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Q: How safe is it to eat your food after the dog and cat take bits; do you still eat it?
A: I experienced your doggie dilemma firsthand this past weekend when my slightly psychotic (and hungry) dog helped herself to half of the appetizer table while we showed our guests around. Since I didn’t think they’d appreciate slobbered-on dip, it went in the garbage [Note to dog owners who entertain: Always keep some extra chips and dip in the cabinet for emergency restocking!]
Since I’m not a pet expert, I asked some people who are, who offered slightly different advice. Dr. Gary “Ask the Vet” Clemons paints this lovely picture: "A dog's mouth contains a lot of bacteria. Remember, a dog's tongue is not only his wash cloth but also his toilet paper." Enough said! Dr. Marty Becker says many of the bacteria in the mouth of a dog are species specific, so “a staph or a strep or a flu for a human is not transmissible to a dog, if you were to kiss it, and vice versa.” Dr. Becker feels you're more likely to get a serious illness from kissing a person than kissing a dog, but since dogs do transmit some germs, Becker says: "Keep the vaccines current. Good external parasite control, good internal parasite control. You're going to be good to go."
Bacteria aside, there may be behavioral reasons why you should avoid letting your pets partake in people food. Dogs, especially, are very “pack” oriented. If you let them eat your food before you, would they think they are the “alpha”? Most cat owners will attest that their cat rules the house.....letting Fluffy eat your food first just confirms the obvious. Some vets recommend you feed your animals pet food, not people food.
In the end, our pets give us so much love and joy (most of the time!) that you might be willing to risk it now and again. And, it depends on the food: If my dog devoured the veggie platter I wouldn’t be so greedy; yet if she had her paws on the cheesecake, I might have to wrestle her for it :)
