# raw food clean up input



## Riley's Mom (Jun 7, 2007)

Hi there,

My dogs are fed a dehyrated raw + real raw mix diet. I'm finding that I'm really getting nervous about the potential for them (and us!) getting sick from bacteria so I'm trying to get a handle on a good clean-up routine.

I wash their food bowls after every meal and a few days ago realized they are probably getting raw food particles into their water bowls which were being washed a few times a week and now that I've realized the potential for problems, are washed after every meal. I had a nice rug under their bowls which was fine until raw turkey neck bones came into the picture because Riley drops these on the floor to mowwww on them rather than eating them over his dish. Which means now keeping the rug underneath is probably not the best idea so I removed the rug the other day







. The rug was a HUGE HELP for catching the water that pretty much pours from Nissa's mouth after she drinks and just walks away from her water bowl (water water everywhere!) ... sloppiest water drinker I've ever seen! Of course Riley's still dropping the necks on the floor but at least I can wipe up with those disinfectant wipes.

Then tonight I realized, ohmahgosh, their dishes sit in a raised wrought iron stand ... duhhhhhh ... I'm sure the bugs are collecting there, too. So .... out went he wrought iron stands and their bowls are on the floor now







I'm NOT washing down those stands after every meal!

I wipe the counter down w/the wipes after meals, too. I purchased additional kitchen towels so that I can toss the ones I've used in the wash after each meal.

Does this sound like sufficient clean up?


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## ellen366 (Nov 2, 2007)

i do wash the dogs' bowls, about once a week (they lick them clean and dry)...i do wash my hands though after i handle the bowls; water bowls get washed on an as needed basis; most of the time, they're just rinsed out and refilled w/cold water

counters/sink which are prep areas are cleaned w/bleach and water solution; i too wash the rags in the washing machine, but not every day; i tend to use disposables for the first wipe down b/c of all the blood and small tissue debris; then i wipe down w/a rag that's got bleach and water in it, rinse it and reuse it again (bleach kills most germs)

i feed in their crates to make sure everyone gets what he/she is supposed to eat and prevent food fighting; i don't worry about the crates and so far, i've not had any problems; besides, i'm not willing, nor do i have the time to break down every crate after every meal and bathe every dog after every meal...they do get blood and food on their faces, forelegs and so forth

the risk of salmonella is small, but it does exist; i take reasonable precautions and then forget about it; i'm way too busy to worry about things that might happen; i figure there's probably just as much chance of me getting hurt in an accident as there is of getting salmonella; we are exposed to bacteria and viruses every day and most of us stay healthy b/c we have good immune systems, and a few other variables like how much of the germ we were exposed to, whether or not the germ actually entered our body for example; 

just think about the shopping cart you use when you are at the grocery story...the kid w/the dirty diaper sits in it, lots of meat packages bleed all over it, fresh produce carries germs and sit in it too; we touch these contaminated surfaces and eat food, sometimes raw, that have been in contact w/them too; and simple rinsing of fresh fruit won't remove a lot of bacteria; so no, i am not gonna freak out about feeding raw; germs surround us in our everyday lives; i'm more worried about the superbugs out there...the mrsa, vrsa, cre and so forth than i am salmonella

hope this helps allay some of your fears


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## 3K9Mom (Jun 12, 2006)

Raised feeders are implicated in bloat anyhow. (You have the other thread about bloat tonight). So I was going to tell you to toss them anyhow. So that's one less thing to worry about.

I feed my kids on dinnerware. They have their own set of ceramic dinnerware. Celo eats off plates and Meri has a set of small bowls. He sometimes pushes a bit of food on to the floor (she's neater, although her bowls do have edges). So I put his plates on white hand towels that I bought in bulk at Costco. He's also trained to keep his meals on the towel; so if he has bones, he can't go wandering off. The bones stay there. 

When they're done, the dishes go into dishwasher; the morning's towel gets rolled up to be used that evening (unless he really spilled a lot of food on it. If he did, I get a clean one for dinner). Then I toss it into the laundry. 

With meals, I usually grind my bone, so once a week or so, I grind up everything that I've bought in the last few days. I package up bags of food in increments so that I have food for 3 days at a time (so it's super fresh, but I'm not constantly defrosting meat). Then I just take what I need out of that container (or gallon size zip loc bag) out of the refrigerator, weigh out that meals' worth and scoop the fruit/veggies/extras on top. 

