Quarantine and sterilizing

[MelissaFlipski]

I have a temp/hydrog. From the black rat snake rehab. Do you think wiping it down with vinegar and putting it in the freezer for 5 hours (it showed 14 degrees) is enough to kill any harmful bugs so I can use it in our newly acquired Leopard Gecko's tank? If not, what can I do?

Do birds and herps need quarantine from each other?

Also, once an animal and its home have been removed from a room, how long before I can put another in that room (for quarantine purposes - like how long germs live on hard surfaces, etc.)?

If someone would volunteer to write a sticky on quarantine do's and don't's, that would rock!

Thanks, all!

[MelissaFlipski]

Any ideas on the therm/hydrog, anyone?
Thanks.

[MelissaFlipski]

Bump.

[pythontricker]

I am just posting cuz i dont know. sorry. I have sympathy for your situation.

[kc261]

How about if I give you one of those microsoft answers? You know, the kind that aren't helpful...

Most germs, parasites, etc don't cross species too well. If they do, they can usually only go to another closely related species. Such as snake to snake, but not snake to mammal. So your leo is kinda in the middle.

Most germs, parasites, etc don't live very long without a host, but at least a few can. Most germs won't survive being wiped with vinegar (as long as it was a good wiping that got it wet enough), and even if it survived, the physical act of wiping may have removed the germ. Most germs won't survive in the freezer, although I'm rather uncertain about the 5 hours part. It is probably one of those in the middle things... some would die the instant they got frozen, others might last 12 hours or more.

So, the probability is that the accurite will be just fine with your leo. However, the germs that can survive longer and/or more extreme conditions can be the most nasty. At the very least, they are certainly the hardest to get rid of once you've allowed them to get established.

So, while it probably would be fine, I think I'd rather spend the $12 or so and get a new accurite and be sure. You could always save the one you used with the black rat and then use it sometime months from now when you are a little more certain that any germs have long since died off.

Oh yeah, I'd also love to see someone write a quarantine sticky that gets into a lot more detail than just "you should always quarantine" which is most of what I see in posts. Who's up for it?

[littleindiangirl]

Don't think you'll want to put it in the freezer. It'll mess up the display. Get some Novalson and wipe her down. But that'll cost you more than just buying a new accurite.

[kc261]

Yeah, at first I was a little surprised it was ok in the freezer, but I read the post to mean it had already been done. "it showED 14 degrees" And I figured since it is meant to read temperatures, and outside temps can get that cold... so it wasn't that surprising afterall.

Novason is a brand name of chlorhexidine, I think? One thought I had about the "just wipe it down" approach, which somehow didn't make it into my previous post, it that even if you kill everything on the surface, there is still the stuff you can't get to inside, like around the buttons and stuff. And since buying a new accurite is so cheap....

[littleindiangirl]

Yeah, at first I was a little surprised it was ok in the freezer, but I read the post to mean it had already been done. "it showED 14 degrees" And I figured since it is meant to read temperatures, and outside temps can get that cold... so it wasn't that surprising afterall.

Novason is a brand name of chlorhexidine, I think? One thought I had about the "just wipe it down" approach, which somehow didn't make it into my previous post, it that even if you kill everything on the surface, there is still the stuff you can't get to inside, like around the buttons and stuff. And since buying a new accurite is so cheap....

It's chlorhexidine diactate.

[kc261]

It's chlorhexidine diactate.

So... does that mean it is what people refer to when they say chlorhexidine? Or does it mean it is super-duper-somewhat-related-to-chlorhexidine-stuff?

[littleindiangirl]

So... does that mean it is what people refer to when they say chlorhexidine? Or does it mean it is super-duper-somewhat-related-to-chlorhexidine-stuff?

Mostly when people refer to chlorhexidine, they are referring to the "gluconate". The diactate is a viruscide (sp?) and bactericide, and can be found at places like TSC. It costs a lot more than the gluconate as well.

I believe Novalson has both types, but I have only ever been able to find the Diactate at stores. I believe you can only get gluconate online or at Vet's offices.