Chlorhexidine: Mix a new batch weekly?

[Boanerges]

do you guys really do full weekly cage cleanings? I only do that once every 2-3 months, other than that I just spot clean

I personally keep all my ball pythons on paper towels for the smaller ones and newspaper for the larger ones. As soon as any of them make even the smallest mess I throw out all the paper towels or newspaper in the tub, spray the whole tub down with the Chlorhexidine, let it sit for a few, wipe it down, put new paper towels or newspaper in and put the snake back in.

[pvdgod]

my kids are all on cypress mulch in boaphiles and they like to "go" in the same little spots pretty much all the time, so i only clean where they soil. After 2-3 months the substrate is still 95% clean. Once i get my rack i'll probably go over to paper and start with the weekly cleanings. I can see why you have to change the paper as soon as its wet or soiled.

As for the chlorhexidine, when i let my water dishes soak in it i really rinse them very well with hot water afterwards because im afraid of too much chemical residue in the water dish. I know its safe, but do you guys do this also? Maybe im worrying too much, but the water dishes are the one thing i really want to make sure are rinsed well.

[Spaniard]

If you're going to soak stuff I would recommend a 10% bleach solution. Chlorhexidine I use mostely for tubs. I spray some on a paper towel and use it to clean any snakes that may have been sitting in feces/urine. I use it to quickly clean out water bowls and hides as well. Once a month I give everything a good soak in the bleach solution, hides, bowls and my feeding hemostats.

[Oxylepy]

do you guys really do full weekly cage cleanings? I only do that once every 2-3 months, other than that I just spot clean

Tubs, full wipe down, whether they need it or not. The only time I will skip doing it for my snakes is if they made a mess less than 3 days prior that I had to clean up.

[GoBoilers]

I think the problem lies in the fact that Chlorhex precipitates out in hard (tap) water...but how long it takes for it to do this, I'm not sure...so it's probably best to dilute it in distilled water or to dilute only what you need for one cleaning!

[Stewart_Reptiles]

Late to the party but here are some info from Agrilabs who is one of the distributors of this product

I asked one of my former employers the guidelines he uses.

I also called the company that manufactures our chlorhexidine product and spoke with their chemist.

The short answer to your question is, we don’t really know. No one has done a study on diluted chlorhexidine over time, nor, to the best of my knowledge, have researchers ever looked at the antimicrobial effects of dilute chlorhexidine over time.

Theoretically, if properly stored, and kept from being contaminated, it might be good for some time. It of course depends on the storage conditions (light, temperature, container, storage location, use, etc). The chemist suggested that it would be best to discard any unused diluted solution after 1 day. That was just a shoot from the hip rule of thumb that she uses. This would minimize the chance of contamination and ensure maximum chemical efficacy.

If you are using it to dip foal navels, or flush wounds, I would suggest you mix it up fresh, every time. Using deionized or bottled water probably ensures maximum effectiveness and minimal contamination as well, though many dilute with just regular tapwater. The risk there is minerals in the water, or contaminants from the tap itself. Certain bacterial and fungal organisms are not very effectively killed by chlorhexidine.

If you are using it in a spray bottle as a disinfectant, you should probably change it at least weekly. Again, just a rule of thumb given to me by my former veterinarian employer that he uses in his clinic.

I hope this helps. I wish I could give you a better answer! Besides veterinary medicine, I have a degree in microbiology, and this would make an excellent project for a masters degree, and would greatly benefit veterinary medicine.

[Patrick Long]

I asked one of my former employers the guidelines he uses.

I also called the company that manufactures our chlorhexidine product and spoke with their chemist.

The short answer to your question is, we don’t really know. No one has done a study on diluted chlorhexidine over time, nor, to the best of my knowledge, have researchers ever looked at the antimicrobial effects of dilute chlorhexidine over time.

Theoretically, if properly stored, and kept from being contaminated, it might be good for some time. It of course depends on the storage conditions (light, temperature, container, storage location, use, etc). The chemist suggested that it would be best to discard any unused diluted solution after 1 day. That was just a shoot from the hip rule of thumb that she uses. This would minimize the chance of contamination and ensure maximum chemical efficacy.

If you are using it to dip foal navels, or flush wounds, I would suggest you mix it up fresh, every time. Using deionized or bottled water probably ensures maximum effectiveness and minimal contamination as well, though many dilute with just regular tapwater. The risk there is minerals in the water, or contaminants from the tap itself. Certain bacterial and fungal organisms are not very effectively killed by chlorhexidine.

If you are using it in a spray bottle as a disinfectant, you should probably change it at least weekly. Again, just a rule of thumb given to me by my former veterinarian employer that he uses in his clinic.

I hope this helps. I wish I could give you a better answer! Besides veterinary medicine, I have a degree in microbiology, and this would make an excellent project for a masters degree, and would greatly benefit veterinary medicine.

This actually makes more sense to me than ANY OTHER post in this thread.



My girlfriends boss has been in business for over 40 years...and does not remix his Chlorhex......EVER......just sayin.