Pet food safety
Food safety is not only important for humans but it also
important for any type of pet someone has. A healthy diet is also important for
an animal. Just as we take time out to prepare meals and make healthy choices
when eating is something to consider when feeding your pet. I will talk about
pet food safety and the importance of taking the necessary precautions to picking
the right food for a pet.
Raw foods are a topic that has common principles when
between pet foods and human foods. It is not recommended to feed raw food to
pets. It can make your pet sick and you sick. There are many germs that are
found in raw pet foods. Some include salmonella and listeria bacteria, both of
these germs can make a pet sic. A person can also get sick when handling raw
food or when taking care of a pet. Raw pet food is not the only type of pet
food that can be tainted. Canned or dry pet food can also have germs. It is
recommended to speak to a veterinarian if you are considering changing a pet’s
diet.
There are about four tips that you can do to stay healthy as
a pet owner when feeding your pet. First, you want to make sure you always wash
your hands after giving a treat or pet food. I know sometimes it might be hard
or tedious to always wash your hands after giving your pet food or a treat, but
this is the most important step that will prevent illness. Second, you want to store
your pet food away from human food and out of reach of children. Third, you
should use a scoop for the pet food not the actual bowl the pet food goes in. This
can prevent contamination from possible germs on the food bowl to the whole
supply of pet food. Lastly, pay attention to the pet food labels and their
storage instructions. This can also lower the risk of contamination to the pet
food.
Although it is not recommended to feed pets raw food there
are some tips and guidelines to follow so you and your pet are safe. Just as
you would prepare to handle raw food for humans, you do the same when handling
raw pet food. It’s suggested to keep raw pet food frozen until you use it and
to keep it away from all other food while storing it.
Some ways to keep yourself safe after your pet has eaten
food are to not let your pet lick your face or around your mouth. You can also
wash your hands and other body parts that your pet has licked after eating with
soap and water. This last tip is common sense but it’s important to remember
not to let your pet lick any open wounds or broken skin.
Children and pets is another important topic. Children are
more at risk for getting an illness because their immune systems are still
developing. Children younger than 5 years old should not touch or eat pet food,
treats, or supplements (Center for Disease Control, 2017). Children are more
prone to put their hands in their mouths without even realizing they have
touched something that could possibly cause an illness. It is important to
supervise children when around pets and their food and make sure to monitor
when children are washing their hands. If you are interested in more
information on keeping yourself and your pets safe you can visit the link
below.
References
Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention. (2017). Pet food safety. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/resources/pet-food-tips_8x11_508.pdf
Thanks for sharing this information because I have a 4-month Shitzu and this is my first time being a dog mom. I personally don't feed my dog raw food because the vet suggest it. I usually try to monitor his food/water intake and what type brand of food I should feed him. However the best brands are little expensive but it's worth it. Should dogs eat dry food over wet food? I was thinking that wet foods contain the most bacteria because it comes in a can and dogs usually don't eat all in one setting so it sits there.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this blog post, I am happy to say that my family follows majority of these guidelines and tips when feeding my dog. We will feed my dog human food, but cooked and healthy for him. We understand which human foods are bad for dogs to eat, but that doesn't stop him from begging for food every time we are in the kitchen lol.
ReplyDeleteThis blog has actually informed me on a lot, I personally am not a pet owner but this blog has made me aware of all of the precautions to take. Dogs need to be taken care of food wise, just as much as humans.
ReplyDeleteI certainly agree that pet food should be monitored and treated as something serious because it is. I'm very picky about what I give my dog and what I allow him to have, outside of his regular food. Speaking of his regular food, he's a full grown Shitzu. So while he's still really small he is also an adult dog. Taking care to give him the food for adult dogs and not puppies is one of the main things. Especially when it's not me or one of my family members feeding him. I also don't really allow him to eat people food. Certain cooked meats or a piece of bread here and there but we nipped his table-begging in the bud years ago. I'm always paranoid when cooking that he'll lick something and catch Salmonella or if I'm baking, he'll get a taste of some chocolate and it'll mess his little system up or worse. I really like the 4 tips you included about how to stay safer when feeding your pets.
ReplyDeletehey you have made some very good point here. I am currently not a pet owner but I do understand the importance of feeding pets a healthy meal. I must say I did not know that it was ever a thing" to feed your pet raw food. That just has wrong written all over it. with the amount of germs that we know are in raw food I'd never think to feed that to an animal. Also as far a licking how can you resist the kisses of a family dog member, I do agree that is another way to pass germs. I feel like every dog owner I know openly receives kisses from their "dog kids". good post.
ReplyDeleteMy dog eats hard dog food, but he only eats when someone is in the room with him which is really weird! He also loves human food, which is my fault because we let him eat with us sometimes ! But I want my dog to be happy, so I spoil him! I also make sure to take him to get check ups and stuff so he doesn't get worms and get sick. My mother always yells at me to wash my hands after dealing with him so that I don't catch anything.
ReplyDeleteI never had a pet before and after reading the blog post makes me want one. Pets bring so much happiness to someones life.
ReplyDelete