Disinfection

[RainbowBrite]

If a hamster has anything infectious then their cage needs to be disinfected. I saw on Victoria Rachel's video she suggests throwing away a wooden enclosure if a hamster passed away of something infectious. If the whole enclosure has been varnished then can it be disinfected? I know baking it would work but this would not be possible for me due to the size of my oven. I was wondering if something like F10 would be enough to make an enclosure safe again?

Please do not worry as Orko is fine. I just wanted to know for the future. It would be very sad to have to get rid of the enclosure and I was just wondering if it could be disinfected safely.

 

[Frida]

This is a very good question? Hopefully someone will have the answer. It's such a waste to throw it away.

 

[Maz]

I think if a wood cage has been painted with waterproofing paint you would just clean it out /disinfect it as you woukd any other cage. My vets just use the beaphar spray for small animals.

It’s tricky if it’s only part painted - you could still spray but the untreated wood would soak up the disinfectant and may retain the smell of it for longer - but with a longer time for airing out it would probably wear off.

I think it’s maybe more wood cage items that can be an issue like bendy stick bridges. And it probably is better to throw those out although technically baking should kill anything.

The only time full disinfection is necessary is if a hamster has been sick in the cage or died in it as you may not know if they had anything infectious or not.

Rule of thumb if using the cage for another hamster is disinfection and then wait 3 weeks before using the cage again. Airing it outside in the sun helps too. Sunlight and air are good for killing off bugs.

 

[Maz]

Personally I would throw away bendy stick bridges and disinfect anything that is easy to clean. Ceramic things I just wash. Washing with soap (Fairy liquid water) removes bacteria and viruses too.

 

[Member ID2]

I don't know the answer but wonder what would be classed as infectious in a hamster and what kind of illness could they contract that could be infectious.

I know that with some types of mites it would be necessary to clean and disinfect enclosure and furnishings.

 

[Maz]

Any kind of things infestation needs thorough cleaning yes. Whether it needs disinfection or not for mites I’m not sure - a vet woukd advise. Thankfully I’ve never had that issue. Avoid stress and you avoid mites. It’s a run down immune system that can lead to them.

After my big moth outbreak that time (the base of the cage was crawling with them!). The vet wasn’t sure what was needed but suggested a deep clean with beaphar. Maybe disinfection helps kill invisible eggs but I think white vinegar does too. White vinegar isn’t a disinfectant though because it will kill some bacteria snd viruses but not all of them.

 

[elusive]

If an enclosure has been varnished then it should be fine to disinfect it, I don’t see why that would be a problem at all.
If I need to disinfect anything I use unscented Safe4 but have also used F10, either one is fine.
Once it’s been disinfected & dried then it’s ok to use, no need to wait really.

 

[Maz]

Where do you get the Safe4 from Elusive? I used to use it after you recommended it but then found it hard to get hold of. I quite like the beaphar one as well. The smell is very light and wears off quite quickly but I always rinse it as well (even though it says no need to rinse).

 

[RainbowBrite]

Thank you so much for all the replies. I do not have a garden so would be unable to put the cage outside. I fully understand about the items inside the cage but I am concerned about the actual cage itself. It has two coats of wood sealant on the inside and outside. It was really the youtube video I mentioned and also things I have read on the German hamster sites. They are not keen on wooden enclosures at all and say using coated chipboard is best as it is easy to clean and disinfect.

I would actually throw away wooden items such as bridges and logs but it would be quite hard to throw away the actual cage.

I am also unsure what is meant by infectious disease. I thought they may mean things like parasites which can live in the actual wood.

 

[elusive]

Parasites or mites that can survive in the cage could be a problem that would need thorough cleaning & disinfecting but I would imagine there are illnesses like wet tail, respiratory or urinary issues that could involve contagious bacteria or viruses, I think things like that are more likely to be passed directly from one ham to another rather than the pathogens remaining on wood or other materials but I guess it’s possible.
Disinfecting is often a precautionary measure if a hamster has been ill or dies of unknown causes.

 

[RainbowBrite]

Parasites or mites that can survive in the cage could be a problem that would need thorough cleaning & disinfecting but I would imagine there are illnesses like wet tail, respiratory or urinary issues that could involve contagious bacteria or viruses, I think things like that are more likely to be passed directly from one ham to another rather than the pathogens remaining on wood or other materials but I guess it’s possible.
Disinfecting is often a precautionary measure if a hamster has been ill or dies of unknown causes.

As there is a possibility it sounds like there could be a risk reusing the cage. It is difficult to know what to do.

 

[Member ID2]

I think Wet Tail would be classed as an infectious disease.

There are other gastro-intestinal ones similar to infectious diseases humans can get according to a vet i saw once with Rodney.

A demodex mites overgrowth caused by a compromised immmune system would need treatment but not disinfection because they live on hamsters anyway.
I was more thinking of the mites brought in with hay for example that can live in bedding.

I think Victoria R's drastic advice referred to cages made from untreated wood that had not been varnished or painted.

 

[elusive]

As there is a possibility it sounds like there could be a risk reusing the cage. It is difficult to know what to do.

Not really a risk if you disinfect properly.

 

[Maz]

As there is a possibility it sounds like there could be a risk reusing the cage. It is difficult to know what to do.

It's not something to worry about Rainbow. If you need the cage for another hamster in the future, you just give it a clean out with pet disinfectant. This is really precautionary in case the previous hamster may have had something infectious that another hamster could pick up, as Elusive says. Your cage is fully painted and would just clean the same as any other as the wood is waterproofed.

 

[RainbowBrite]

I really appreciate all your responses. Thank you.

 

[Maz]

To add to that - if you wait three weeks, viruses and bacteria won't survive. A lot has been learned about that through covid I think - which lasts longer than most but after a few days on wood it wouldn't survive. If it's a hard surface like metal or plastic it could be a month - varnish could be considered as a hard surface if being cautious so after four weeks nothing would be infectious. So cleaning with disinfectant and waiting a month would be sure fire and belt and braces!

 

[RainbowBrite]

To add to that - if you wait three weeks, viruses and bacteria won't survive. A lot has been learned about that through covid I think - which lasts longer than most but after a few days on wood it wouldn't survive. If it's a hard surface like metal or plastic it could be a month - varnish could be considered as a hard surface if being cautious so after four weeks nothing would be infectious. So cleaning with disinfectant and waiting a month would be sure fire and belt and braces!

That is so good to know. Thank you.