This being the Memorial weekend holiday, I did a great deal of pet sitting over the past week. As a professional pet sitter and dog walker I see a lot of unusual and sometimes disturbing things when I visit clients' homes. What I noticed this time around, was that a lot of pet parents do not clean their dogs and cats water and food bowls on a regular basis. Some of the dishes that the pets were expected to eat  from were so encrusted with old food, etc. that it took me a great deal of time with steel wool, hot water and non-toxic soap, to get them clean again.

I know these people love their animals and I can't understand how they don't seem to realize that these dirty bowls are full of bacteria and god knows what else.

Cats and dogs food bowls  should be thoroughly cleaned after every meal. I recommend ceramic or stainless steel bowls that are dish washer safe and can be sterilized in  the dishwasher. Plastic bowls are the worst as they are hard to clean and therefore harbor bacteria.

It is just as important to clean the water bowl thoroughly each time you give your pet fresh water which should be at least a couple of times a day.

In order to keep your "furry kids" healthy and make their meals more appetizing and pleasant, always make sure their feeding and drinking bowls are clean and sanitized.