowls are also easy to pop into the dishwasher for easy cleaning. These types of bowls will not hold onto harmful germs and bacteria.
Here are some of our favorite stainless steel dog bowls and they are available in various sizes and colors:
