Reptile & Amphibian Forums

they dont contain bleach, but im not sure if they are ok, what about the lemon scent?

are baby wipes ok?
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jake

my addiction:
2 normal ball pythons (lazlo and izzy)
1 amelenistic corn snake (mazy)
0.1 blizzard corn (blizz)

I would steer clear of using any house hold disinfecting wipes regardless of content.

My suggestion is to go to the classified section and buy Chorhexidine. This is used in animal husbandry by zoos and vets. Also by many long term reptile keepers!

Diluted down it can be use to clean cages, small lacerations, and mouth rot. Spray it on and let it set a couple of minutes or just wipe it up. You can replace your bedding and reptile immediately. One gallon will last you a long time.

Good stuff and safe for reptiles when used correctly….

Dann

I have used Clorox Bleach for almost 40 years with no losses. However, when using it, it is necessary to do it outside and after a thorough rinsing, leave the tank outside for 24 hrs so the sun can neutralize the remaining bleach.

Obviously this is only for aquarium type cages only and those you can transport inside and out.

Frank
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"The luxury of not getting involved departed with the last lifeboat Skipper..."

I use a very diluted mix of Simple Green to clean my enclosure furniture and the enclosure itself. 1:50 I think is the ratio I use, something like that. I've never had a problem. I know of some other guys that use it too, works well, and leaves a nice non chemical smelling "clean" that bleaches can leave behind.

np
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jake

my addiction:
2 normal ball pythons (lazlo and izzy)
1 amelenistic corn snake (mazy)
0.1 blizzard corn (blizz)

(I'd like to hear other peoples opinions on this disinfectant as well.)

I'm new to the world of reptiles and have asked around what people use to sterilize their tanks and reptile furniture. The most common answers I received were bleach and ordinary dishwashing liquid. I have been using dishwashing liquid to wash my snakes furniture every week. I'm nervous about using bleach, especially once my snake is in a cage too large to take outside.

Chlorhexidine sounds like a great product for me to use, since I have been using it for minor cuts on my dogs and horse for many years. I've never used it for sterilization of equipment, though.

My questions are:

What percent do you use to sterilize the cage and furniture?

Is it safe to use on my snakes water/soaking dish?

Is it strong enough to be used as the only disinfectant? Or will I still need to use bleach from time to time?

Does it need to be rinsed well after spraying, or do you literally just wipe it off and place everything (including the snake) back in the cage?

I know some of these questions may seem a bit silly, but I want to make sure I do the best for my snake. Thank you in advance!
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Dani

What percent do you use to sterilize the cage and furniture?
* I would say disinfect not sterilize. I dilute 1 ounce to ½ gallon water. You can dilute to 1 gallon.

Is it safe to use on my snakes water/soaking dish?
* Spray it directly on the water bowls and let them sit 5 minutes. Flush the bowl with water and refill.

Is it strong enough to be used as the only disinfectant? Or will I still need to use bleach from time to time?
* It is, but like other chemicals chlorhexadine can only help slow down bacterial / viral growth in these environment were animals defecate.
*This would be an individual choice of husbandry. I have used bleach (dilute) and sun drying for years and swore by it. My large species of reptiles and there habitats restrict this overwhelming task.

Does it need to be rinsed well after spraying, or do you literally just wipe it off and place everything (including the snake) back in the cage?
*Let it set for at least 5 to 10 minutes. This allows time for the disinfectant to work. Wipe it dry and replace the bedding, the snake, water bowl, and new clean hid box. Tongs, forceps, tweezers, and hooks are wiped down with full strength and allowed to air dry. Chlorine bleach/ bleach handy wipes all do the same job if allowed to sit and work. These chemical substances invade and destroy more bacteria and virus nucleus faster than others but need to be flushed and dried to be considered safe for animals. Chlorhexadine is designed for animal use. It is considered safe for your animals if used correctly (Diluted or full strength) use depending.
Snakes have a very acute sense of taste / smell. The use of flora wipes or any chemical for that matter may affect them in some way not obvious to the eye. This possible contamination may influence neurological health, eggs (low birth rate), and maybe dead in egg problems. Who knows? I have tried many different methods of cleaning and find that Chlorhexadine (diluted) cleans and dissipates with no after smell. The health and wellbeing of any animal in captivity is a direct reflection of the keeper’s husbandry methods. I clean a lot, wouldn’t have it any other way 

Hope this has helped….

np
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Dani

Follow the dilution instructions on the labeling, as the use of a more concentrated dilution, than those recommended on the labeling, is a waste of money and does nothing to increase the efficacy of the chemical.

Yes, the use of Chlorhexidine is safe to use on water bowls and enclosure furniture. It is also safe to use in the treatment of superficial dermal abrasions and stommatitis.

Chlorhexidine is widely used as a biocide in antiseptic and disinfectant products, as it harbors broad spectrum efficacy with only minute tissue irritation other such products tend to harbor, proving to be a highly effective general bactericide and fungicide.

Unfortunately, Chlorhexidine is ineffective against mycobacteria and it is not sporicidal. Also, the antiviral activities of Chlorhexidine are restricted to lipid enveloped viruses.

Contrary to what has been stated within a prior post, Chlorhexidine should NOT be used to sterilize instruments, per the reasons indicated above, especially if such instruments are used within multiple enclosures, regardless of the concentration used or contact period allowed.

It would be wise to use Chlorhexidine in conjunction with another method of disinfection of the enclosure, such as drying with natural sunlight or steam cleaning, both of which are two of the only a few agents known to eradicate Cryptosporidium serpentis.

Personally, I spray my enclosures out with diluted Chlorhexidine, wipe away the heavy debris, steam clean the interior and spray again with Chlorhexidine, allowing it to sit for five minutes prior to wiping dry. This method has worked perfectly for me over the past ten years and I maintain what is perhaps one of the largest and most diverse collections of Drymarchon spp. in the country, with Drymarchon spp. being legendary mess makers…

Best regards,

Jeff
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Jeff Snodgres
University of Arkansas
snodgresjeffreys@uams.edu
501.603.1947

Jeff
Thanks for the update on the instrument cleaning. Guess I’ll go back to isopropyl for that task.
My Dry colony is growing (please eggs this time) but not near as large as yours. I have found that cleaning cages and changing water every day helps me keep an eye on my Dry’s. I call it quality time….

Dann….

Good luck with your breeding attempts this season, just keep in mind, all of us who work with Drys have good and bad years, just no getting around it.
You have taken the words out of my mouth, as I often cite the issue of "quality time" when working with my Drys, as they are certainly a genus of high maintenance animals.
Be careful what you wish for, as my Dry collection has become a second full-time job, but I love every minute of their upkeep.

Best regards,

Jeff
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Jeff Snodgres
University of Arkansas
snodgresjeffreys@uams.edu
501.603.1947