Don’t Feed Your Pet in the Kitchen
If you feed your dog and cat in the kitchen–a tradition in most pet homes-then you and your family are flirting with possible salmonella contamination. Your kitchen can be dangerous to your health and the health of your pets, says Dr. Kate KuKanich in a recent nutritional article in JAVMA. Salmonella can be present not just in pet food bowls, but pet foods and even treats, vitamins, and nutritional supplements! A dangerous place of cross-contamination for children and the elderly! And, although humans don’t regard pigs ears as a treat, pigs ears are uncooked and we do handle them. 51% of pigs ears have been found to be contaminated with salmonella. Pet treats containing dried beef were found to be responsible for human illness in a 2002 outbreak; in 2006 there was an outbreak of both contaminated dog and cat food produced at a plant in Pennsylvania in a process designed to enhance palatability–crossing 21 state lines! Vitamins and nutritional products can also become contaminated during production. In 2010 a nutritional product for joint health had to be recalled. Other contaminated products include multivitamins, ear powder, glucosamine, a fresh breath treatment and calming tablets.
What to do? Pets should be fed in a room other than the kitchen to minimize cross-contamination of pet food and food intended for human consumption. Use a scoop or a cup to remove food from bags and clean routinely. Wash hands after feeding pets and all contact with pet food or pet treats. Purchase individually packaged pigs ears rather than those from bulk bins. Store dry food in its original bag placed inside a plastic container to provide extra protection. And, save the date code and product code of all food products for identification in case contamination is suspected.
Finally, although uncooked, raw foods are usually the cause of food illness (for example, the recent e-coli outbreak in vegetables in Europe). Raw meat in either homemade or commercial pet diets should be avoided and it must be remembered that pigs ears are not cooked. Canned food, although considered safe, when opened are also susceptible to contamination from the environment. And then, suppose your pet is being medicated? This could also add to the environmental contamination threat.
Also important–the late Job Michael Evans (How To Be Your Dog’s Best Friend) discouraged feeding dogs in the kitchen because he felt it caused behavior problems. Dogs quickly learned to become food-territorial. Another reason to avoid the kitchen as a dog dining area! The crate is, of course, the preferred spot for a dog to enjoy his or her meal without feeling threatened.
My dogs race toward their crates when they see the food dishes are ready to be served!
I enjoy a special food area for preparing my dogs’ meals. It has a sink close by with both soap for dishes and a hand sanitizer. The preparation table also has a small stairs so that puppy Ben can climb up and supervise
After all, there is always a spoon that needs to be licked!
Jun 12, 2011 | | Uncategorized