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Worried about the bacteria when feeding dogs a raw food diet? This is how I keep my kitchen clean when feeding raw dog food to our four big dogs.

When my partner and I became dog parents, we agreed that I would take the lead with the dogs (diet, veterinarian, training, etc.), and he took the lead with the house and yard.  He didn't anticipate that I'd switch the dogs to raw, and despite the compromise we've managed, my Johan still has concerns about the increased bacteria that comes with feeding raw dog food. 

It doesn't matter that raw is species appropriate.  It doesn't matter that we drag bacteria into our home on the soles of our shoes.  It doesn't matter that I clean the kitchen after meal prep.  I'm convinced that all my partner sees is bacteria crawling over every surface in the house.

Despite his continued misgivings, he supports me in feeding our pets a raw diet, and I created a cleaning routine that keeps him from fearing a household outbreak of E-coli.

Naturally Cleaning Countertops

I cleaned the countertops with a bleach/water mixture when I started feeding raw.  I use a water and white vinegar mixture (50/50) with citrus essential oils to clean all countertops.  Johan isn't a fan of the vinegar smell, so I clean when he's not in the room.

I clean the countertops after feeding the dogs and after meal prep.

Naturally Cleaning Floors

We have hardwood and tile flooring in our house that we clean every other day. I use the water and white vinegar mixture to clean our floors too. Sometimes, I use an essential oil by Plant Therapy called Germ Fighter.  It's similar to Thieves, an oil I loved produced by Young Living.  Germ Fighter is a pet-safe essential oil that leaves the house smelling amazing.

Naturally Cleaning Dog Dishes

My dogs eat from pasta bowls. Pasta dishes are a combination of a plate and bowl; they are flat with a lip around the edge. I made this change when Sydney was diagnosed with cancer. She was turned off when she went to eat her food, so I started using a pasta dish, wondering if it would keep her from being overwhelmed. It worked, and I traded all of our dog dishes for pasta dishes. They fit perfectly in their Neater Feeder raised dog dishes.

I wash my dogs' dishes using water and white vinegar daily, allowing them to air dry. I run the dishes through the dishwasher weekly.

How I Feed Raw Without Getting Sick

Despite the history of raw feeding and the tens of thousands of dogs thriving on a fresh food diet, people are still warning us to be careful because of the “risk” of contracting a food bourne illness. Before I share how I've been able to feed raw for nearly ten years without getting sick, let's address why I'm comfortable feeding my dogs a raw food diet.

A dog's gut is highly acidic to help break down their high-protein diet; this creates a hostile environment that isn't suitable for salmonella, E-coli, listeria, and other bacteria. And a dog's digestive system processed food quickly, not allowing bacteria to set up camp and proliferate.

But the stool of raw-fed and kibble-fed dogs does contain bacteria.

So, how do I keep from getting sick? Well, that's easy.

  • I wash my hands after I feed my dogs.
  • I wash my hands after I do meal prep.
  • I wash my hands after picking up dog poop.

If you can cook a chicken or turkey dinner, cook steaks on a grill, or host a fish fry without getting sick (or making others sick), you can feed a raw food diet. Raw feeders use the same meat handling safety rules and clean the dishes and utensils, countertops and sink, and wash our hands.

Using Distilled White Vinegar

When choosing a vinegar product for cleaning, avoid the economy brands because they tend to be watered down and less effective.  And keep in mind that vinegar may not be the best choice for some countertops or floors.  Since learning about the effectiveness of white vinegar, I now use it as follows:

  • Freshen a Room After Feeding Tripe: When the smell of green tripe (or a skunked dog) has filled your kitchen, pour 1 cup of white vinegar into a bowl and sit overnight in the room.  Pour the vinegar down the garbage disposal (it cleans orders there too).
  • Clean the Garbage Disposal after Meal Prep: Pour 1 cup of vinegar down the garbage disposal to clear out odors; rinse with water from the drain after about an hour.
  • Clean Cooler or Tub After Thawing Raw: Use a mixture of 50% vinegar and 50% water and pour into the cooler; let sit for a few hours, then rinse with clean water.

White vinegar is more effective at cleaning than apple cider vinegar because white vinegar is more acidic.

False Evidence Appearing Real

FEAR: False Evidence Appearing Real

If you're reading this because you've heard about raw feeding, but you're afraid of the bacteria and making your family sick, I want to assure you that this is a non-issue for many pet parents. PFI (the Pet Food Industry) published an article recently entitled: “Raw meat dog food germs linked to human infection.” This article references a study connecting raw feeding to UTIs in UK dog owners. Although the article didn't link to the study, the truth about this study and its flaws were revealed by Susan Thixton of TheTruthAboutPetFood.com.

A clickbait title, words you can't spell or pronounce, and references to studies can sound convincing. I don't understand why it's safe to handle raw meat when cooking a Thanksgiving dinner, but handling raw meat is suddenly dangerous when we're feeding our dogs.

Worried about the bacteria when feeding dogs a raw food diet? This is how I keep my kitchen clean when feeding raw dog food to our four big dogs.

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