Protecting pets and people from salmonella infections

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FILE - In this July 16, 2009, photo Lily, a Chihuahua terrier mix that has five legs, licks a bowl in Charlotte, N.C. Calvin Owensby, Lily's first owner, planned to sell her to Coney Island freak show owner John Strong but said he backed out when he realized what kind of show Strong runs and sold the dog to a North Carolina woman. Strong sued for breach of contract and a Chicago TV judge ruled Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2009, that Strong is owed $4,000 for breach of contract to sell the puppy to him. Owensby sold the dog to a North Carolina woman who wanted to keep the animal out of the freak show. The woman has had the fifth leg removed. (AP Photo/The Charlotte Observer, Jeff Siner, File)

Updated: July 29, 2011 12:27PM

Do you feed your cats and dogs in the kitchen? Do you wash their food bowls and water bowls in the kitchen sink?

I do both of those things, and now a report in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) warns that I’m putting my family and the family dog at risk for salmonella infection.

Many reports of salmonella outbreaks tied to pet foods and treats have been reported in recent years. Is the pesky bacteria increasingly prevalent, or is everyone becoming more vigilant?

“That’s a hard question to answer. We do have better reporting mechanisms,” said Christine Hoang, a veterinarian who also has a master’s degree in public health. She’s the assistant director for scientific activities at AVMA, and educating the public is part of her job.

No one should panic about any of this, she said, because “no one is at huge risk,” although “salmonella is everywhere.” The good news is, there are many tips to prevent the spread of salmonella.

Pet water bowls, food bowls and the scoops used to fill them should be washed “routinely with hot soapy water in a sink other than in the kitchen or bathroom,” says the report written by Kate S. KuKanich, a veterinarian at Kansas State University.

Here are more tips from the JAVMA article:

† Wash hands with soap and water before and after handling pet food and treats.

† Pig ears, which have turned up in a number of recalls, should be purchased in sealed packages rather than from open bulk bins.

† Avoid raw-food diets for pets.

† Follow label instructions for food storage. Dry foods and treats should be stored in a cool, dry place.

† Many people transfer food from bags and boxes to “better” storage containers. That’s fine, but hang on to the original packaging, especially the date and product codes.

Scripps Howard News Service