Biofilm – Important Thing to Know!
Have you ever noticed a nasty slime which has formed in your pet’s food or water dish? First, this is no good. What we are referring to is bacterial biofilm, which forms when bacteria attach themselves to your pet’s dishes and release a slimy, gluelike substance. This can stick to things like stainless steel, plastic, glass, and ceramics. The interesting thing about biofilm is that it may appear in many different colors – green, pink, yellow, brown, orange, or even pink. One of the worst things is that it creates a horrible smell which is offensive to pets and humans.
A lot of people do not realize that biofilm can cause life-threatening conditions when ingested or inhaled by pets or humans. It can also contain:
- E. coli
- Candida albicans
- Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme disease)
- Helicobacter pylori
- Listeria monocytogenes
- Salmonella typhimurium
- Plus, many other bacteria!
Interesting fact: The National Institutes of Health (NIH) estimates that 60% of all human infections and 80% of refractory infections are attributable to biofilm colonies. Let’s dive deeper into the risks to pets. The biofilm on your pet’s bowls could contain algae, bacteria, and fungi that come from stuff that your pet licks or eats while walking or in the yard, in addition to food. Bacteria that form biofilm cause dental plaque formation that leads to dental calculus formation, periodontal diseases, and dental caries.
How can you prevent biofilm? There was a study conducted by National Science Foundation International investigated the absolute grossest places in people’s homes and in the top five nastiest areas were pet’s food and water bowls. Therefore, providing cleaning bowls and dishes at every feeding is important! Oils from the food and the pet’s saliva mix to create biofilm.
We recommend that you wash food and water bowls in hot, soapy water, or your dishwasher on high heat for even better sterilization. Let’s not forget about pet toys! They are also a form of biofilm and bacteria. Hard toys can be cleaned with hot soapy water and disinfected with a mild bleach solution. Soft toys can be washed in the laundry at the highest temperature setting. Do you part to ensure the health and safety of your pet and others!
