Anti-Bactireal Wipes - Safe???

Hi
I was wondering if wiping down a surface where buns may be with anti-bactireal wipes was harmful to them. Or if I wiped an area in their hutch with anti-bac wipes, would that be harmful?

I have wondered about dettol anti bacterial sprays before but opted to buy the green 'clean and safe' for pets just to be on the safe side. Other people use a vinegar solution and some use Jeyes cleaning fluid.

My personal cleaning regime is as follows:

Litter pans- soiled bits removed every other day and topped up with fresh litter, completely emptied and cleaned properly once a week using the 'clean and safe' spray.

Hutch- check for any soiling every other day and remove any hay that has been made wet by the water bottle, its normally in a clump so very easy to separate from the rest if he has managed to wee over the side of the litter pan and onto the wood then I just clean this part when I clean the tray, the main living part of his hutch doesn't get soiled because he's really good with the litter tray so I tend to completely empty it once a fortnight but give him fresh hay every day.

Bottle- filled daily and washed when required, no less than once a week, every day if the water contains pro-biotic.

When he moves into the new hutch with Jet I will do the same with the litter pan but will clean the living area out once or twice a week as she hasn't quite got the hang of using the tray yet.

I'm not saying this is the best way to do it but its what works for me.

Forgot to say I bought a roll of those blue j-cloths and a cheap pack of sponge scourers for rabbit cleaning. I use paper towels to dry the litter pans off and an old tea towel for drying the hutch off, the cloths and towel get washed in a weak bleach solution then rinsed thoroughly.

I wondered about this a while ago and my vet told me not to use Anti-bac wipes on the buns themselves. Best just to use plain water to clean any wound and organic aloe vera gel to help healing. For cleaning botties you can get specially made Rabbit botty wipes etc. Warm water for that area would better for them.

As for the cage etc - I use specially made disinfectant and deodoriser called "Cascade" as it contains no phenols which are harmful to buns. Don't use dettol on the buns area or stuff as this isn't safe for them.

I've used Bugs Away and Dettol surface spray in the hutches and litter trays when I've run out ouf the other stuff. As long as its dry I wouldnt think its a problem.... theyre supposed to be safe enough for humans to eat off, so assume safe enough for buns to poo on!

I also use the Clean 'n' Safe as this is one of the cleaners recommended to me by the pet shop when I got my first bun. I use it on the litter trays daily and the floor and other surfaces of the cage when needed. You can also use it on carpets if they have accidents! It smells quite fresh too.

I must admit I use them (ASDA or CIF) to clean the toilet (it is a large cat lit tray) as they are so convenient, wait for it to dry and then put paper in immediatly so they are not in contact with it. Maybe I should look for something different too?? For general "bunny house" cleaning I use the spray one for bunnies from the pet shop.

i was wondering because I used Tesco's own anti-bac wipes with cirtus extracts to clean a box for their water bottles, bowls, toys etc to go in before I get the buns. I wiped the box with kitchen towel after the anti-bac wipe and before putting in the water bottles. Is this ok?

I wouldn't bother with wipes. Spray the litter box and other surfaces with pet friendly desinfectant and then rinse off with water after a few minutes, where possible. In the hutch I just use a damp cloth after I sprayed it. A lot of the antibacterial stuff has too much perfume in it, which can irritate the bunnies' eyes and nose. Vinegar is also good to clean the litter box with every few weeks, to get rid of the urine stains. Always rinse with water afterwards though.

i was wondering where I can get pet-safe disinfectant please?

LionheadLuver said:

i was wondering where I can get pet-safe disinfectant please?

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Most pet shops should have it. I got some from the Hay Experts and Bunny Basics, too, as there is not decent pet shop near me.

I use virkon from www.sphsupplies.co.uk It sounds expensive but if you buy a powder pot you just make it up into a liquid as you go along, so you only make up as much as you need each time. This keeps it fresh and it also works out much more economical than keep buying tubs of disinfectant. Virkon (or Trigene is another alternative) are commonly used at vets practices as they are so good at killing all manner of bunny nasties. I have a vague thought in my mind that Dettol is inactivated by organic matter so unless the area is 110% cleaned beforehand, it won't work :?

Yep, Virkon is good stuff. It irritates my asthma though. Also, please don't lulled into a false sense of security with it and think it kills everything - doesn't kill E cuniculi or Coccidiosis (however it is spelled).

LionheadLuver said:

i was wondering where I can get pet-safe disinfectant please?

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I buy mine from P@H.