how often are you actually washing your dog's bowl?

A 2022 study found the vast majority of dog owners weren't aware of FDA guidelines for pet food dishes. The FDA recommends washing after every single use. Most people don't come close to that.

The risk apparently depends a lot on your dog: a clean plate club member who leaves nothing behind is lower risk than a grazer leaving wet food sitting out. But bacteria still transfers to the dish either way. Plastic bowls are worse than people realize; tiny scratches hold onto bacteria in a way stainless and ceramic don't.

It's something we think about a lot at The Farmer's Dog specifically; fresh food needs to be treated like your own food, which means what it sits in matters more than most people realize.

How often are you actually washing it?