So every meal takes 1 dinner plate, 1 bowl, 1 plastic bowl for weighing and 1 spoon, and the one towel. I rinse out the water bowl 1-2 times a day -- we always seem to have grass and other particles in it; then I toss it into the dishwasher every other day or so too. I'd wash it every day, but honestly, most of the time, my kids are drinking out of their kiddie pool (which has icy cold water) and not even using their water bowl. 

When I grind my bone and package everything up, I'm as careful as I can be not to spread juice and blood around the kitchen. Spills are wiped up immediately. My cutting board and knives go into the dishwasher (I know. Knives in dishwashers.







I just prefer it that way.) And we wash our hands a lot. A whole lot. Ultimately, that's going to be what spreads germs more than anything else. Our hands. So we're careful about that.


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## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

Ok, none of you people are allowed to come visit my house ... for your OWN sanity!









The shears I use for cutting up meat and such are rinsed in hot water and then set aside to wait for the next meal. They get WASHED (with soap and such) about every 3-4 days.

The dogs food bowls are washed about once a month - *if* I remember. I'm not sure when the last time was I washed their water bowl.

I only wash my kitchen floor when it gets dirty. During the spring that almost daily (with all the mud). The rest of the year it's maybe once a week?

I'm not a slob - I just don't worry about bacteria and such. The ONLY time in the past 10 years of raw feeding I was more cautious than normal was when I was going through chemo. During that time my DH fed the dogs so I wouldn't have to handle the raw meat.

I can't remember how many times I've been whacking meat with a cleaver and had bits fly up into my mouth (for some reason I chop with my mouth open). Not too long ago I forgot I hadn't washed my hands yet after feeding the dogs and picked up a piece of human food and ate it.

10 years of this and I have NEVER gotten sick.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

I just had to cut up about 40-50# of pork, turkey, and beef. I usually spritz my counters/sink with clorox clean up afterwards and throw the cutting board in the dishwasher. 

When I feed the dogs, I use stainless bowls that I rinse in hot water, and let air dry. Kacie eats outside, as she has to take a chunk and walk away from her dish, so anything with bone is eaten in another area by her(the other dogs would scarf down her food after she left it). Karlo and Onyx eat very fast, so there is seldom anything they would let even touch the floor!
In the summer, the dogs usually eat outside, and I seldom use bowls.
I have cut my fingers while cutting up meat, and never yet got infection, some were pretty deep. Today, I didn't get cut!!!!


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## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

Jane - you need a pair of these:

http://www.chefdepot.net/latexgloves.htm



> Quote:This is the best braided stainless steel butchers glove that we have tested (made in the USA). It resists cuts and is very hard to puncture. It is preferred by professional Butchers everywhere. Works great for holding, trimming and cutting large pieces of meat or fish! This glove is pre shrunk and dishwasher safe for easy cleaning. Made with thousands of pieces of tiny braided stainless steel woven into the glove.



I have similar ones and they are a blessing!! I would have a few less fingers without them!


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

MMM Thanks, Lauri! I can now tell Dan what he can get me for Christmas!
That and I am sure it helps keep my fingers from frostbite, I like to cut the meat partially frozen, and my fingers are still stiff!


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## mspiker03 (Dec 7, 2006)

There are lots of goodies on that page. I like the idea of a meat saw as well - would make cutting the preground tripe chubs a bit easier to cut when frozen!

As for clean up - I separate large amounts of food in the garage for easier clean up. When I do meals, I have a raw food cutting board that I use and it gets cleaned after every meal (or else the dogs would be trying to lick that thing all day!). Bowls, knives, cutting board, etc get washed after their morning meal by hand and in the dishwasher in the evening. I feed on a plastic table cloth (now) and spritz it with vinegar/water after they eat. I wipe off the counters too (although sometimes I forget or get in a hurry). The dogs lick up any raw food that happened to fling on the floor while I am chopping away (Levi knows the best spot is at my feet when I am getting food ready...never know when a chicken gizzard might land in his lap!). I don't really do any extra cleaning of the water bowl because I feed raw.


