Disinfectants: Choose wisely!
When choosing disinfectants, keep in mind what diseases you are targeting and what age to best prevent it. In the cattery and kennel, viruses are always our concern but we must never forget to prevent ringworm on pregnant moms and babies! We often use two different disinfectants; bleach on the general kennel and chlorhexidine with babies and newborns. Safe and effective for the target organism is the reason. Let’s summarize the common disinfectants to aid in your choices.
When to use bleach
Bleach is where we all start and is excellent against Parvo. Bleach is effective at one ounce per gallon, so very dilute. Bleach does not penetrate organic matter. It will sterilize the surface of stool or fat smeared over a virus but will not penetrate the fat or stool to get to the virus. You have to be an excellent cleaner to use bleach as a disinfectant!
At four ounces per gallon, bleach will kill fungi but with a price. Humans and puppies can get skin irritation and puppies get “moth eaten coats” at that level. Four ounces per gallon pits stainless steel, dissolve cement from stone and roughen concrete floors dissolving the surface.
Good against Parvo but won't penetrate organic matter. Don’t use in an outbreak!
Inexpensive
High levels get fungal organisms but causes irritation and hard on equipment.
How to attack fungal
Chlorhexidine is excellent to disinfectant around puppies and kittens while nursing. Use in a spray bottle for daily cleaning in nest boxes, especially in catteries where fungal (ringworm) is the number one concern for kittens. Excellent against bacteria and most viruses but it will not get Parvo!
Safe for babies and excellent choice for disinfectant of instruments (tail dock and dewclaws).
Kills bacterial, viral but not Parvo (-); excellent on fungi and will kill spores.
Very safe for aviaries, cats, and kennels.
Effective on Parvo
Trifectant® or Virkon S is the same product and penetrates organic matter making it effective in a Parvo outbreak where we have virus everywhere! Great for rock runs where we need to penetrate soil surface. Often it is used once a week to be sure to penetrate areas difficult to clean.
Kills bacteria, fungi, viral, Parvo (+)
Cage and flooring with kennel, cats, and birds. Can be used in a hose end sprayer effectively.
Penetrates organic matter well so if you are not a meticulous cleaner this is a good choice.
Easy on tissue and hair coats so humans sensitive to cleaners will get along with this one.
Won’t cause moth eaten hair coats. Oxine® is excellent against all virus and bacteria as well as fungi and fungal spores! It is very safe and used in foggers for aviary, kennels and catteries to get ahead of respiratory issues.
Kills bacteria, fungi, viral, Parvo virus (+) and penetrates organic matter.
Safe around food, in water, and cages. Can be used with a fogger and hose end sprayer.
Oxine® can be put into water system at 1:400 to prevent slime build up. Safe to drink.
Fogging is also done at 1:400 and is especially helpful for respiratory outbreaks or in pet shops where birds are often present as well.
Works on most organisms
Roccal-D® is a quaternary ammonia compound that will cover most organisms with prolonged exposure time to disinfectant. Contact time for Parvo virus is over 10 minutes and not generally used to control Parvo.
Ken’l Lan is similar to Roccal-D® as that ammonia compounds disinfect with 10 or more minutes of contact time.
Great deodorant effect and smells great.
Do not use around cats – residue will get on paws and when they clean their face will cause eye ulcers. Ken’l Lan is labeled for cattery but use caution.
Long exposure can be hard on equipment.
Treatment for cloth surfaces
Health Guard™ Laundry additive disinfects the laundry without killing your washer!
Kills bacteria, fungal and viral in washer without damaging the washer as bleach will.
Great odor removal and carpet cleaning, laundry additive.
Should be used with any towels from moms and babies.
Great choice for carpet cleaning equipment for carpet and upholstery.
The role of disinfectants in a kennel or cattery is to keep wild virus numbers low. We need to do this without causing issues for the babies. If the disinfectant does not control the issue you are seeing, it costs you money! If the disinfectant controls your disease issues, it improves the life of the neonate and saves you money. Choose wisely!
When to use bleach
Bleach is where we all start and is excellent against Parvo. Bleach is effective at one ounce per gallon, so very dilute. Bleach does not penetrate organic matter. It will sterilize the surface of stool or fat smeared over a virus but will not penetrate the fat or stool to get to the virus. You have to be an excellent cleaner to use bleach as a disinfectant!
At four ounces per gallon, bleach will kill fungi but with a price. Humans and puppies can get skin irritation and puppies get “moth eaten coats” at that level. Four ounces per gallon pits stainless steel, dissolve cement from stone and roughen concrete floors dissolving the surface.
Good against Parvo but won't penetrate organic matter. Don’t use in an outbreak!
Inexpensive
High levels get fungal organisms but causes irritation and hard on equipment.
How to attack fungal
Chlorhexidine is excellent to disinfectant around puppies and kittens while nursing. Use in a spray bottle for daily cleaning in nest boxes, especially in catteries where fungal (ringworm) is the number one concern for kittens. Excellent against bacteria and most viruses but it will not get Parvo!
Safe for babies and excellent choice for disinfectant of instruments (tail dock and dewclaws).
Kills bacterial, viral but not Parvo (-); excellent on fungi and will kill spores.
Very safe for aviaries, cats, and kennels.
Effective on Parvo
Trifectant® or Virkon S is the same product and penetrates organic matter making it effective in a Parvo outbreak where we have virus everywhere! Great for rock runs where we need to penetrate soil surface. Often it is used once a week to be sure to penetrate areas difficult to clean.
Kills bacteria, fungi, viral, Parvo (+)
Cage and flooring with kennel, cats, and birds. Can be used in a hose end sprayer effectively.
Penetrates organic matter well so if you are not a meticulous cleaner this is a good choice.
Easy on tissue and hair coats so humans sensitive to cleaners will get along with this one.
Won’t cause moth eaten hair coats. Oxine® is excellent against all virus and bacteria as well as fungi and fungal spores! It is very safe and used in foggers for aviary, kennels and catteries to get ahead of respiratory issues.
Kills bacteria, fungi, viral, Parvo virus (+) and penetrates organic matter.
Safe around food, in water, and cages. Can be used with a fogger and hose end sprayer.
Oxine® can be put into water system at 1:400 to prevent slime build up. Safe to drink.
Fogging is also done at 1:400 and is especially helpful for respiratory outbreaks or in pet shops where birds are often present as well.
Works on most organisms
Roccal-D® is a quaternary ammonia compound that will cover most organisms with prolonged exposure time to disinfectant. Contact time for Parvo virus is over 10 minutes and not generally used to control Parvo.
Ken’l Lan is similar to Roccal-D® as that ammonia compounds disinfect with 10 or more minutes of contact time.
Great deodorant effect and smells great.
Do not use around cats – residue will get on paws and when they clean their face will cause eye ulcers. Ken’l Lan is labeled for cattery but use caution.
Long exposure can be hard on equipment.
Treatment for cloth surfaces
Health Guard™ Laundry additive disinfects the laundry without killing your washer!
Kills bacteria, fungal and viral in washer without damaging the washer as bleach will.
Great odor removal and carpet cleaning, laundry additive.
Should be used with any towels from moms and babies.
Great choice for carpet cleaning equipment for carpet and upholstery.
The role of disinfectants in a kennel or cattery is to keep wild virus numbers low. We need to do this without causing issues for the babies. If the disinfectant does not control the issue you are seeing, it costs you money! If the disinfectant controls your disease issues, it improves the life of the neonate and saves you money. Choose wisely!