How often you wash your dog's bowl can affect your health, too, study says

Pet feeding can have negative health consequences if not managed properly. Some dog owners aren't aware of US Food and Drug Administration guidelines for pet feeding, which could help mitigate risk for bacterial contamination, a new study has found.

There have been multiple outbreaks of illnesses among humans after exposure to E. coli- and salmonella-contaminated dog food, which has been more likely in commercial and homemade raw food diets. These diets typically involve the need to prep pets' foods in the kitchen, according to a study published Wednesday in the journal PLOS ONE.

But guidelines for how owners should safely handle pet food and dishes is limited, and their effectiveness is unclear, so the authors of the new study investigated dog owners' feeding habits and analyzed the impact of US Food and Drug Administration hygiene protocols on dog food dish contamination.