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## JerzeyGSD (Jun 26, 2008)

Yeah, I used to wipe down the floor with clorox wipes and clean the bowels after every meal... then I got lazy. I clean Jerzey's bowl maybe once a week because that's when it looks dirty to me. I probably do the same with her water bowl. 

Since Jerzey isn't eating raw everyday (and to keep my roommates happy), when I do fed Jerzey raw I wipe the floor down with a clorox wipe. At my parents house I have to wipe Jerzey's mouth off after she eats anything raw because she likes to "clean" her mouth by rubbing it on the couch, bed, your pant leg, etc. and my parents don't like that... I'm not licking the side of the couch or bed so I don't actually really care. *Shrugs*

I feel like I should worry more but I really just don't. I just wash my hands and clean the cutting board, knives and countertops after I package everything. That's the largest raw-related cleaning I do.


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## DancingCavy (Feb 19, 2001)

Okay, compared to your place, my place is a germ-factory. LOL.

I used to feed Risa in her kennel, from a bowl. After she was done, I would wash the bowl and wipe down her kennel tray with a soapy dishrag.

Nowadays, I feed her on her kennel tray. She handles clean up.







Every once in a while, I will wipe it down with a soapy dishrag or a 50/50 vinegar/water solution. Otherwise, I just let her tongue do the cleaning.









Anything I use during the bagging process is washed with my dishes. The counter top is wiped down with a soapy dishrag. I wash my hands after handling the raw meat, whether bagging or feeding. 

Haven't gotten sick since I started raw-feeding. Neither has anyone who's visited or hung out with Risa. Even the guinea pigs have not suffered ill effects.


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## Riley's Mom (Jun 7, 2007)

> Originally Posted By: 3K9MomRaised feeders are implicated in bloat anyhow. (You have the other thread about bloat tonight). So I was going to tell you to toss them anyhow. So that's one less thing to worry about.


When we had to take Riley to the e-vet for bloat symptoms (he had an obstruction no bloat) we asked about this and I've also read up on it some. Per the e-vet, raised feeders are still controversial, people, researchers, vets etc cannot make up their minds as to if there is an added threat when raised feeders are used or not. From what I have seen there are just not enough stats on whether or not raised feeders are a contributor or not.

I've watched my dogs eat both from the raised feeder and from bowls on the floor. When the bowls are on the floor there's a "grabbing-catching-gulping" action (for lack of a better description). They grab the food, kind of snatch it into their mouths with a snap of their neck, they're like tossing the food towards the back of their mouths. Then the food has to go up before it can go down into their tummies. 

This doesn't happen when they eat out of the raised feeder. The food is at a level where they don't have to snatch it up. Our dogs aren't fast eaters, Nissa is *very* dainty when she eats tiny bits a little bite at a time. Riley isn't a "scarfer" either. 

One of the reasons dogs bloat is because they get to much air into their systems and the way mine eat, it sure looks to me like they are taking in much LESS air eating from raised bowls than from their bowls being on the floor.

Until it's more proven that eating from raised bowls is a *definite* contributor to bloat, I'm probably going to keep them eating from them. My gut tells me it's safer for them, especially since I had a chance to watch this again this week when I put their bowls on the floor. I was *not* comfortable watching them eat from their bowls on the floor.

Ok, so it does sound like I can relax on the cleaning regime a bit and not be so nervous they're going to get sick if I don't disinfect the floor and the feeder after every meal. Thank you!


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## UConnGSD (May 19, 2008)

I guess I am more like Riley's Mom right now in my cleaning regimen







But reading Laurie's and others' posts made me feel like I can relax a little bit about my OCD-ish behavior about dishes. I scrub with soap Wolfie's food bowl before every meal and his water bowl everyday. Thankfully, I don't have the rug problem that Riley's Mom has. I feed in the kitchen which has vinyl floor and block his access to the carpeted areas until dinner is done. Just like the turkey necks that Riley's Mom mentioned, Wolfie will drag every RMB to the floor and then eat. So I just wipe down the area with Mr. Clean after he's done eating (this is the yellow liquid which also kills salmonella).


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## Riley's Mom (Jun 7, 2007)

I cured the rug problem. My Mom's now saving newspapers for me and when they eat, I will put papers down on top of the rug. When theyr'e done, pick up the papers - problem solved w/less cleaning









UConnGSD - thanks for letting me know I'm not alone in my OCD behavior <g>


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