Doggie dining update: seems to work in Sarasota
Amy and I have developed a habit of going to the Sarasoto/Venice Beach area on Florida’s Gulf coast.
Especially in August.
It’s just too hot in Kansas.
We won’t be taking the dogs this year but we probably will in the future.
According to this update in the Herald Tribune, Florida authorized local governments to create doggie dining in 2006, and Sarasota and Manatee counties enacted ordinances in 2007.
Since then, the concept has taken off in Sarasota, where no major problems have been reported.
Sarasota has 14 eateries that have obtained a license to allow dogs to join their humans while eating at outdoor restaurant dining areas.
Some established restaurants, like Mattison's City Grille in Sarasota, have set aside entire sections specifically for diners with dogs. …
Rules require hand sanitizer to be available for patrons, and restaurant staff are prohibited from touching the pets while working. Any "accidents" must be promptly cleaned up.
This seems entirely sensible, as long as the rules are followed and yahoos kept to a minimum.
And I can't decide whether it’s doggie dining or doggy dining.
Pedigree pet food and pregnancy: Managing cross-contamination risks at home
I am now 6 ½ months pregnant and still somewhat peacefully coexisting with our four pets. But pregnancy has meant giving special attention to handwashing and avoiding cross-contamination.
Although I thought I was being overly cautious, on Sept. 13 Pedigree small crunchy bites and Pedigree large breed complete nutrition dry pet food products were recalled due to possible Salmonella contamination (see http://www.wormsandgermsblog.com/2008/09/articles/animals/dogs/pet-food-recall-salmonella/). This appears to be the same food we feed our dogs and I know one of them was throwing up outside yesterday. Of course … she also likes to eat grass and other vomitous materials.
In addition to pet food which may contain pathogens, I pay close attention to the handling of dog treats which have been found problematic in the past. Our dogs have been getting their fill of bones lately because we haven’t had the usual time and energy to devote to their exercise. I try to avoid touching the dog bones when I take them out of the package and I wash the scissors I use to cut the packages open. I always wash my hands afterwards.
It really isn’t easy to think about washing hands every time you feed and pet the dogs, but the following are things I am trying to do to keep me and my future baby safe:
- regularly wash the dog dishes
- wash my hands every time I fill the dog water and food bowls (the dogs eat and drink, spreading any microbes from one bowl to the next)
- wash my hands after opening treats and/or giving them to the dogs
- wash the scissors after opening treat bags
- wash my hands after playing with the pets
- avoid letting the dogs lick my face of hands
- wipe down the counter where pet treats have touched
These steps are all much more difficult for me than they sound. I’m usually very playful and affectionate with my pets, even though I no longer allow the dogs on the bed or couch. It’s also very difficult to think about handwashing when you are out on a walk with the dogs and give them treats as part of a training process. In those cases I just remind myself not to touch my face or use a wet wipe when I have one handy.
I am still learning after years of taking it for granted that my dogs’ food was safe. Food safety, even for pets, is not simple.
For human symptoms of salmonella poisoning, check out http://barfblog.foodsafety.ksu.edu/2008/06/articles/salmonella/salmonella-symptoms/
According to an article in the North Country Gazette (April 3, 2007) related to a past pet food recall:
Pets with salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Apparently well animals can be a carrier and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.
Dog or beef for dinner?
If the answer is yes, she tries hard to hide her face of disgust and politely says, “No thanks.”
It is not surprising. Indians consider cows to be sacred and magical, more than what we think of our pets.
I imagine the same reaction in American tourists when scanning the dog section of a restaurant menu during their trip to the Olympics.
The Beijing Catering Trade Association banned dog meat from the Menu of all the 112 designated Olympic Restaurants, to avoid this reaction of dog-loving tourists.
It is a big disappointment for those who were daring enough to try this treat they would never be able to consume in their own countries.
However, it is probably not going to affect the residents, since they don’t tend to eat dog meat during the hot months of summer anyway. All this fuss about banning dog meat in Beijing during the Olympic season makes me wonder if officers should be more concerned about food safety rather than scaring off a few tourists.
In the end, isn’t killing a dog for its meat the same as having beef for dinner? My Indian roommate would probably agree.
Setting Boundaries: Pets and your newborn baby
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My ex mother-in-law once told me that if I had a baby I would have to get rid of my cats. I replied, “No cats, no baby.” My step-brother's cats mysteriously disappeared once his firstborn was old enough to crawl. Doug and I have two cats and two dogs and no intention of giving them up or sending them outdoors once the baby arrives. Sure, there’s dog hair all over the floors and it’s going to be a hassle learning to manage new and old responsibilities – and much more difficult to keep pet hair out of the baby’s mouth once she’s mobile. But we committed to the pets long ago and have been working on teaching them their order in the home. The Dog Whisperer, Cesar Millan, recommends that the dogs not even be allowed near the baby’s belongings at first to teach them that Baby is Alpha. Let them sniff at a distance until they know their place. When the dogs go for a walk, it should be behind the stroller, and they shouldn’t get unsupervised visitation, if they are allowed at all, in the baby’s room. It’s all about setting boundaries.
