Year: 2025
Type: dissertation
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to analyze the pet feeding and hygiene habits of dog owners by using a questionnaire, as well as to determine the microbiological contamination of canine bowls and its relationship to the frequency of cleaning. This topic is highly relevant due to the ever-increasing number of pet owners worldwide, and the potential for the transmission of zoonotic pathogens through cross-contamination within the home with such close human-animal contact. A total of 205 self-reported responses to the questionnaire were collected and statistically analyzed throughout this study. A further 30 volunteers were included for the analysis of the microbiology of their dog’s bowl. The canine bowls were not cleaned for 30 days and were analyzed at day 0, day 7, and day 30 for the presence and number of colonies of indicator organism Enterobacteriaceae spp. per centimeter squared (CFU/cm2). The research found that a considerable majority of dog owners has not been exposed to information regarding pet feeding hygiene from an educated professional such as a veterinarian. Most pet owners reported to uphold at least some proper pet feeding hygiene habits, such as bowl cleaning frequency, cleaning method, and avoiding feeding raw food. However, the study discovered some popular suboptimal behaviors such as the lack of hand hygiene as well as tendency to wash bowls and prepare dog food on surfaces used for human food, that were relatively common among owners. Additionally, it was found that certain owner demographic factors such as age, gender, education level and nationality played a statistically significant role in variations of owners’ pet feeding hygiene habits (p < 0.05). The study revealed that there is a statistically significant correlation between the frequency of canine bowl cleaning and the number Enterobacteriaceae spp. CFU/cm2 (p < 0.05). The number of CFU/cm2 increased after a week of not cleaning the bowl and increased further after a month of not cleaning the bowl (p < 0.05).
Author: Hanusova, Hana
Language: English
Topic: Food Safety and Hygiene
Subfield: Food Science
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7132743709