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Novalsan/Chlorhexidine

Karoni

Karoni

Cornaholic
I've been thinking of switching to this to make sure my cages are sterilized. But I have a few questions:

1. I read Melissa Kaplan's care sheet on disinfectants (sorry, can't find the link) and she said that this would be safe to use as it doesn't leave any toxic residues in the cage. However, another sheet prepared by a vet said to rinse after use. I can't rinse after use; I have huge Exo-Terra cages. If I add water afterwards, it will really just be spreading the Novalsan around. I worry that the residue would be bad for my snakes. What do you guys do? What do you think about this?

2. Is there any pre-mixed solution out there that can be purchased so I wouldn't have to mix up a gallon at a time?

Thanks.
 
There are websites out there that offer the premixed solutions and I have also seen it being sold at reptile expos. However, it is much cheaper to buy the concentrate and dilute it down (1 ounce/2tablespoons per gallon of water). We use it in all of our enclosures and it works just fine - no need to rinse with water as long as diluted down. A gallon of concentrate is around $10-20 depending on the source. The already diluted solution is usually the same price for a 16oz bottle. Much more economical to buy the concentrate - depends on how many enclosures you have to clean. The only thing that this does not fight against (per our herp vet) is crypto in which he recommends an ammonia based solution instead.

Sterilized = no bacteria/germs (contaminants) present
Disinfect = remove as much as possible, some still may be present

Sterilization is usually achieved by using UV radiation and/or autoclave (oven) - has to get to a certain temperature to rid of all possible contaminants.
 
Buzzard--thanks for the feedback and the correct terminology.

Shiari--but if I dilute it according to package directions, then whatever is left behind would be non-toxic?
 
The two terms disinfectant and sterilization are often misinterpreted so we did not want you to get confused. As long as you dilute it accordingly you should have no issues. We use a little bit stronger than recommended dilution factor and all is fine.
 
Another Question

I've been waiting to use up my current cleaning solution before buying the Novalsan. Then, in Reptiles Magazine, it said to check out an article on reptilechannel.com re: keeping cages clean. Here's what that article said:

Chlorhexidine Gluconates (Examples: Nolvasan, Virosan)
These compounds are often used as disinfectants for inanimate objects and as antiseptics for cleaning skin and wounds. These are relatively nontoxic to the skin. Some chlorhexidine products also contain alcohol, and these are superior to those just containing chlorhexidine. These are also noncorrosive and are safe if they come in contact with skin. They have good activity against many bacteria, yeast and some enveloped viruses. They also have limited activity against some bacteria, including Pseudomonas sp., spores produced by the bacteria causing tuberculosis (TB) and nonenveloped viruses. It is also not very effective in the presence of organic material and it is not considered to be that stable, so it must be made fresh at least once per day. It is suggested that hexachlorophene (Phisohex) is a potent carcinogen (cancer-causing agent).
Click to expand...

This seems crazy to me. I can't see mixing the solution up each day. I was curious as to what you guys thought about this. Thanks.
 
The presence of organic material means the thing you're "cleaning" needs to be clean before the solution will disinfect it. So if there's poop, you have to spray, wipe the poop out, and spray again. We use Nolvasan at our clinic to clean everything, using a solution of 3 ounces per gallon. If we're cleaning a table or something that had something sick (contagious) on it, we let it sit for a minute or so before wiping, otherwise, it's just spray and wipe.

If it's diluted like this, you don't need to rinse. It's only when you're using it concentrated that you need to rinse it off. I've never seen anything about needing to mix it fresh, and I don't see how adding water to something that is already liquid would make a difference on its "stability".
 
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