The Worms and Germs Blog by Doug’s ex-hockey buddy Scott Weese (he’s still a buddy but no hockey for Doug in Manhattan) recommends in “Old pet, new baby...new problems?” that we visit our veterinarian and the humane society to get advice on introducing the dogs and cats to the baby. Scott provides relevant downloadable pamphlets from the Calgary Humane Society in his blog post.
We want all four pets and the three of us to survive the transition without nips, scratches, or territory marking. We get enough of that from our friends and colleagues.
Dane Cook in trouble for dog poop
Dane Cook recently spent time in a Beverly Hills courthouse fighting allegations that his mini-Pinscher, named Beast, poops all over his apartment complex. The management of La Fontaine in West Hollywood took the comedian to court to have him evicted on grounds that he was not properly cleaning up after his dog."Neither he nor his girlfriend pick up after the dog," said a source. "They've sent him three notices so far over the last year warning him he'll be evicted, and they have video. The neighbors all hate him."
Cook’s rep, Ina Treciokas, told the press in April: “Dane vigorously denies the allegations in the complaint and is looking forward to complete vindication through the legal proceedings.”
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On Tuesday, the building manager took the stand and told the court that the actor is a serial offender, despite the signs in the gardens warning against animals pooping on the lawn. He also said he noticed "recurring small black poop being left behind in the backyard." The manager is alleged to have video footage of Cook's pooch committing the offense.Cook faced a trial by jury and he was found guilty 11-1. His landlord can now officially evict him.
Dog poop contains common pathogens such as tapeworms, roundworms, cryptosporidium, salmonella, e.coli, and many others. The owners should always and after picking up dog poop hands should always be washed.
Scooping Poop
“Pick up your dogs’ droppings.” I’ve seen the street signs for years, but I always thought it was the yuck factor. As I’ve grown up and gone through high school biology, I’ve learned that it’s not just the yuck factor, it’s also the sick factor. Dog waste on the sidewalk is a significant contributing factor to the spread many disease, bacteria and protozoa. Some of the common pathogens are tapeworms, roundworms, cryptosporidium, salmonella, e.coli, parvovirus and many others.
One of the worst culprits is the tapeworm. They are the single most common infection transmitted by discarded dog poop in United States.
Tapeworms are caused by the ingestion of flea larvae, but also can be caused if an owner tracks flea larvae-contaminated dog poo into the house and a pet is exposed. In the veterinary clinic I work at during the summers, tapeworms are commonly referred to as rice worms. They’re easily treated with flea preventative and tapeworm treatment, but even more easily prevented by properly disposing of animal poop.
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Doggie doo is also an environmental pollutant. If the waste is not picked up it will run into the sewers with the rain. This leads to contaminated streams and seawater.
According to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association, Americans owned 68 million dogs in 2000, and 40% of these dogs were large dogs over 40 pounds. This adds up to a large mess if owners don’t clean up after their pets.
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Pet poop is a problem, but what’s the solution? Many cities have laws concerning scooping poo. Most states will issue a ticket ranging from $25 to $200 for leaving a dog’s business on the sidewalk. Australia has even gone so far as to have their own plain clothes poop police approaching irresponsible owners to change their behavior.How do we take care of it? Common recommendations are to carry a “doggie doo-doo” sack along when taking a pet out for a walk. Using flea preventative will help prevent a pet from developing tapeworms from ingesting any flea larvae on their own skin, but they are still susceptible to flea larvae in the environment. Annual distemper/parovirus vaccinations from a licensed veterinarian will help protect dogs from parvovirus, which is spread through fecal material.
Most importantly, wash your hands after picking up animal waste. Otherwise get ready for those tapeworms.
Doggy dining
Watching dogs in restaurants, stores and trains as we tour France has made us wonder if indeed 60 million Frenchmen can't be wrong.
Yet the other night during dinner at a patio table next to us, a couple sat with their ‘tween son and a tiny doggy that they passed from person to person until the food came. The Yorkie was then expected to sit calmly under a chair while his family ate. Within minutes he started yelping when a large stray wandered by looking for handouts. Most of the diners good-naturedly ignored the dog, but our neighbors, clear dog lovers, juggled patting the big beast, feeding table scraps to their own puppy, keeping the two from scuffling (surely the tiny dog would win), and finishing their dinners. The management softly discouraged feeding scraps to the stray, but there was no real effort made to dissuade him from joining the families.
No one seemed bothered.
