Dogs bowl, what’s reasonable?

[dogsbowl]

Terribly exciting topic, I know! The vet asked me how often I wash the dogs water bowl and I said it goes through the dishwasher on its own once a week. He said that was really not enough and it should be done every day. So do you?

His absolute favourite is hot water from my bath. It dawned on me the other day that this is actually a very watery and undercooked human soup, and perhaps what he would really, really like would be if I was cooked through a bit more thoroughly

You're not wrong. I wonder if the same principle applies when my dog finds my bare feet so alluring and wants to lick them.

every few days??

Lab has a huge water bowl & it's refilled several times a day!! Mind you, he like to keep the wall & floor adequately rehydrated! 🙇🏻‍♀️🙇🏻‍♀️

Huge bowl! Tiny 8kg dog!

Washed daily. Stainless steel bowls. Dog doesn't drink from them much this time of year as raw fed and doesn't need much extra water. Also much prefers the outside water dish that just fills up with rain water.

😵‍💫🤣🤣

your dog could probably fit in the land water bowl!!

the cat had her own iovely water bowl, but preferred the dogs massive one - even with the moat around it 🙄

Once a week. My dog is 17 so obviously not doing her too much harm.

I'm not the only one then!

Honestly, rarely! He would rather drink from a puddle or the toilet after DS has done a wee and not flushed 🤢 I'm sure he'll survive

This! I forget to wash it out all the time. I suspect it goes more than a week sometimes. My last dog lived to nearly 18, didn't do him any harm. When you think what they pick up on toys, sticks, whatever else they find outside, water that's a few days old is the least of their problems.

A quick google of ‘biofilm and dog water bowl’ has confirmed the vet is right. One of our dogs has fairly awful breathe and the vet reckons it’s because I’m not cleaning the water bowl enough. I’ve been properly shamed as clearly once a week isn’t enough if you have a read of what breeds in biofilm. We have two sets of massive dog bowls that take up a whole dishwasher load and I wouldn’t put human dishes in there with them anyway (despite the logic fail!). I put in dishes with raw chicken alongside mugs so why not dog bowls? It’s not logical!

I just washed mine. Slime at the bottom. Poor thing. I too am shamed and will wash her water bowls every day from now on. Good to share knowledge!

Pretty much every day, but I occasionally miss a day.

Some of you wash dog and cat bowls in the dishwasher? Urrgh, yuk! Disgusting. I'm no hygiene fiend but no way would I do that.

Mine get washed in the utility room sink every couple of days.

Mind you, the dog prefers to drink the water left in the tray after my morning shower, either that or from a puddle.

Wash the food bowl out every few days. Rinse the water bowl every time I fill it - few times a day. proper wash every now and then.

My dog is 16 and going strong.

Recently changed to having two water bowls and switching the bowl every day so the other can be washed. Reason being dog has a sensitive stomach and we were ending up at the vets approx once a month and wondered if it may be linked. . Have been less stomach issues since we did this but may be coincidental. Not sure why your dog was at the vet but maybe that’s why it was mentioned.

My dog and 2 cats share a couple of water bowls which are cleaned twice a day along with their feeding dishes. The water bowls only really need cleaned out once a day but I’m more likely to forget about them if I did that. It’s easier just cleaning them every time I do the cat dishes (the dog gets fed at different times) that way I know they are definitely clean with fresh water.

As a result of this thread, have ordered new bowls so I can swop them around.

Im the same! But I think we may be the only ones!

No dog but the cat gets a clean bowl 3 times a day with every meal. She is raw fed so definitely needs a clean one. I wash them in the sink with whatever else needs to go in or soak them before putting them in the dishwasher because otherwise the food dries and doesn't come off.

I swill the water bowl out and refill every morning. It goes in the dishwasher on a Saturday.

Mine gets a swish around every morning when I change the water, washed maybe once a week when I remember? He prefers a puddle or stagnant water out of the garden anyway 🤣

Same my Ddog really dislikes fresh tap water and will head to the dirtiest puddle he can find. Probably wash it once a week but add fresh water daily.

Daily for water bowl
Twice daily for food bowl

I’m interested to find out HOW people wash their dog bowls. In the kitchen sink, dishwasher, elsewhere…and alone or with other dishes? Washing up liquid or disinfectant?

You can just wash them manually