Cleaning and disinfecting are different processes but both essential to any veterinary disinfection protocol. Exam rooms and cages should be cleaned and disinfected immediately after use to prevent any disease risk and keep things moving efficiently. Here is how to effectively clean your kennel or cage in four steps:
1. Pre-clean Surfaces
Cages must be clean from visible soils like dirt and feces to allow for disinfectants to effectively target viruses and bacteria. Rescue products allow you to do both in one step effectively due to the tested detergents and disinfectants built into the formula.
2. Apply disinfectant using format of choice
Wipes
Pre-moistened Rescue wipes can be used to disinfect cages in addition to high touch surfaces and items above the floor like exam room counters, sinks, door knobs, stethoscopes, scales, thermometers, and computer equipment.
| Surfaces | Contact Time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Exam Tables, Cages, Kennels | 1 minute 5 minutes | Virucide and Bactericide (except for Canine Parvovirus) Virucide (including Canine Parvovirus) |
| Stethoscopes, Door knobs | 1 minute 5 minutes | Virucide and Bactericide (except for Canine Parvovirus) Virucide (including Canine Parvovirus) |
Ready to Use
You can also use the Ready-to-use product by spraying onto a clean cloth or directly onto the surface ensuring surfaces remain wet for the required contact time. After the contact time has been reached you can wipe the surface dry with a clean cloth or simply let it air dry.
| Surfaces | Contact Time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Exam Tables, Cages, Kennels | 1 minute 1 minute | Bactericide Virucide (including Canine Parvovirus & Feline Panleukopenia) |
| Grooming & handling equipment | 1 minute 1 minute | Bactericide Virucide (including Canine Parvovirus & Feline Panleukopenia) |
Concentrate
Floors are ideally cleaned and disinfected using concentrates. A dilution of 1:64 or 2 oz. per gallon is appropriate for daily use at a 5 minute contact time. If there is concern of an infectious disease, use a dilution of 1:16 or 8 oz. per gallon for a contact time of 5 minutes. After the contact time is achieved, you can let the surface air dry or rinse with water if desired.
| Area | Dilution | Contact Time | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Animal Housing areas & Enclosures | 1:64 (2 oz/gal) | 5 Minutes 10 Minutes | Virucide, except for *Canine Parvovirus Bactericide |
| High Risk/Quarantine Areas | 1:32 (4 oz/gal) | 10 Minutes | Virucide (including Canine Parvovirus) |
| Confirmed Disease/Outbreak Conditions | 1:16 (8 oz/gal) | 5 Minutes | Virucide (including Canine Parvovirus), Bactericide, and Fungicide |
3. Ensure contact time is met
Ensure surface remains wet for the required contact time.
4. Allow Surface to dry
With all formats, after the contact time is achieved, you can let the surface air dry or wipe dry with a clean cloth if desired.