But poop happens. Having to engage in athletic contortions to avoid dog poop in the narrow streets of Nîmes, Marseilles or Toulouse makes us recognize that dogs without yards, grass-lined sidewalks, and pooper-scoopers, quickly make an otherwise lovely city unsanitary. One pioneering doggy-friendly restaurant in St. Petersburg, Florida discovered this when a canine guest had diarrhea during peak hours. The owner said, "Ultimately, we're here to serve people, not dogs," and reverted to the no-dogs-allowed camp.
As lawmakers in Oregon, Missouri, Washington, Florida, Chicago, Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth, New York City and San Diego have discovered, there are reasons why dogs and their companions should -- and should not -- be allowed to “have a brewski together, a hot dog together or whatever they want” as former governor Jeb Bush worded it a year ago in enacting Florida's legislation.
Florida appears to have considered the risks -- at least on paper. And although doggy dining may be convenient for a client, for the restaurant owner it’s not as simple.
Under the law, Florida cities are able to enact an ordinance allowing restaurants to apply for permission to open their patio doors to dogs, under the following conditions:
• food service employees must not touch, pet or handle dogs while serving food or beverages;
• food service employees must wash their hands promptly after touching, petting or handling dogs;
• patrons must be advised to wash their hands before eating and the restaurant must provide waterless hand sanitizer at each table;
• dogs must not come into contact with serving dishes, utensils and tableware or other items involved in food service (this is the only applicable law in France);
• dogs will not be allowed on chairs, tables or other furnishings.
• accidents involving dog waste must be cleaned immediately and the area must be sanitized;
• cats and other pets are not covered by the law; and,
• local governments can issue a fee to the restaurants for permit.
While the benefits for a dog-loving nation may seem apparent, there are any number of risks: tripping, biting, dog fights, barking, allergies, and the transfer of dangerous microorganisms such as E. coli, salmonella and cryptosporidium, among others. If it's difficult to get employees to wash their hands after using the bathroom, what about after touching a dog? And do public health inspectors, who already investigate both dog bites and restaurants in many cities, really need more of both without extra help?
The transfer of pathogens from dogs to humans (and vice-versa) is well-documented -- but not on restaurant patios. The outbreaks of foodborne illness just aren't there. A pre-rehab Britney Spears changing her baby's diaper on a restaurant table likely poses a greater risk.
As pet owners, we would likely choose to frequent restaurants that allow our (exceedingly well-behaved) dogs on the terrace, as we have done in the past.
If we were restaurant owners, we would want to know we weren’t serving poop, whether it came with the bags of spinach, was ground up in the beef that wasn’t sufficiently cooked, or transmitted on our patio by a pet. Further, we'd want to know the dog -- and more importantly the owner -- before they came anywhere near our patio.
The evidence suggests that dogs can and should be allowed on restaurant patios -- but only at the discretion of restaurant staff and only if staff and owners follow the Florida protocol.
Amy Hubbell and Douglas Powell are with the International Food Safety Network at Kansas State University.
Doggy Dining
Pictured: Restaurant in Nîmes, FranceIn France dining with your dog is a part of every day life. Dogs go in restaurants, grocery stores, and even on trains with their owners. The other night at dinner at a table next to us, a couple sat with their ‘tween son and a tiny doggy that they passed from person to person until the food came. Then he was expected to sit calmly under the chair. He started yelping quickly afterwards when a very big dog came wondering around the restaurant’s terrace looking for handouts (see above photo).
We are the owners of two dogs and two cats who live with us in Kansas. Our lives would be more convenient if we could live like the French and both walk our dogs and sit in restaurants with them on the patio. We used to be able to do this at one of our favorite restaurants in Manhattan, but the management there recently changed and they told us we would have to attach the dogs on the outside of the railing rather than have them at the table with us. They even brought us cups of water for the pooches so they wouldn’t get too hot. Sadie, who was a puppy at the time, dug up their herb garden, and we decided we’d better leave.
Around the same time that rule changed last fall, a reporter called Doug and asked what he thought about the doggy dining laws in Florida. My reaction was that I would frequent a restaurant that allowed me to bring my dog, but if I were a restaurant owner, I would not allow dogs on the patio. Beyond the liability issues of “What if a customer’s dog bit one of my staff or other clients?” I see people do all sorts of strange things with their pets. I confess, I too am guilty of letting my dog lick my plate, but some people even share their food while they’re eating it. As a restaurant owner, knowing I am liable if someone gets sick in my restaurant, and knowing that dogs do often eat poop and live to …err.. tell about it, I wouldn’t trust that a customer wouldn’t sue me for their E. coli poisoning if they got sick from their dog’s germs. The U.S. has strict liability laws when it comes to food safety. If I served the food with poop, I’d be hard pressed to prove where it came from.
